USS Wisconsin's Burials at Sea

By Alex Bowback
Maintenance Coordinator, Battleship Wisconsin

USS Wisconsin (BB 64) never suffered fatal casualties directly resulting from combat. However, during the ship’s tours of service, Wisconsin was not unfamiliar with the high price of war paid by many Sailors. Equipped with the best at-sea medical facilities, Battleship Wisconsin received many Sailors from destroyers with wounds severe enough to need treatment that could not be rendered on the smaller vessels. Battleship Wisconsin’s medical personnel provided the best care they could for the wounded, but in some cases those wounds were just too severe.

USS Wisconsin sailing in the western Pacific, December 1944 (NHHC)

Harry Vivian Yetter was only 20 years old when he found himself being transferred by high line to USS Wisconsin above the rolling seas of the Pacific Ocean in April 1945. A Seaman 1st Class aboard USS McDermut (DD 677), Yetter was among a string of severe casualties transferred for treatment after a friendly fire incident: USS Missouri, attempting to shoot down a low-flying kamikaze, peppered USS McDermut with countless anti-aircraft rounds and one 5-inch shell, the latter creating a four-foot diameter hole in the hull and penetrating the forward fireroom. Some of the casualties needed more treatment than could be provided by the limping destroyer’s medical team. Unfortunately, war has its cost and even on a ship with state-of-the-art medical equipment, some wounds are just too severe.

After suffering a long night in critical condition in USS Wisconsin’s sick bay, Harry Vivian Yetter of Chatfield, Minnesota, succumbed to his wounds and was buried at sea from the starboard side fantail on April 16, 1945. He is one of three Sailors who were buried at sea from USS Wisconsin during wartime operations when the ship was with Battleship Division Nine during the Second World War.

The two other WWII Sailors who were committed to the deep from USS Wisconsin also served on destroyers that screened carrier groups. Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Robert Edward Caya, a 37-year-old Sailor born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was transferred to Wisconsin after his ship, USS Watts (DD 567), came under attack by Japanese kamikaze. He was buried at sea on August 11, 1945. Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Mervin Randolph Clark was on USS Maddox (DD 731) when his ship came under fire from Japanese guns. He was transferred to Wisconsin, where the ship’s medical team tried to save him, but 27-year-old Mervin Randolph Clark, born in Limestone, Tennessee, succumbed to his wounds and was buried at sea on January 22, 1945.

A Sailor on USS Wisconsin stops to pray. (NHHC)

By the time USS Wisconsin had laid to rest Harry V. Yetter, Mervin R. Clark, and Robert E. Caya, these Sailors had already done the same with two members of their own crew a few months prior. One of these sailors was Seaman 2nd Class Joe J. Goldblatt, who died on August 21, 1944, on authorized leave while the ship was in Philadelphia. He was buried in Tiferet Israel-Agudas Achim Cemetery, Dallas, Texas. The other Sailor was Seaman 2nd Class Frank O. Ratcliffe. He developed pneumonia while the ship was anchored in Honolulu, Hawaii, and at 8:10 A.M. on November 16, 1944, while he was in sick bay, he died from his illness. Ratcliffe was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

USS Wisconsin closed out WWII having suffered no casualties of its own as a result of combat; but in 1951, when the ship was reactivated for the Korean Conflict after a few years in mothball, the starboard side fantail was again prepared to commit another man to the deep. This time, however, it would not be a Sailor from USS Wisconsin’s own Navy. It would be a combatant from the other side of the 38th parallel, a North Korean prisoner of war.

There are not many details about the burial at sea of this North Korean POW. The only evidence that can be found are photographs from USS Wisconsin’s 1951-52 cruise book and oral accounts from Sailors aboard the ship at the time of the burial. From the evidence we do have, we know that this North Korean POW was given full military honors and was committed to the deep with the same respect a Sailor from the U.S. Navy would have received. No exact date has been found, but we know the year to be 1951, while USS Wisconsin was serving off the Korean peninsula.

It is important to remember these five Sailors and North Korean POW when understanding USS Wisconsin’s military career in both WWII and the Korean Conflict. These six show us just how personal war became to the Sailors of USS Wisconsin, whether it was members of the ship’s own crew, like Frank Ratcliffe and Joe Goldblatt; or members of other ships’ companies who were transferred to Wisconsin for medical care, like Harry Yetter, Mervin Clark, Robert Caya, and the unnamed POW. For the latter four, the fantail is the closest thing to a tangible grave they have and should be respected as a place of memorial for those who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country. It is the last place their earthly bodies would rest among their comrades as the words “we therefore commit this body to the deep” rang out to all hands standing silently on deck.

