for my Grandfather.

[Zahtsk]

Hi all,

My grandfather may not have been a corpsman, I am thinking about joining the rank of corpsman. However, as my grandfather advances in years and suffers several ailments he has become reminiscent of his time in the service during World War II. He is looking to find out if any of his shipmates that he can.

Now I can get a copy of his DD-214, at least I think I can. He said he had two copies. I am trying to get a hold of him to hunt those down. I also had the name of the two ships he served on (I have to ask him again.)

Now 8404 has been kind of enough to pass me links for picking up the DD-214 and finding veterans. However, I seem to have no luck there.

Any advice?

I am going to post some more information soon when I get some names confirmed.

~Zack

[8404]

Zack;

Be sure to provide us with the complete names of the ships he served on, we may be able to locate a website for each ship.

Also, you have experienced no luck in locating the DD-214 or his shipmates?

[Zahtsk]

Forgot he was a Korean vet too....
USS Montauk - LSV 6-1944 - 46: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Montauk_%28LSV-6%29 (google search... yay for wikipeda)
USS Agawam - A0G-6 6-1946: http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/20/2006.htm
USS Cardinal - AMS (AM5?) 6-1950-51: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cardinal_%28AM-6%29
USS Flicker - AMS (AM5?) 9-1951-1952: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Flicker_(AMS-9)
-> AMS-9, reclassified from 4MS-219 (q.v.) 02, on 2-17-1947
Sorry the hand writing is hard to read

my Grand father's name is Ralph Sanford, by the way.

[8404]

Ralph Sanford is the name of your grand father?

USS Montauk: http://www.rpadden.com/lsv6/lsv6.htm
This site has numerous pictures of the crew on board. I could not locate a specific active website for this ship.

USS Agawam: http://www.hullnumber.com/AOG-6
This site has a crew roster with crew member email's. May have some luck finding former shipmates with this one. This ship had a ships crew reunion in October of 2007. Here is a shipmates contact used for the reunion:

Dick Cypher
2200 Berryhill Ct
Edmond, OK 73034
405-359-1513
AOG-6@HullNumber.com

USS Cardinal: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/am67.htm
I could not locate a specific active website for this ship.

USS Flicker: I could not locate anything on this ship.

You might check the following website's for missing 'buddies':

http://www.military.com/Military/Locator/New/Missing_Buddies/Index/1,12006,,00.html

http://community.military.com/buddy-finder/

[HMC8404]

Zahtsk, another source is www.togetherweserved.com (http://www.togetherweserved.com)

That is another Navy site with a ton of links as well. Try there and good luck.

[Zahtsk]

Thanks. I contacted him to see if he recongizes any of the names that I found on those sites that match his time peroid.

And yes his name is Ralph, I updated my last post so it should be more clear now.

[8404]

Also, on that one site, it has an option to ADD your grand fathers name to the list of names. You can also add an email for possible contact.

Let us know when you obtain a copy of his DD-214. We have veterans here, who may be able to help with acronyms and code descriptions/explanations.

[Zahtsk]

By the way, thanks for all your help so far. I am making better headway than I've in the past. I think I actually found some of the people he was looking for, trying to get a hold of them now.

[8404]

Be sure to thank your grand father for his service during WWII.

[Zahtsk]

USS flicker is AMS-9 not 6. He says thanks for the help.
He is curious at to why on the LSV-6 USS Montauk why in the fall of 1945 did they sail from China to Korea, with Chinesse troops?
When he got on the USS Montauk he traveled South to Panama, through the Canal. To Gauda (sp?) Canal. Then to San Fransico. From there to HI, to Gaum, to Midway (if memory serves, it was during the Battle of Midway). Then in the fall they went to China, picked up Chinesse troops and went to Korea.

[8404]

Interesting the site would leave out the battle of Midway, as this would have been a major event for a ships log.

I haven't looked at the site in detail and am only going by what you have passed on from your grand father. However, building a website, it is possible, the person who built it left it out. Not sure why though.

Interesting catch on your grandfathers part. I would email the webmaster for that website and ask for clarification.

USS Flicker AMS-9:
http://www.hullnumber.com/AMS-9

http://www.multied.com/NAVY/Minelayer/Flicker.html

http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/19219.htm

Found the following at:http://books.dreambook.com/usspirate/minewarfare.html

Palmer O. Little plittle01@sbcglobal.com

"Served on the USS Flicker AMS 9 and later on the USS Warbler MSC 206 as the Executive Officer until transferrred to the USS KOINER DER 331. Stayed in the USNR until retired in 1977 after 28 years. Also retired from McDonnell Douglas after 30 years. I have pictures of the Comissioning of the Warbler and the Crew that was on at that time."
Palmer Sunday, August 12th 2007 - 07:57:45 PM

Interesting AMS-9 artifacts for sale:
Ship plans copied from the National Archives (http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu8Ud0rxHgdIAIdRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhbXYzN3Z rBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDOQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1lTMjEzXzExN ARsA1dTMQ--/SIG=11t3fimtu/EXP=1203643293/**http%3a//www.marylandsilver.com/WW2ship.htm)

http://www.marylandsilver.com/WW2ship.htm

(Plan for Model Builder)
Outboard Profile, Main Deck, Pilot House, Top of Pilot House
& Chart Room, Forecastle Deck & 6 x-tions, 36"x48" (1947), 1/8" scale.
AMS 1, 41-45 two funnels; AMS 2-29

Flicker,[AMS-9] $10.00 Order description example: (AMS-9)(Albatross class Minesweeper)

To Order: http://www.marylandsilver.com/toorder.htm

[psencik1950]

Points of reference - Battle of Midway was in June 1942.

Landing at Gaudalcanal was in August 1942.

No wasn't there, but I am a history buff.

Ben

[Zahtsk]

He's talked about the battle before (only in very recent history.) I might have gotten the ship wrong. I know the Flicker went to Midway (post battle.)

Ben, I am having issues finding if the other ships were there or not.

You know, he didn't start talking about his service until we got him the illustrated history of the Navy. It’s a big white book with the Navy Seal on the cover (if I remember correctly.) The funny part was all we learned from him after he got that book. He opened it and looked through then pointed a picture and said, "I was on that beach."
A few of us instantly recognized which beach it was. It was not until a year later we actually heard his story about being on that beach before the battle. He had to place landing markers on Iwo Jima's beach and then drive land crafts (that last part is what my father tells me he said, the first part is something my grandfather told me)

But the entire time he would tell us stories, it was not about battles but the people. He would use their names (which now, about five years since I learned these things he has forgotten most of them again) but he would tell stories about leave at ports and how some guys got in trouble for being drunk under age. Or how they thought one guy was illiterate, and they were teasing him, because the guy was sipping coffee and reading a newspaper upside down. Someone went to tell the guy and the guy started reading out loud. Apparently, he preferred to read text upside down - that part was never clear.