This Joyful Eastertide

This joyful Eastertide,
Away with sin and sorrow!
My Love, the Crucified,
Hath sprung to life this morrow.

Had Christ, that once was slain,
Ne'er burst his three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now hath Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen, arisen.

My flesh in hope shall rest,
And for a season slumber:
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number.

Death's flood hath lost his chill,
Since Jesus cross'd the river
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver.

—George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1848-1934

Listen to this beautiful Easter hymn performed by the King's College Cambridge on YouTube

March's routine repairs

In the month of March 1943, stationed in Espirito Santo, in addition to major emergency repairs to Alchiba and the overhaul of American Legion and Hunter Liggett, Dad's ship, the Vestal, continued to tackle numerous "routine not alongside repairs" to various vessels of the fleet. In relative order of service and repair, these ships included: Enterprise, Pyro, Tangier, Taurus, Curtiss, Tangier, Heosho, St. Louis, Honolulu, Nashville, San Diego, Pickney, Vireo, George Clymer, Joliet, David Gailland, SS Mathews, Walter Colton, SS David Gaillard, YMS-47, YMS-48, YMS-88, Cetus, Nassau, Sands, Cassiopeia, Pyro, Edwin Booth, Arctic, Peter V. Daniel, Nautilus, Andrew Furuseth, plus the Shore Station and various shop jobs on ships in the harbor.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, March 1943

James D. Doss (1939-2011)

For several months, I've been on my library's waiting list, anxiously anticipating the arrival of James D. Doss's latest mystery novel, The Old Gray Wolf. Alas, the first thing I read on the book jacket last night was that my favorite mystery writer had passed away. I can hardly bring myself to read this 17th and final installment.

James D. Doss was born and raised in Kentucky. He was an electrical engineer who worked on particle accelerators and biomedical technology at the Los Alamos National Laboratory while writing his novels. After retiring in 1999, he continued writing until his death in Los Alamos on May 17, 2012. Doss authored 17 “Charlie Moon Mysteries,” the first published in 1994, and the last of which was completed shortly before his death.

Doss thoroughly researched the background for his books about Southern Colorado and the Ute tribe in particular. Each story centers around tribal investigator Charlie Moon and his irascible but endearing Aunt Daisy, his only living family. Doss's tales are enriched by humorous descriptions of Charlie's devotion to his snappish and shameless aunt. But they also recount the enduring friendship between Charlie and his best "pardner," Granite Creek's chief of police, Scott Parris, with whom Charlie shares his investigations. And these relationships are what I will miss most.

Informed by a sincere respect for the culture and myths of the Utes, Doss mixed local culture, compelling narrative, and sly humor to make his books favorites among fans of the genre and readers of all kinds. Sadly, that has come to an end all too soon.

Thanks for giving us such satisfying and memorable stories. May they live on.

Alice Thompson, Heroine of Thompson Station

17-year old Alice Thompson
"Heroine of the Battle of Thompson Station"
Source: Battles and Sketches of the Army of Tennessee, 1906

There is a fascinating story forever associated with the Civil War Battle of Thompson's Station, Tennessee, fought on this date in 1863. The Confederate cavalry, victorious in that battle, received critical help from an unlikely source, a 17-year old named Alice Thompson. No recounting of the battle would be complete without mentioning the heroic role she played.

Daughter of Elijah Thompson, the town's eponym, Alice was on her way to visit a neighbor when Confederate and Federal troops collided in her small community. As the fighting approached, she dashed for the nearest safe place, the basement under the Thomas Banks home, where she sheltered with the family. Alice and the frightened family witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of the day, watching through the small windows for several hours as the battle raged around them. Alice looked on as Confederate soldiers charged towards a nearby hill and were repulsed. It was the dismounted 3rd Arkansas Regiment of Armstrong's Brigade. The soldiers charged again, but were repulsed a second time. In this attack, the regiment lost its commander, Col. S.G. Earle, shot in the head while leading his brave men. The regimental color-bearer was also struck. Both events left the troops in obvious disorder.

What Alice did next was simply astounding.

