Good Ship "Danny Boy" Leaves Panama
For Battleground of South Pacific Isles
Continued from Last Week
On Sept 30 we set sail for Pana
ma and nosed into the canal with
the little electric cars pulling us
through the locks and then up over
the Panamanian Plateau, across the
fres water lakes and down into the
Pacfic at Balboa where also was
situated the stirring metropolis of
Panama City (a teeming crossroad
of the eastern and western worlds.)
This would be the last semblance
of civilization we would see for
many, many months.
We sailed south and west from
Balboa and everwestward bore in
to the expansive sea. Our first fuel
ing stop was the Galapagoes where
seals were found on the equator.
King Neptune admitted us into his
domain, prior to our arrival at
those rocky barren islands, with
full ceremonies. Next I dipped my
bow in the mystic realms of the
South Seas, dropping in on the So
ciety Islands at Bora Bora. From
this Insular paradise of swaying
palms and beautiful white sands we
journeyed north to the New He.
brides and thence to a very recent
ly Captured island in the Admiral
ties, Manus. Here I got the greatest
fright I've ever known. While lying
at anchor in Seadler harbor with
many units of our fleet, the entire
world around us seemed to be
rocked by a tremendous explosion
which sent steel plates, flak and
flying debris through my rigging.
Everyone was stunned to torpid
ity and hugging my deck for pro
tection from the voluminous con
cussion. A large ammunition ship
had just blasted its entrails. No
thing was showing on the turbu
lent waters after five minutes
where once this huge vessel lay
peacefully at anchor. I had been
very fortunate as nothing had so
much as grazed me. Yea, everyone
Heppner Gazette Times, February 7, 19465
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on the Daniel A. Joy was safe, but
many had died from that catastro
phe, and ships surrounding the
stricken vessel both far and near
had suffered severely. Here was I,
one of the closer ships and I'd
scarcely felt the breeze.
We were all a little shaky after
this experience but it brought the
crew and me closer together, and
they nick-named me "Danny Boy"
which I hold to this day.
From Manus we steamed north
again to Humbolt Bay, Hollandia
in New Guinea, and there we were
told to get ready to take some
transports into Leyte. This was it.
We were going to test the steel of
our enemy. L the USS Daniel A.
Joy was again to be given an op-
....Hi.miiinlllljjll
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of
LIVESTOCK
Runnion Corrals in North Heppner
I Thursday , Feb. 14
I To settle the F. D. Cox estate I
The following described livestock will be sold:
H 42 STOCK COWS Calves soon. Hereford and Shorthorn mixed.
22 STEERS Two-year-olds, same breed. H
H 29 HEIFERS Bred and due to calve about March 15. V H
E 43 Mixed calves. E
ps 1 Registered Shorthorn bull-3-year-old.
I 2 Registered Hereford bulls-yearlings. f
1 Good grade Hereford bull-yearling. g
1 Registered Hereford bull-3-year-old. M
9 Feeder pigs and some horses.
2 Registered Shorthorn Sulls One yearling, one 15 months old. H
These cattle have all been rested for Bangs disease. Calves all vaccinated.
Others having livestcok for sale are invited to bring it to this sale.
portunity to show that all my
training had not been in vain and
to bring my crew through safely.
Yes, we were going where the odds
were high and where the "Kama,
kazi" was still scuttlebutt.
For hours my signalmen were
contacting ships in the harbor
getting information on this new
frenzied use of aircraft guided on
its task of self destruction by the
most precision of instruments,
a human being. Frankly we were
worried and a little frightened.
We weighed anchor in the for
boding shadows of the northern
New Guinea mountains and set our
course for San Pedro Bay Leyte
gulf, P. I. on 21 Nov. 1944. Aa we
steamed into the bay in the early
morning past Homlnon Island 1
could feel the high sense of tendon.
All eyes were strained toward the
sky and distant yellow tracers
could be seen seeking out the en
emy. All hands were at their battle
stations prepared for the wont, bat
as we got in closer the attacking
planes seemed to be across the bay
and they soon departed or were
destroyed. Everyone let out I sigh
of relief and cried, "Danny Boy
came through again. I was very
proud, but this was only the be
ginning. We were to have five days
of unrest, constant vigil and anxi
ety. They came over by day and
by night, bombing the beach and
ships in a desperate attempt to
thwart this new American thrust,
which jeopardized their future
safety. Where ever enemy plane
were seen there was also a hail of
flak you couldn't stick a pin thru,
and my persuaders always added a
little.
We were detached on the 1st of
December to help escort a convoy
of LSTs back to Hollandia. From
this date on we were on the move
enstantly for several months; in
port one night and out the next
morning, always moving, ever
watchful. I was a DE at work.
There was a heavy haze over
Leyte gulf on tat wahm December
day and visibility was extremely
bad, which proved to be an asset
Unidentified planes were heard
overhead and shortly tereafter a
message came over the TBS that
the convoy aead of us, in the open
sea where the haze had lifted, was
bombed and several ships sunk. My
ing earlier but now they just just
crew had thought them lucky leav
said, "Good 01' Danny Boy," as we
steamed on unmolested.
j SALE STARTS AT 1 O'CLOCK P. M. Sharp
I . . TERMS: CASH . . j
DEE COX Jr., Administrator
BOB RUNNION, Auctioneer HARRY DINGES, Clerk
lip
k
Rabbits just don't know about
Shell Heating Oil. 80 they
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first thing they know tome
woman is wearing their hide.
To save your hide from the
cold, phone the Chell man to
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burning Shell Heating Oil.
JAMES J. FARLEY
Selling Agent
Phone 682
HEPPNEHt OREGON