In Memory
 

HMCM Francis M. Petty
C APT Robert F. Stanton
ME2 Leo F. McInturf
FN Kermit L. Griffith
MCPO Louis Geenen
LCDR Henry E. Staples

Fourth Verse of the Navy Hymn

Departed Shipmates

CAPT. Robert F. Stanton
Training Class 6 COR 10-52

Captain Stanton served in UDT5 and 13 and later was COMNAV SPECWARGRU ONE from October 1970 to 15 February 1972. He was born in Pasadena, CA was a Certified Public Accountant upon retiring. Passed away July 30^th 2006, age 84.

ME2 Leo F. McInturf
Training Class 6 COR 10-52

After training, Leo served in UDT-5 and 13. He was discharged in 1954 and became an officer with the California Highway Patrol. Leo passed on in April 2006. Surviving are his wife: Kathleen, and children: Dale, Patricia, David, Darren, and five grandchildren.

Editor: Photos from him (elsewhere in other vols) were a great gift to the 50s Frogs Journal.

FN Kermit L. Griffith
Training Class 7 LCK 7-51

He entered the Navy in 1949 and served six years in the service. After UDTRA in 1951, he spent two years UDT-2. He became a Quality Assurance officer for North American Aviation/Rockwell Inter-national on Saturn, Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs. He retired in 1992. He is survived by his wife and five daughters. Passed away Sept 16, 2006.

MCPO Louis Geenen
Training Class 8 COR 7-53

Lou entered Navy in Nov 1952 and after UDTRA, served in UDT-3 and 12. He left the service in Nov 56 but joined the reserves and retired from it after 36 years

Lou was a typesetter and printer in the family business. He died after twenty year battle with myelofibrosis on Oct 22, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and sons: John, Mark, and Matt, and daughter Sharon, and eight grandchildren.

LCDR Henry E. Staples
Training Class 3 Ft Pierce 5-48

Henry "Zeke" was a mustang and served in UDT 15 in WWII, then with UDT-4, 22, 12 and EOD as well. He retired in 1973 with 30 years service. He was a widower and had three sons.

The Staples are a service family, Ray is special forces, USA, and Jim is USAF. Said Zeke, "Loved the Navy. Stayed as long as they would let me."

After retiring, he spent a lot of time fishing around Georgia lakes and so people started coming to him to find the best fishing. So he decided, "Hell, he could make some pocket money for doing it." He became a pro-fishing guide with clients coming back for more.

Zeke advanced to LCDR and was forced out with those 30 years of service.

Editor: When I first found him at Muster, I couldn’t hardly believe it… he was our very best snare man in the team because he was round and sound. But there he was long and lean like Andrew Jackson. We had a good time together.

Doc Riojas said it right: "He passed away peacefully in his rocking chair with his dog at feet."

A great epitaph for a great frog.

HMCM Francis M. Petty, USN
Training Class 10 LCK 4-54

Francis enlisted in 1948. After UDTRA he spent next three years with UDT-4. In 1955, Doc went to submarine medical school for nuclear power subs. He was proud to serve on Americas 1st nuclear sub, the Nautilus and also on Daniel Webster SSB, a ballistic missle sub.

Francis retired in 1970.

Friendship:

The above quotes are a tribute to my great frog friend Gene Gagliardi of 52 years. We always missed each other time and time again but we knew the grace of it. Thanks Gag! Our other friend in photo is Chip Maury.

Honoring our Navy at Normandy

Remarkably, there is no formal marker at Normandy recognizing the courageous deeds and sacrifices of American naval personnel. To rectify this omission, a statue has been commissioned and a fund-raising drive has been initiated the Naval Order of the United States, an organization formed in 1890 that takes pride in preserving and promoting the history and heritage of its component sea services: the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and Public Health Service.

Under the leadership of CAPT Carter B. Conlin, USNR., (Ret.), the Commander General of the Naval Order, the group has committed to raise $400,000 to erect a suitable memorial honoring American Sailors at a site already reserved by French authorities at Utah Beach. Stephan Spears, a Fair-hope, Ala., based sculptor, has produced at his own expense, a proposed model for the monument, which includes three figures depicting the roles of the officers and enlisted men who planned and executed the Navy’s varied assignments at Normandy.

The ranking U.S. Naval Officer for Operation Neptune, the amphibious phase of the overall of the overall Normandy operation, code-named Overlord, was Rear Adm. Alan G. Kirk, situated aboard the battleship Nevada. In addition to his flagship, the units under Kirk’s supervision included other battleships, Arkansas, and Texas, three cruisers, Tuscaloosa, Quincy, and Augusta, 31 destroyers, 168 LST’s (landing ships tank) and more than 1,600 landing craft.

The German defenses at Utah Beach, although lighter than those at Omaha, were nonetheless stubborn because of the large-caliber batteries that couldn't  be reached by the assault forces. Those batteries, however, were taken out by the accurate and plentiful naval gunfire support provided by USS Nevada, USS Tuscaloosa and the British warships, Black Prince, and Erebus. After suppressing the German’s big guns, the naval units fired on targets of opportunity identified by reconnaissance aircraft and fire-control spotters ashore.

Reflecting on the invasion ten years later, Admiral Kirk declares: "Our greatest asset was the resourcefulness of the "American sailor" Thanks to the Naval Order of the United States, plans are now afoot to assure that the resourcefulness of those courageous American Sailors will at long last  be commemorated with a suitable monument on Normandy Beach.

Submitted by Dick Kirschten, excerpted from shift colors sf- 2006.

We seek not the worldwide victory of one nation or system, but a worldwide victory of men. —Robert F. Kennedy

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