Saddam, AEGIS, and the Debut of the Tomahawk: The 30th Anniversary of Desert Storm

 

USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) firing a Tomahawk cruise missile at Iraqi targets during Desert Storm. USS Paul F. Foster (DD 964) to the right.(Navsource)

By Zachary Smyers

HRNM Educator

On August 2, 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his troops to invade the tiny, oil-rich nation of Kuwait. In addition to the armed invasion, Saddam Hussein had violated several United Nations resolutions. As a result, the United States had the full support of the United Nations to deal with Hussein and his recent invasion.

President George H.W. Bush, along with his military advisors, was concerned that Hussein might not be content with just invading Kuwait and might continue with an invasion of Saudi Arabia. Since Saudi Arabia was an ally, President Bush felt compelled to prevent this from happening. Along with 40 other allied nations, the U.S. implemented a plan called Desert Shield.

General Schwarzkopf talking with troops (Los Angeles Times)

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was the overall commander in charge of the coalition for Desert Shield. Schwarzkopf, a veteran of two tours in Vietnam, had a very specific battle plan: do not attack until you are prepared. Having served in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf knew that the American public would be apprehensive about a lengthy ground war in a foreign land that would possibly result in extensive American casualties. Therefore, Schwarzkopf's plan had two phases. The first was the buildup of the coalition forces referred to as Desert Shield. The second phase, the offensive aspect, would include a lengthy air campaign, and was referred to as Desert Storm. Schwarzkopf’s plan would include significant support from the United States Navy.

USS Midway (CV 41), USS Ranger (CV 61), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and USS America (CV 66) are escorted by USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and USS Normandy (CG 60) at the end of Desert Storm (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Reminiscent of the large-scale invasions of World War II, the U.S. Navy deployed to the Persian Gulf with six aircraft carriers, 18 cruisers, 13 destroyers, 18 frigates, two nuclear fast attack submarines, and a wide variety of support ships. The Hampton Roads-based vessels alone numbered thirty six, including the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB 64). Within this assembled armada was a class of ship that would prove to be a true workhorse during the operation: the Ticonderoga-class AEGIS cruiser.

USS San Jacinto (CG 56) transits the Suez Canal to the Red Sea in September 1990 to join the build up of forces in Desert Shield. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Ten AEGIS (Automatic Electronic Guidance Intercept System) cruisers deployed to support the operation from bases in Norfolk, San Diego, Mississippi, and Japan. AEGIS uses a combination of computers and radar to track multiple targets simultaneously. The AN/SPY-1 radar used by the cruisers also enabled the ships to track over 100 targets over 100 nautical miles away. Utilizing the AEGIS system, the various cruisers performed the tasks of coordinating anti-air warfare and anti-surface warfare operations. While serving as the Battle Force Anti-Surface-Warfare Commander (controlling aircraft from four different aircraft carriers), USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) directed carrier-based aircraft to engage 38 Iraqi naval vessels during the Battle of Bubiyan, which took place from January 29 to February 2, 1991. The outcome of the battle was the annihilation of the Iraqi navy, which proved the effectiveness of AEGIS in combat. Another new weapon system used by the Navy was the Tomahawk cruise missile. 

Concept art of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) from the 1970s. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Tomahawk first entered service with the Fleet as the primary land attack missile in 1983. This new cruise missile provided the Navy with an all-weather long-range weapon capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. Desert Storm was the combat debut of the Tomahawk, and the majority of the cruisers supporting the operation fired several of these weapons. The AEGIS cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) fired the first Tomahawk missile in combat on January  while operating in the Red Sea. Other cruisers such as USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and Mobile Bay fired Tomahawks from the Persian Gulf. A Sailor aboard Mobile Bay described the scene aboard the cruiser:

I can't remember what time we went to general quarters, but I know it was in the middle of the night. Normally a GQ in the middle of the night meant being pissed at getting pulled out of my rack for a drill. But not this time. I had been having trouble sleeping because being part of the CIC [Combat Information Center] watch team I knew we had plans to fire [Tomahawks]. I didn't know when it would happen, but . . . [I] knew that the GMs had gone in to remove the safeties on a lot of our missiles. So when GQ came I just knew we were going to get in a scrap! Because my GQ station was down in engineering monitoring the 400hz system, I didn't get to see the first missiles of Desert Storm get launched. But nobody on the ship could say you didn't feel and hear those bad boys launching. Net 66, the sound circuit for Aegis maintenance, went WILD with everybody whooping and cheering. We quickly got settled down by [the combat systems officer]. But I know I didn't have any issues staying awake in the middle of the night just waiting and not being disappointed in more and more TLAMs being launched. [*Mobile Bay fired 22 Tomahawks during Desert Storm] 

