Ray H. Stephens Schofield Barracks |
I was at Pearl Harbor stationed aboard the USS Turkey, a World I mine sweeper. We were tied up at the old coal docks close to Hickam Field. It was a day none of who were at Pearl Harbor Will ever forget. Our ship was not attacked. After the battle, we went along side the Nevada and pumped water out of her for several days. We did the same thing to I believe the Maryland. Finally, in February our ship went South not returning to the States until June of 1943. I was then transferred to the USS Engstrom, a destroyer escort on which I served out the remainder of the war. I had a total of 55 months of continuous sea duty, some of it very rough. I had the pleasure and I might say the honor of having spent several weeks aboard the Arizona in 1941. I was a radioman having gone to radio school in San Diego. In I think June of 1941, I was assigned duty on the Argonne, which was stationed at dock 10 in Pearl Harbor. To get there, I rode a tanker from San Diego to San Pedro on which I was assigned temporary duty aboard the Arizona. I therefore got to ride the ship from San Pedro to Pearl Harbor. Two things, maybe three things I remember about this great ship. I could never find my battle station, I slept in a hammock, the only time in my naval career that I did this, and finally she was a great ship. |
Information provided by Ray H. Stephens. |
