USS Hornet found off Solomon Islands

[Eldorado]

The research vessel Petrel is perched on a spot in the South Pacific Ocean that was anything but peaceful 77 years ago.

Then, it was the scene of a major World War II battle between the U.S. and the Imperial Japanese Navies. For the U.S. aircraft carrier, Hornet, it would be her last battle.

Full report at CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-hornet-wreckage-world-war-two-warship-discovered/

[+and-then]

My father-in-law served with guys that fought there that day, later in the war.  It was a generation that did what was necessary and would have been ashamed to have openly complained about any of it.  He was on a destroyer tender off Iwo Jima when the Marines went ashore.  His ship took on wounded for treatment and fired illumination flares at night so Marines could see who they were trying to kill.  Pete was a good friend and a better man than I can ever hope to be.  God bless all those who served, both at home and abroad, whether they saw combat or made it possible for others to fight.  They will always be remembered as the best this nation ever produced.  IMO... my generation has failed them miserably.  That shames me, personally.  That's not to say my generation WON'T stand... just that so far, we haven't.

[+susieice]

How wonderful to see Mr. Nowatzki have an opportunity to see the ship he served on during the attack. Now we know where she is. It's best to keep the location quiet and remember those who went down with her in the battle.

[Buzz_Light_Year]

On 2/12/2019 at 2:43 PM, and then said:

My father-in-law served with guys that fought there that day, later in the war.  It was a generation that did what was necessary and would have been ashamed to have openly complained about any of it.  He was on a destroyer tender off Iwo Jima when the Marines went ashore.  His ship took on wounded for treatment and fired illumination flares at night so Marines could see who they were trying to kill.  Pete was a good friend and a better man than I can ever hope to be.  God bless all those who served, both at home and abroad, whether they saw combat or made it possible for others to fight.  They will always be remembered as the best this nation ever produced.  IMO... my generation has failed them miserably.  That shames me, personally.  That's not to say my generation WON'T stand... just that so far, we haven't.

My dad served on a Fletcher Class destroyer during WWII the U.S.S Conway DD507. My dad was a sonar man on the Conway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Conway_(DD-507)

Like most WWII vets he didn't talk much about the war and only 3 things he ever mentioned was his ship to ship transfer in a boatswain chair (he hated that), his riding out a typhoon and that experience would just leave him shaking his head from side to side and getting very quiet. The third was when his ship put in to Sydney for overhaul and it was all about shore leave and his Aussie girlfriend. LOL.

There was a Signalman aboard the Conway that kept a diary of his time on the Conway so I have at least a partial record of where my dad's ship was during the war.

https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/36205#details