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| Jack Watkins, third from Left |
Jack Watkins, my dad, was still 17 years old, when he enlisted May 1, 1942 in Los Angeles. He had already left school at Niles McKinley, hitchhiked across the United States, and was working for the Civilian Conservation Corps out west, when he decided to go to California and enlist. Uncle Dick, (Richard - Dad’s brother), remembered a recruitment officer telephoning my
grandparents, Watkin and Belva. The officer explained that my Dad wanted to enlist, and had said he
was born in 1923, but could supply no proof. This officer obviously suspected this was not true, and was prepared to abide by what my Grandfather said. Grandpa corroborated the story, allowing my dad to enlist. Note that since Dad was born at home, there was never a Birth Certificate for him. This proved to be quite a problem later in life, since the Navy had the wrong date of birth.
He is first found June 23, 1942, as a passenger aboard the U.S.S. HENDERSON (AP-1) with the rank of “AS”, Apprentice Seaman or Seaman Recruit, E-1 pay scale. He came aboard with “no records" and the July 7, 1942 Muster Roll notes that; "All Transferred |2 Jul 42| to R/S P.H. for Assignment by COMSERFORPAC.” In other words, he’d boarded the Henderson for transport to Pearl Harbor for Commission Service in the Pacific.
Dad never said too much about the damage at Pearl Harbor, just that he'd been there. Instead, he commented once while we were watching an old movie together, how beautiful the young Hawaiian women were, and once when I asked again about Hawaii, he said he thought Kauai was one of the most beautiful places.
grandparents, Watkin and Belva. The officer explained that my Dad wanted to enlist, and had said he
He is first found June 23, 1942, as a passenger aboard the U.S.S. HENDERSON (AP-1) with the rank of “AS”, Apprentice Seaman or Seaman Recruit, E-1 pay scale. He came aboard with “no records" and the July 7, 1942 Muster Roll notes that; "All Transferred |2 Jul 42| to R/S P.H. for Assignment by COMSERFORPAC.” In other words, he’d boarded the Henderson for transport to Pearl Harbor for Commission Service in the Pacific.
Dad never said too much about the damage at Pearl Harbor, just that he'd been there. Instead, he commented once while we were watching an old movie together, how beautiful the young Hawaiian women were, and once when I asked again about Hawaii, he said he thought Kauai was one of the most beautiful places.
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From Peal Harbor, dad boarded the U.S.S. GREBE (AT-134). As noted in the Grebe’s Muster Roll for July 31, 1942, "received from R/S Pearl Harbor T.H. for Duty". It was later noted in the Sept. 30 report that Jack Watkins was promoted from AS to S. 2c or Seaman 2nd Class, E-2.
The Grebe began her service in 1919 as a Lapwing-class minesweeper. However, by 1942, when dad served aboard her, the Grebe had been reclassified as a Tug. In the fall of 1942, the Grebe traveled to; Johnston Island (Kalama Atoll in the Pacific, SW of Hawaii), Canton Island (now Kanton Island, halfway between Hawaii and Fiji), and Pago Pago, (the capital of American Samoa). There is no record of any trouble, or “skirmishes” on these trips. Unfortunately, for both Dad and the Grebe that would change Dec. 6, 1942.
The U.S.S. Grebe grounded while attempting to float a freighter, the SS Thomas A. Edison at Vuanta Vatoa, Fiji Islands. Dad said, the freighter had gotten stuck on a reef, and the Grebe came to pull her off and instead, also became stuck. Sailors from both ships had to be rescued. Salvage operations on the ship were halted by a hurricane that destroyed both ships during the night of 1-2 January 1943. The Grebe’s name was struck from the Navy List July 28, 1943. In the engagement announcement of Jack and Jeanne, the author found it necessary to include, as a final line, at the very end: Mr. Watkins ship was sunk January, 1943.
U.S.S. GREBE: Dec. 6, 1942 – Date of Abandoning of the U.S.S. GREBE, #26 Jack Watkins
Dad was transported via the U.S.S.Pasig, which reported him "picked up from Noumea, New Caledonia and transferred to the U.S.S. Pathfinder for duty". He was assigned to Project "FANTAN" which as far as I can find was just USN name for the Fiji Islands. He spent about a year on the Pathfinder, which was classified as a survey vessel.
The U.S.S. Pathfinder (AGS-1), was launched January 1942, and began its official duties only a few months before Dad boarded on January 31, 1943. In May 1943, he received a promotion to Coxswain, or Petty Officer 3rd Class, E4. During the time he was on board, the Pathfinder was involved in numerous dangerous operations.
"For nearly two years, Pathfinder operated along the dangerous New Guinea-New Britain-Solomon Islands areas where allied land-air-sea forces fought to break the Japanese grip on the area." Dad was recognized for service at Bougainville, and Guam, where "advance Pathfinder parties were sent ashore under the noses of the Japanese". He was also awarded for his service in Guadalcanal. "Pathfinder, although nominally a noncombatant, experienced some fifty bombing raids while working close to the front lines. She showed that she could retaliate at Guadalcanal on April 7, 1943 when her antiaircraft gunners shot down two Japanese planes."
More to come...
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