When she saw the regimental color-bearer down, brave Alice bolted from her shelter, snatched up the banner, and began waving it to rally the troops. Seeing such valor displayed by one of their women, the Confederates charged again, and this time they took the hill. Even the enemy cheered her heroism. After the battle, Alice tended many of the wounded who were taken into the Banks house.

Alice's deed that day made quite a lasting impression. It's referenced in a number sources by many witnesses. One such example is that of esteemed cavalry colonel, W.S. McLemore, who years after the war recalled Alice's bravery in the book, Battles and Sketches of the Army of Tennessee. While he admitted that many of the war's details had been forgotten, he could not forget the "heroine at Thompson's Station." For the book's publication in 1906, another vet provided the author with a picture he saved of the young woman.

Alice later married Dr. David H. Dungan, the brigade surgeon she assisted at the hospital set up in the Banks home after the battle. Sadly, Alice enjoyed only a short life, dying in 1869 at the age of 23. She is buried in her family's cemetery at Thompson's Station. Their home was just north of Banks house (now Homestead Manor) on the opposite side of the road.

Reflecting on Alice's amazing act in such a brief life, I can't help but call to mind Walter Scott's famous verse:

Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife!

To all the sensual world proclaim,

One crowded hour of glorious life

Is worth an age without a name.

Sources: Eyewitness to the Civil War (from Tennessee Antebellum Trail Guidebook by David R. Logsdon); Battles and Sketches of the Army of Tennessee, Broomfield L. Ridley; Official Records, Vol. 23, Pt. 1

February's routine repairs

In the month of February 1943, in addition to major emergency repairs to Alchiba and Minneapolis, Dad's ship, Vestal, working non-stop, tackled numerous "routine not alongside repairs" to various vessels of the fleet. In relative order of service and repair, these ships included: Neosho, Tangier, St. Louis, Nashville, Liggett, Shelldrake, Rosewood, Helena, Platte, Mackinac, Honolulu, Neosho, Tangier, Whipstock,  Platte, Curtiss, Drake, Wilson, Kohi, Pyro, Conflict, Hopkins, Pathfinder, subchasers 531, 668, and 640, Mackinac, Carina, YAG-27, Kapora, Navajo, YMS-47, San Diego, Mormactern, Enterprise, Helena, Crater, Brastagi, Taurus, Ballard, Pickney, Majaba, Flusser, PB-4, Vireo, Clymer, Cape Fairweather, YMS-48, and Skylark, plus the Shore station.

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, February 1943

Work on the Pyro

One of the many ships in need of routine repairs by the Vestal at Espiritu Santo this month in 1943, was the USS Pyro. Aptly named, the Pyro was an ammunition ship, which transported ammunition between various fleet ships operating in the area during 1943. Pyro is one of many unsung heroes during the war.

The USS Pyro was one of the older ships in the fleet, having been launched in 1919. She was assigned to the Pacific Fleet in August 1941, arriving at Pearl Harbor that same month. She would enter the war with the other ships at Pearl when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. In the attack, she suffered no serious damage and was credited with damaging 1 Japanese plane. Immediately after the attack, Dad was temporarily assigned to a crew to unload its ammunition to safeguard it from becoming another Japanese target. Four days later she departed Pearl Harbor for San Francisco. She carried ammunition from the West Coast to Pearl Harbor through September 1942.

After her stint in 1943 as the primary ammunition ship supporting vessels around Espiritu Santo, Pyro transported ammunition from Australia, New Caledonia, and the New Hebrides to New Guinea. From April through July 1944, she replenished combatants engaged in the Admiralty Islands and Hollandia campaigns in New Guinea. From December 1944 to August 1945, she replenished ships in the Philippines. After transporting troops en route at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, in October 1945, she returned to the West Coast.

USS Pyro was decommissioned in 1945, and sold for scrap in 1946. She earned 1 Battle Star for her WWII service.

USS Pyro 1941-1942

Source: USS Vestal War Diary, February 1943; Wikipedia

Seaplane Tender USS Tangier

Another of the many vessels that Dad's ship, Vestal, repaired at Espiritu Santo during February 1943, was the USS Tangier. Tangier was a seaplane tender, one of many such ships that supplemented the aircraft carrier force during the war.

