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s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by William Dampman on March 3, 2009, 5:26 pm
65.8.7.194

My father was aboard this ship and was wondering if anybody else out there knew him his name was William F. Dampman and he was a gunners mate. I want to find out what medals he desirves so I can make a memorial to him. Thank You and god bless you William

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by Ron Carlson on March 4, 2009, 1:23 pm, in reply to "s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
161.80.10.20

William,

You should be able to obtain your father's military service records, which may identify the decorations he was awarded or eligible to receive, plus provide details on his service. See this page: http://www.armed-guard.com/searchre.html, in particular the section entitled Researching Military Service Records.

You may be able to obtain replacement medals for any that he was awarded or should have been awarded. See http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/replacement-medals.html

For your information, I have found records of your father at ancestry.com, a website more commonly used for genealogical research. In this case I found records of his arrival in New York City as a member of the Armed Guard detachment aboard SS JOHN SERGEANT on March 19, 1945, and again on May 29, 1945. On the first voyage the ship had sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, and on the second from Marseilles, France. He is listed as William F Dampman in March and as William Fred Dampman in May. I can send a list of the names of his crewmates to you if you like, although I would have no idea whether any of them are still living.

Good luck.

Ron Carlson, Webmaster
Armed Guard website www.armed-guard.com

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by william on April 14, 2009, 1:14 pm, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
72.144.100.68

ron can you tell me how many battle stars the john sargeant recievied on those missions thank-you william also if the s.s. jalapa recievied any battle stars thanks

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by Ron Carlson on April 20, 2009, 12:22 am, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
68.239.99.225

William,

I'm sorry but I don't know the answer to your questions.

I understand the book "Battle Stars and Naval Awards" by J.W. Perkins may have the information you seek. The book lists 1,107 merchant marine vessels that were awarded a total of 1,384 battle stars during World War II, as well as similar information for many U.S. warships. See
http://battlestarsandnavalawards.com.

I don't know if the book is still in print. If not a local public or university library may have it in its collection, or may be able to obtain it through inter-library loan.

Good luck.

Ron Carlson

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by william on April 14, 2009, 1:09 pm, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
72.144.100.68

ron can you tell me how many battle stars the john sargeant recievied on those missions thank-you william

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by william dampamn on March 16, 2009, 11:55 am, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
68.223.146.102

my father was also abourd the s.s. Jalapa and I can't find any info on this any help you can give me would be great ,and do you know how many battle stats the John Sergant recievied during his 2 voyages.

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by William Dampman on March 4, 2009, 3:55 pm, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
65.8.7.241

Yes I would appriciate any information that you can send me thank-you very much for your help and taking the time to respond to me. William

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by Ron Carlson on March 5, 2009, 1:51 pm, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
161.80.10.20

William,

Here are lists of the names of the Armed Guard detachments aboard SS JOHN SERGEANT upon her arrival in New York City on 19 March 1945, and again on 29 May 1945. Most of the Armed Guard crew remained the same between the two voyages. Eight men on the March 1945 arrival were not on the later voyage, and eight new men replaced them.

Both crews are unusually large, with 41 men each. Most Armed Guard crews numbered about 24-28. Both crews also included three officers, whereas a single officer was more typical. The larger number suggests that JOHN SERGEANT may have been operating as a troop transport. Troop transports typically carried more guns, therefore needed to have a larger number of Armed Guard gunners.

19 March 1945 (* indicates crewman was on March voyage but not on May voyage)

*Barca, Donald
Blade, William Dressler
Bridges, Quenton Lee
Butler, Lewis Allen
*Butts, Charles A. LT, in command
Ciszek, Chester Charles
Davis, William
*Davis, Walter A.
Garabedian, John William
Gaskill, Edward
Grace, Arthur William
Hall, Robert Sheldon LT(j.g.)
Heinen, Eugene Kenneth
Heiselman, Therill
Koscienski (or Koscielski), Chester F.
Leavitt, Levi Dudley, Jr.
Leon, Joseph Christian, Jr.
Mathews, Edward Lee
Maxam, Milo Frederick
*McCracken, Everett Vance
*Murphy, Ned D. LT(j.g.)
Pedisich, Jan Joseph
Price, Amos Henry
Reiss, William James
*Ronkin, Arnold Melvin
Sabatino, Sam
Shustrick, James Fred
Smith, Charles Curtis
Smith, Robert Denzel
*Sperke, Frank Xavier
Sullivan, Patrick Daniel
Thomas, Robert Allen
*Thompson, Robert R..
Tompkins, Thomas Michael
Tormollen, William August
Varkas, William Homer
Ventricelli, Ralph Anthony
Wallace, Gerald Glenn
Whitlock, James Thomas
Yager, Andy, Jr.
Yerkey, John Oscar

22 May 1945 (new crewmen not on 19 March 1945 voyage)

Buba, Robert S.
Cody, Eugene Joseph
Gaff, Frank H. LT (in command)
Huke, James C.
Hurley, William G.
Lee, Walter F.
Luthy, Carl G. LT(j.g.)
Wright, Eugene L.

Again, I have no knowledge whether any of these men are still living.

Ron Carlson

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by william on April 13, 2009, 11:26 am, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
72.144.212.221

good morning do u know how many batle stars the John S. Sargeant recievied during there missions. thank-you william

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by william on March 5, 2009, 2:55 pm, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
66.156.239.249

thank-you for the info and all the help

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by Fran Kent on March 3, 2009, 11:04 pm, in reply to "s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
207.200.116.70

William: The following is posted on another Navy site:

1941 sept. to feb. 1947 great lakes all of pacific pluss armed gaurd aboard ss edward bates.sunk feb. 1st i944 Mediteranean sea.by junker 88. aboard uss Talladega apa 208 at iwo jima and okinawa tokyo bay sept. 2nd i945.
signalman second class usn robert j. reynolds
Manito , Il USA - Saturday, December 18, 1999 at 14:51:40 (CST)
The site is called "The Goat Locker," which is a Navy term for chief petty officers' quarters. Whether the writer, Robert Reynolds, is still alive, I don't know, but it appears that he was aboard the Bates (S.S. Edward Bates) when she went down. Good luck.

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by William Dampman on March 4, 2009, 11:26 am, in reply to "Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
65.11.188.107

Thank-you very much for your info I really appriciate it.

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Re: s.s. bates sunk 02011944

Posted by William Dampman on March 3, 2009, 5:27 pm, in reply to "s.s. bates sunk 02011944"
65.8.7.194

You can reach me at Sabre930@aol.com in regards to my father or the S.S. Bates thnaks again

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