John H. Conleff USS Navy USS Castor |
I was on the USS Castor, which was a Navy supply ship and on December 7th we were tied up at the Submarine Base with a ship load of torpedoes, mines and shells for the deck guns. All those Jap torpedoes went over us to go for the battleships. We shot down one for sure and another they called a probable. When we hit the one, it was so close to us that when our shell and his torpedo exploded, it made such a big noise that all the gun crew went completely deaf. Our hearing returned in about seven days, but was never the same. When I was getting out, they offered me a small pension if I would stay in the Navy another two weeks while some tests were made. I had met a girl about three months earlier and we had tickets to go to Reno and get married, so I told them I didn't want the money. My last two and a half years in the Navy were aboard the USS Massachusetts, a new battleship at that time. I saw a lot of action and have several medals and numerous bars and start that I wore on my uniform. We were in Tokyo Bay when the peace papers were being signed and just a little off to the side of the USS Missouri. I was in my car and it had the "Survivor Plates" on it. A young man came over, (about twenty five years old) and he stood there and studied the plates for a couple minutes. He then turned to me and said, "Is that some 'Rock Group'? I didn't set him straight, but he probably went to the movie and found out then. |
Information provided by John H. Conleff. |