A Sailor in the CIC aboard USS Normandy (CG 60) a few years after Desert Storm (Wikipedia Commons)

USS Wisconsin (BB 64) launches a Tomahawk missile against an Iraqi target during Desert Storm (Wikipedia)

Two Iowa-class battleships, USS Missouri (BB 63) and Wisconsin, also fired Tomahawks utilizing the box launcher system installed during their modernization in the 1980s. Below the surface, USS Louisville (SSN 724) also fired Tomahawks at Iraqi targets, which marked the first successful launch of a Tomahawk from a submarine. The U.S. Navy launched a total of 288 Tomahawks during Desert Storm, hitting the enemy with great effect. Targets destroyed included command and control centers, power facilities, surface-to-air missile sites, and the Presidential Palace.

A Sailor from Louisville holds a commemorative Louisville Slugger baseball bat marked with the date of the submarine's Tomahawk launch against Iraqi targets. Note the text "Kick Saddam's Butt, Jan. 19, 1991." (National Archives and Records Administration)

Kuwait was liberated on February 27, 1991 with Hussein’s army fleeing in great numbers, and Iraq agreed to the resolutions from the United Nations the next day. The Navy’s role during Desert Storm was a key element to the coalition victory over Iraq. The Navy provided unchallenged control of the seas, provided consistent delivery of equipment and essential supplies, and flew numerous sorties during the air campaign. The use of new and at the time untested weapon systems like AEGIS and the Tomahawk land attack missile helped ensure a quick victory over the Iraqi forces.

VJ Day Artifact Series (Part 2): Schoolhouse Arisaka Rifle

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, we will be highlighting a few artifacts from the Navy's collection that highlight unique aspects of the Navy during the war. This week we are featuring an artifact from our own collection. 

This Type 99 Arisaka rifle was brought back to the U.S. by USS Wisconsin (BB 64) crewmember Frederick Mauritson. (HRNM 2000-347D-013/Elijah Palmer)

By Elijah Palmer
Deputy Director of Education

Small arms are typically not as common in naval museums as other, more ground based military museums. However that does not mean they are non-existent. Within the collection at HRNM is a captured Japanese Type 99 Arisaka rifle. The Arisaka was the standard issue rifle for the Japanese military during World War II, and thus became a fairly common war souvenir for American military personnel. 

Mauritson etched in "Sept. 16, 1945" on the rifle butt, the date he went into Yokosuka. (Elijah Palmer)

Signalman 3^rd Class Frederick Mauritson found this rifle in Yokosuka, Japan. The rifle was one of a cache hidden under the floor of an elementary school and were meant to be used by civilians in the case of the feared American invasion ("Operation Downfall"), which the entire nation was prepared to defend against. 

Japanese schoolgirls train on Arisaka rifles and a light machine gun (Wikipedia Commons)

A Marine destroys Japanese small arms (including Type 99 Arisaka rifles) with a hammer near Yokosuka Naval Base on August 30, 1945. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

American ships outside of Tokyo Harbor on August 27, 1945, with Mount Fuji in the background. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Mauritson was a plankowner on USS Wisconsin (BB 64) and was off the coast of Japan on August 15, 1945 when word of the Japanese surrender arrived. The battleship came into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945, a few days after the surrender ceremony. He was able to finally get liberty and go ashore on September 16th. USS Wisconsin would leave Japan on September 22nd to participate in Operation Magic Carpet, bringing soldiers and marines back to the United States. When the ship sailed away, Mauritson had a few souvenirs stashed in his seabag, which would eventually find their way into HRNM's collection. 

Signalman 3rd Class Frederick Mauritson with his father, Lieutenant Frederick Mauritson (USN, 1919-1946) after the war. (from Mauritson's scrapbook in HRNM collection)

BB-64 @ 75: Wisconsin at War, Part 4

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 continue with the reminiscences of those who fought during the Korean War aboard Wisconsin to writer Susan Dorsey Boland and former HRNM historian Gordon Calhoun.

Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Jim Hornshaw (right at front) is seen here in USS Wisconsin's First Class Mess during the Korean War.  Before warfare pins became commonplace, special qualifications such as diver, explosive ordnance disposal technician, or gun captain (a closeup of which is seen in the oval section within the image), were worn on the dress uniform as patches, or "distinguishing marks." Hornshaw would have worn his on the right sleeve, midway between the wrist piping and the elbow.  In the photo, Radarman 1st Class John Cummusk is sitting two deats  (Courtesy of Jim Hornshaw/ Hampton Roads Naval Museum File)

By Jim Hornshaw
former Boatswain's Mate 1st Class aboard USS Wisconsin (BB 64)
as told to Susan Dorsey Boland 
and Gordon Calhoun

When you first meet Jim Hornshaw, you automatically get the impression that he was in the Navy. He is a rough, no-nonsense person, who possesses a charming sense of humor. Like many of his shipmates aboard BB-64, Jim joined the Navy in World War II in the early stages of the conflict. He and his friends from Detroit, Michigan all went down to the recruiters together. “There were 12 of us,” he remembers, “but only two of us joined the Navy.”

He joined the Navy for one reason: to go to sea. “They wanted to send me to school, but I told them ‘I joined the Navy to go to sea.’” So, they made him a boatswain’s mate. He served on mostly small boats throughout the war including patrols onboard USS SC-698 during the Battle of the Atlantic.

At the end of the war, his ship pulled into San Francisco where he participated in a V-J Day parade. He had serious thoughts about leaving the service and was just about to until he ran into one of the officers from the brand new destroyer USS John W. Thomason (DD 760). “After a few drinks at a local bar, he convinced me to reenlist and join his ship.” 

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) underway with her crew at quarters on March 10, 1958. (Naval History and Heritage Command image)

He came to Wisconsin in 1950. Once again he was just about to reenlist when he received orders to the battleship. “It was like dying and going to heaven,” he remembered when he received his orders to serve on a battleship. By this time, Jim was a 1st class boatswain’s mate. The Navy assigned him to the ship’s 7th Division, which was responsible for the maintenance of the starboard side of the ship around Turret Number 3. This included painting and the general maintenance of the superstructure. Sometimes he had to look high and low for his team.
“The admiral liked to watch cowboy and Indian movies. He was always having them brought on board. Well, one day I went looking for my group and there they are watching a movie with the admiral!”  

A rammerman at the breech of one of Wisconsin's 16-inch guns loads powder (also known as propellant) bags behind the shell before closing the breech block, or "mushroom," and firing. The towel around his left arm is used for keeping the mushroom clean. (Courtesy of Nauticus)

But this was only during relaxed times aboard the ship. During the General Quarters, the division manned one of the guns in Turret Number 3. A large portion of the crews manning the main guns were deck hands. Jim was made one of the supervisors in the turret. These supervisors were called gun captains and it was an honor that allowed Jim to wear a special patch and receive a slight increase in pay. “It was all team work. We were supposed to be able to load the gun and fire it twice a minute. One time, we loaded it in twenty-four seconds during exercises in the Caribbean. We got yelled at for violating safety regulations and never did that again,” he said with a smile.

Being inside the turret, Jim’s world was very small. His experience in combat is similar to that of many other sailors throughout maritime history. Jim and crew rarely knew where or for what reason the gun was being fired. For example, Jim was supervising his gun crew on March 15, 1952; the day the ship was hit. Like many of the crew, he did not know the ship got hit. All he heard was the order to retaliate.

USS Wisconsin (BB 64) lets loose with a nine-gun salvo sometime during the 1950s. (Dom Menta collection/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

“All I heard was an order for a nine gun salvo. I understand that the Old Man [the ship’s commanding officer, Captain Henry C. Bruton] was quite shook-up about it.”

One of Jim’s other jobs was to pipe dignitaries aboard the ship. Wisconsin had four boatswain’s mates on hand for these type of ceremonies. Among the people Jim piped aboard was the commander of Task Force 77, U.S. Senators, and even Syngman Rhee, president of South Korea during the war. But Jim didn’t seem to care. “He was just another body.”

During his official visit to USS Wisconsin (BB 64) on January 10, 1952, Syngman Rhee is escorted by Captain Thomas Burrowes, Wisconsin's commanding officer.  (Dom Menta collection/ Courtesy of Nauticus)

Another aspect that Jim did not seem to care about was the weather. Wisconsin arrived in South Korea, in the middle of winter. But being from Detroit, “I loved the cold weather.”

The coffee he drank must have helped a little. Jim swears that he must have drunk at least 25 to 50 cups of coffee a day to just keep up with his duties. Sleep? Who needs sleep? “I didn’t sleep until I got home.”

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)