Vote! Vote! Vote! - Korean War Veterans Association

that the Repose also had a helicopter landing
platform.
I received a letter from Harold J
.Arndt Jr., who saw the Repose in Pusan
in April of 1951. He was in the Air
Force. He ended up as a patient aboard
the Haven when I was aboard. He sent
me a photo of a fellow corpsman in his
ward.
I also got a phone call from Don
Swanson, who was in the Army stationed
at the Presidio in San Francisco.
He assisted in the recovery of the bodies
after the Benevolence sank under the
Golden Gate Bridge.
I am thrilled to hear from fellow veterans
so many years after our lives took
us to that part of the world.
Tony Ybarra, 1653 Glenville Dr.
San Jose, CA 95124-3808
I Served on the Repose
I served on the U.S.S. Repose from
Feb. 1951 – June 1953 as a
Commissaryman 2d Class, mostly in the
bakery. I rate nine Battle Stars for
Korean service.
We did have a landing pad on the fantail.
Alva F. (Sam) McClary
10472 Campbell Ave.
Riverside, CA 92505, (951) 687-5927
EDITOR’S NOTE: McClary, who served
in the Navy for 8 years and the Air
Force for 13, included a history of the
Repose. Here is part of a history taken
f r o m
www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/d
afs/AH/ah16.html. (Just for the record,
the Repose was reactivated for Vietnam
service, where it also earned nine Battle
Stars):
With the outbreak of the Korean War,
there was a desperate need for hospital
ships. Repose was transferred to the
Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, 20 July
1950 and ordered activated at the earliest
possible date. She was delivered to
and accepted by MSTSPAC 26 August
1950. Five days later COMSTS was
authorized to operate the ship with a
civilian crew. She sailed for Yokohama,
Japan, 2 September 1950, and arrived
on the 16th. There a Navy crew
embarked, and the next day she steamed
for Pusan, Korea, arriving the 20th.
She served there as a station hospital
through 26 October, then she departed
for Yokohama with 189 patients.
Shifting to Yokosuka, she recommissioned
on the 28th, Capt. C.H. Perdue in
command, and Capt. E.B. Coyl, MC, as
senior medical officer.
Returning to Korea 13 November,
Repose served at Inchon, Chinnampo,
and Pusan before transporting 301
patients to Yokohama, Japan. There she
underwent availability through 5
February 1951, thence returned to
Korea, where she provided hospital
services between Korean and Japanese
ports.
Repose departed Yokosuka 22 January
1952, touching at Pearl Harbor en route
to the west coast. A call at San Diego 11
February was followed by overhaul and
installation of a stern helicopter platform
at Long Beach. Sea trials were
completed 23 April, followed by departure
from San Diego for the Far East a
month later. Standing into Inchon
Harbor 24 June, Repose commenced
receiving patients the same day. She was
joined 22 July by Haven (AH-12).
Following a period of patient transfer
operations between Korean and
Japanese ports, Repose steamed 14
February 1953 for San Francisco,
arriving there 6 March. Transferring to
Craig Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, 2
April, she underwent repairs through 12
May, steamed for Pearl Harbor 6 days
later, thence to Yokosuka, arriving there
5 June.
Operations in Korean waters recommenced
on 14 June when Repose again
took station at Inchon. Several patient
transfer runs to Japan were climaxed by
George Gosse
a return to home via Pearl Harbor.
Touching at San Diego 11 February
1954, she then entered the Long Beach
Naval Shipyard 28 April-1 September.
Arriving San Francisco 2 September,
Repose was transferred on 27
September 1954 to the Naval Reserve
Fleet, San Francisco Group. She
decommissioned at Hunter’s Point
Naval Shipyard 21 December 1954.
I Remember Two Marines—And I
Will Never Forget The Korean
War
I am writing to you about two Korean
War Veterans I knew personally. Both
were Marines. One was my older, by 6
years, brother, George W. Gosse, from
Philadelphia, PA. George served in
Korea from approximately September,
1951 to September, 1952. I still have the
letters that he sent me dated from
December, 1951 through April, 1952.
His return address on these letters at
first was: Pfc. George W. Gosse
1184678, “B” Co. 1st Bn. 5th Marines,
1st Mar. Div. F.M.F., c/o F.P.O. San
Francisco, Calif.
Later, it changed to: Pfc. George W.
Gosse 1184678, H+S. Co. 5th Marine
Regiment, 1st Mar. Div. F.M.F., c/o
F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.
After Korea, George married
Lorraine, had five sons, and was a successful
commercial roofing superintendent.
He still lived in Philadelphia.
Sadly, George passed away in 1977 at
the age of 45.
The second Marine is Louis
Sigmund, also of Philadelphia, PA. Lou
is a family friend. In fact, he was my
brother George’s best man at his wedding.
I don’t know Lou’s service dates
in Korea, but he was wounded, losing 4
fingers on a hand. Lou received the
Navy Cross! He lives in Wildwood, NJ.
I don’t see him often. The last time was
in October, 2005.
In closing, my family, George’s family,
and Lou’s family still remember and
WILL NOT FORGET!
SEMPER FI to all Korean War
Veterans
Joe Gosse, 3909 Old Forge Road,
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757) 431-0275, jlgosse@coc.net
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The Graybeards March - April 2006