Tangier was launched in 1939 as a cargo ship but was converted to seaplane tender service in 1941. She was moored to the rear of the USS Utah (which was hit and sunk) in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese led a surprise attack on the US Fleet stationed there. During the attack, Tangier′s gunners claimed 3 enemy planes and scored hits on a midget sub that had penetrated the harbor's defenses. In March 1942, Tangier arrived in Nouméa, New Caledonia, to relieve the Curtiss as a tender for PBY Catalina flying boats in their long-range searches for the enemy. She participated in searches to rescue survivors in the Battle of the Coral Sea in April and May of that year. After a complete overhaul in February 1943, she sailed for Espiritu Santo, which is where she was serviced by Vestal, and operated out of this base through 1944. In 1945, her planes participated in anti-shipping missions in the South China Sea, before being assigned occupation duty in Japan.

The USS Tangier was decommissioned in 1947, and scrapped in 1961. Tangier earned 3 Battle Stars for her WWII service.

Sources: NavSource Online; USS Vestal War Diary, February 1943

January's routine repairs

While the biggest and most critical jobs in January 1943 at Espiritu Santo were repairing battle damage to the Pensacola, Minneapolis, Alchiba, and Achilles, Dad's ship, Vestal, still had numerous "routine not alongside repairs" to many other vessels. Maintaining the fighting and support vessels of the fleet was an ongoing, often round-the-clock work.

Throughout this month, various repair crews serviced an incredible number of vessels. The work was day in and day out, every day of the week. In relative order of routine work and service performed by the Vestal this month included Sumner, Sabine, Tangier, YMS-47, YMS-48, Honolulu, San Diego, Louisville, Saint Louis, Buchanan, Stack, Woodworth, YP-289, Enterprise, Columbia, Helena, Nashville, Patrol Squadron 72, Nassau, PC-477, Lang, Tryon, YAG-25, Columbia, Lamson, Drayton, Pyro, Crater, Vireo, Ellet, Anderson, Dehaven, Morris, YPU-76, Nicholas, Neosho, Platte, O'Bannon, YP-518, Solace, Rosewood, Whipstock, YAG-25, Russell, Meade, Thornton, Arided, YMS-46, YAG-27, Copahee, Lardner, Appleby, YMS-8, YP-517, and Sheldrake, in addition to work on the Shore Station and a Shore Station barge. Many of these ships are rarely mentioned in histories of the war in the Pacific, but all were vital to the success of the war effort.

Vestal's crew went to general quarters at least 4 times in January when enemy planes were spotted and some bombing occurred.  All in a month's work!

Source:  USS Vestal War Diary, January 1943

Routine repairs to Enterprise

In January through April of 1943, Dad's ship, Vestal, completed various repairs to the carrier Enterprise at Espiritu Santo. Dad had been previously assigned to repair this ship during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November. On this date in 1943, Enterprise was sent into the Coral Sea, to cover the landings of 4 transports full of men and supplies for Guadalcanal, part of the final push to drive the Japanese from the island. In her final engagement in the seas around Guadalcanal, Enterprise provided air cover for the heavy cruiser Chicago, torpedoed by land-based Japanese planes the evening of January 29. Late the next afternoon, another enemy strike materialized. In the attack, known as the Battle of Rennell Island, Enterprise's fighters downed 11 of the 12 enemy planes, unfortunately not before 4 more torpedoes had slammed into Chicago's hull, fatally wounding her.

Detached after the battle, the carrier returned to Espiritu Santo on February 1, and for the next 3 months operated out of that base, covering U.S. surface forces up to the Solomons. During that period, Enterprise will receive additional repairs and refitting by the Vestal.

USS Enterprise at Noumea, in November 1942, while the "Big E"
 was undergoing repairs after the Battle of Santa Cruz
Source: NavSource Online

Sources: USS Vestal War Diary, January 1943; USS Enterprise CV-6

Defense of Life at Conception

Many people, including many Christians, are not aware of the Bible's clear commands regarding protecting human life from conception. One of the best biblical defenses of life beginning at conception can be found in a recent sermon by a former pastor in Georgia, Joe Morecraft. On this 40th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, it would be worth your time to listen to his "How To Defend From the Bible That Human Life Begins At Conception."