''The Elsie item'' - USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

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Book ReviewThe Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943; FromGuadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific WarTurning Pointby William L McGeeOur friend Bill McGee, who did such a fine job of telling thestory of the early days of Flotilla Five in, The Amphibians AreComing, has produced another impressive, interesting and highlyreadableaccount. This time, broadening his scope to include allservices involved, he has produced a meticulously researchedhistory that anyone interested in this early and decisive campaignwill treasure. It could well become the definitive work onthe campaign.With this broader perspective, LCI veterans will see more clearlyhow their particular role, or roles since they became much morethan troop carriers, were preceded by early amphibious operations,introduced, expanded and, eventually, because of theirperformance, highly valued. It gives one a sense of "Ah, now Isee how what we did fit into the whole picture!"For that reason, the LCI veteran will need to exercise some patienceif he, as I did at first, opened the book looking specificallyfor what it had to say about LCIs. The prelude to the war,strategic decisions relating to GuadalcanallBougainville, and thestory of the six month struggle for Guadalcanal all are dealt withbefore specifics of amphibious operations involving LCIs, aswell as LCTs and LSTs are introduced.That story begins to unfold with McGee's fifth chapter with theaccount of the formation of a most formidable soundingorganization: ComLanCraFlotSoPac and its commander, RearAdmiral George H. Fort. That title was yet anotherofthe Navy'sattempts, through shortening to first syllables, to make it a biteasier on all who had to use the title. Ifyou haven't figured thisone out yet, it's Commander. Landing Craft Flotillas, SouthPacific.This organization became necessary with the arrival, in significantnumbers, of the first LCIs, LCTs and LSTs in the SouthPacific. From that point forward in McGee's book, prominenceis given to the roles of each of these types.If you have read McGee's Volume I, The Amphibians Are Coming,you know that it centers on the activities of Flotilla Fiveand, as far as LCIs are concerned, on the war diary of LCI 334,as provided by LTJG AI Ormston, skipper of the 334. In thisvolume, he continues this literary device of illustrating the generalby the particular and it works well for it would have been aformidable task, indeed, to trace the involvement ofall the LCIs.He is not, however, slavishly limited to the 334 alone. Time andagain accounts of incidents involving other LCIs are woven intothe story.. All 26 LCIs in LCI Flotilla Five, commanded byCommander Chester L Walton, are included in the narrative andseveral are pictured as well.I was particularly interested to learn the name of the man responsiblefor the idea ofconverting LCIs into gunboats. McGeetells us that it was Captain Roy T. "Slim" Cowdrey, a ship repairofficer on the staff of Admiral Halsey, who came up with theidea and directed, first, the changes ofLCIs 22 and 23 and eventuallyby December of 1943, the 21,24,67,68" 69, and 70 intogunboats.It is such details, as well as the entertaining and enlighteninganecdotes that McGee includes that makes this book such a goodread. Get yourself a copy, get into your favorite chair, tell thefamily not to bother you and settle down for a great evening ofreading and remembering. You'll be glad you did.Reviewed by John CummerTIlE SOWMONS CAMPAIGNS byWilliam L. McGee A.m.erlca's First Offensive After Pearl Harbor••• and the Major Turning Point in the Padftc War!Chronicles ALL significant land, seaand air action, from Guadalcanal toBougainville, under ONE cover.The author continues his coverageof the new shore-to-shore land·ing craft crews, profiled in TheAmphibians Are Coming/, asthey move up the Slot witheach campaign.6B8 pages, 352 illustrations, plus appendices, notes, bibliograpby &: index. ISBN 0-9701678-7-3 Softcover $39.95 plus $4 shipping. CA res. add 7.75% sales tax For fastest service, Call toll-free 1-888-293-8250. Or to order by mail, send your check made payable to BMC to: 1:~i'J~1I PUBLICATIONS PO Box 5768 Santa Barbara CA 93150 100% Satisfaction GuaranteeORDER TODAY! PLEASE SEND COPIES TO:NAME _____________________________________ADD~,____________________________________CITY/STATE/ZIP _________________Charge my 0 VISA o MasterCard No. _______________ Exp.Date ___ Visit our Web site at www.BMCpubllcatlons.com10
Getting it Right on the USS Gambier Bay! OK let's try one more time to get it right!In our last newsletter we carried the story of Buzz Buckner, identifiedas a "pilot off the USS Gambier Bay" who was rescued byUSS LCI (R) 337 and was a guest at our Reno Convention.There's a bit more to the story than that and we're thankful toChris Shelvik of the USS LCI(L) 337for writing to us about it.Here's "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would put it, inChris' own words:''l'm sorry that we didn't get the proper information to you onan article printed in newsletter #38, page 14, regarding the USSGambier Bay, CVE 73."On October 25, 194 at Leyte Gulf, LCI 337, LC134, LC171,LCI 340 and LCI 341, along with PC623 and PC 1119, receivedorders from the Blue Ridge (AGC) to proceed to sea to pick upsurvivorsfrom the sea battle offLeyte Gulfwhere the USS GambierBay, CVE 73, USS Hoel, DD533, USS Samuel B. Roberts,DE 413, USS St. LO, CVE 63, and the USS Johnston, DD 557,had been sunk.The three USS Gambier Bay survivors who were guests of LCI337 in Reno. Left to right: Norman St. Jermain, George Felizand Buzz Buckner."Our ship picked up approximately 175 survivors ofwhich onewas Buzz Buckner who was a crewman on the Gambier Bay ..He had some injuries so was treated in our sick bay. When heleft our ship his toe tag was left behind. Our Quartermaster.Dick Grattidge, saved it through the years and by chance wasable to locate him and return it to him. Dick was On the phoneconversing with Buzz and invited him to attend our LCI Reunionin Reno. He accepted the invitation."He also invited two other crew membersfrom the Gambier Bay.George Feliz and Norman St. Jermain, to accompany him. Allthree ofthese men were crew members ofthe Gambier Bay andwere the guests ofLCI 337, ofwhich three ofus attended: DickGrattidge. Albert Hunter and myself, Cris Shelvik.The LCI 337 hosts and their USS Gambier Bay guests. Left toRight: Albert Hunter, LCI 337' Chris Shelvik, LCI 337; NormanSt. Jermain, USS Gambier Bay; George Feliz, USS GambierBay; Buzz Buckner, USS Gambier Bay; Dick Grattidge, LCI337"1 hope this will clear up this article. "Chris also sent us two photos of the LCI hosts and their GambierBay guests which we're glad to share with our readers.11
Page 1 and 2: ''The Elsie item''Official Newslett
Page 3: A Note from the EditorWhat a great
Page 6 and 7: will see that they aren't""We're no
Page 8 and 9: The LCI Association Exhibit feature
Page 12 and 13: Man Overboard! With a Rocket Launch
Page 14 and 15: Letters to the Editor One ofthe rea
Page 16 and 17: I remember talking to his mother sh
Page 18 and 19: Jim Talbert Pulls a Great Work Part
Page 20 and 21: A First-Hand Look at the Modern Amp
Page 22 and 23: "Words fail me when it comes to exp
Page 24 and 25: Headed for the Big BlastRobert "Mik
Page 26 and 27: LCI 23 - One of the Early Gunboat C
Page 28 and 29: out for pot shots at night from one
Page 30 and 31: NEW E-MAIL ADDRESSES Here are the n
Page 32 and 33: Jim then presented John Cummer with
Page 34 and 35: USS Lei NATIONAL ASSN. REUNION APRI
Page 36 and 37: THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THEUS
Page 38: USS LCI NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBER

''The Elsie item'' - USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

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