BB-64 @ 75: Wisconsin at War, Part 3

Editor’s Note: As we observe the 75th anniversary of USS Wisconsin's commissioning this month, we remember the generations of former crew members who brought this iconic Norfolk landmark to life and sailed into harm's way through three different wars. In this post we begin with the reminiscences of those who fought during the Korean War aboard Wisconsin to writer Susan Dorsey Boland and former HRNM historian Gordon Calhoun.

A photograph taken by Wisconsin photographer Dom Menta during the 1950s shows Wisconsin's aft AN/SPS-8A search and height-finding radar overlooking the battleship's Number 3 16-inch turret. As a part of his duties, Radarman 1st Class John Cummisk (inset, right) would have monitored the radar system for approaching enemy "bogies." The Radarman rating symbol (top) adopted in the 1950s became the Operations Specialist (OS) rating badge in the 1970s.  (Dom Menta collection/ Courtesy of John Cummisk/ Martha Walker-Nauticus)

By John Cummisk
former Radarman 1st Class aboard USS Wisconsin (BB 64)
as told to Susan Dorsey Boland 
and Gordon Calhoun

John Cummisk was born in Willimantic, Connecticut on April 23, 1925. On July 30, 1943, after his graduation from high school, he was drafted into the Navy, but on the day he reported to the draft, he was written in as a volunteer. John had wanted to serve in the Navy as his father had served one year during World War I at Naval Air Station Bayshore, Long Island.

The Cavalier Hotel, seen here on June 21, 1931, was the place to be among rich and famous luminaries of the 1920s such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, but, like other prominent hotels in Hampton Roads, served a defense-related function during World War II. (Virginian-Pilot Collection/ The Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library)

John first reported to boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island and then proceeded to the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, which at that time was being used as a Radarman School. The top of this graceful old hotel was rigged with numerous radar antennae. There were 100 men in John’s class, and the course took a total of three weeks.

A colorized view of one of USS Franklin's 5-inch batteries aflame after a devastating Kamikaze attack while conducting operations against Kyushu and Honshu, Japan, March 19, 1945. (Naval History and Heritage Command photograph)

John was on USS Franklin (CV 13) while she was in a task group invading the Philippines. On October 30, 1944, a kamikaze hit the Franklin, killing 54 men. After repairs in Bremerton, Washington. the Franklin returned to the Pacific. John recalls that two days into it, on March 19, 1945, while off Kyushu, the Japanese dropped two bombs on her, killing 724 of the 3,200 men onboard. John was in the water for two hours before USS Hunt (DD 674) picked him up out of the water.

 View of the flight deck of the USS Franklin (CV-13) looking forward, while the carrier was in New York Harbor around April 28, 1945. She had just returned from the Pacific for repair of battle damage received off Japan on March 19, 1945. Note damage to her flight deck, large U.S. ensign flying from her island, and the Manhattan skyline in the background. (National Archives and Records Administration via Naval History and Heritage Command)

He reenlisted in 1946 and was eventually ordered aboard Wisconsin in 1951. He had heard that battleships were different from other ships; there were a lot of inspections, uniforms had to be perfect, and a lot of “mickey mouse nitpicking” on board the dreadnought. But he has only fond memories of his days as a battleship sailor.

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) traverses the Panama Canal. (Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dom Menta/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

He vividly remembers watching the smoke come out of the bumpers as she made her way – or rather squeezed her way – through the Panama Canal. With a twinkle in his eye, John will tell you about the time he was the radar air search and he spotted a bogey at 100 miles east and 270 degrees west. It was a real big bogey. He called it up to “the powers that be” only to be told “that bogey is Formosa.”

The Combat Information Center (CIC) aboard USS Wisconsin (BB 64) during the 1950s. (Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dom Menta/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

The CIC aboard USS Wisconsin (BB 64) today. (M.C. Farrington)

He also remembers serving as the Royal Imp on the Neptune Court. For this role, he was entitled to carry a trident. However, the end of his trident had been rigged to give an electric shock. John struck his outfitted trident on about 20 pollywogs before someone spotted what he was doing, and his trident was taken away from him.

King Neptune oversees his minions as they torment pollywogs (Sailors who have never crossed the equator before) as they run the gauntlet during a line crossing ceremony aboard USS Wisconsin (BB 64).  (Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dom Menta/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

John will tell you he is a natural traveler, and he loved it when he would receive liberty in the foreign ports. He avoided the crowded spots, and tried to see a bit more of the places his ship had taken him. For the most part, in his travels in Japan, Hong Kong, or Guam, he came across only friendly and courteous people. But one day as he rode his bike along a deserted road in Japan, a Japanese soldier came towards him, over onto his side of the road, and forced John into a ditch. The solider apologized profusely after the event, but John was certain it had been intentional. He now shrugs his shoulders at the mention of the incident, without any bad feelings at all.

A shopping district somewhere in Japan during the 1950s. (Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dom Menta/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

John was also on board Wisconsin on the only day crew members were injured in combat. The ship was off the coast of North Korea when shore artillery hit the starboard side of the ship. Three men were wounded. The captain was outraged-not only about his men, but also on the damage done to his ship. The captain ordered all nine 16-inch guns to be fired in broadside at the perpetrators. They were obliterated. The injured Wisconsin crewmen, however, recovered from their wounds.

USS Wisconsin (BB 64) fires a 16-inch volley from its number three turret against a target in North Korea. (Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dom Menta/ Courtesy of Nauticus)