Truckman Reborn...

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Those who have followed the saga of Truckman and his trucks through the withering debacle bringing the loss of his beloved Dodge/Cummins know of the heartache that was left as he was compelled to say goodbye to his 15 year relationship with what was much more than just a means of conveyance...Regardless that he was not motionless as he still retained his Dodge Challenger, there remained a profound sense of loss that only those who truly love their trucks can feel when fate snatches away the one which was expected to last as long as its driver...Even though the Challenger was a satisfactory ride for Truckman, and carried him from point "A" to point "B" in style, and with power to spare, something was still missing...History shows that Truckman is always happiest and most productive when a soul-satisfying truck awaits his touch in his driveway, especially if it is powered by a Cummins diesel...

The Challenger was not only stylish, with the potential of travelling just as fast as Truckman desired, it drew attention wherever it was parked, and even returned admirable fuel mileage under an admittedly light foot...But something was missing...One can become accustomed to climbing up to the driver's seat instead of sitting down in it, and the feeling of command from the higher position is undeniable...Being able to look to either side and have a panoramic view of the world behind through large, upright truck mirrors instead of the smaller more aerodynamic side mirrors furnished on the Challenger lends to a sense of security in knowing all that is behind and around the driver of a truck...And as thrilling as it was to hear the roar of power from the Dodge Hemi engine through the Magnaflow dual exhaust, nothing could quite erase the satisfying rumble of a Cummins diesel engine...

As it finally dawned on Truckman that his soul could not rest without another truck, he began the quest to find a replacement for his lost love...It soon became apparent that the 2003 Dodge was truly unique in its equipment and low, well-maintained mileage as absolutely nothing was available to match it anywhere at any price...Truckman decided to broaden the scope of his search into other manufacturers, and other engine/transmission choices, but nothing seemed really right...At the same time his thoughts drifted back to another long lost truck which served its purpose so well, the 1973 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup employed as his gunshow truck when he was an independent firearms dealer...The "History" link above can provide a description...It was strictly utilitarian in purpose and appearance, but was also one of the most reliable trucks ever with never even a hint of trouble...It took me wherever I needed to go, and hauled anything I asked it to...

Therefore I began to look at Dodge diesels in a more practical way...Not really needing all the latest in electronic gadgetry, and not being the flamboyant type with the need for the Laramie or Texas Edition Bighorn trucks with the accompanying high price tags, I began to look at the lower priced (and lesser equipped) ST and SLT packages...There are plenty out there to choose from, some with over a half million miles on them and still running, but obviously tired...Finally, after searching repeatedly in a 500 mile radius, I located one less than a mile from home at Weisner Buick/GMC where I had bought many vehicles in the past, and also introduced several new customers for their auto needs...This was a 2009 Dodge Ram 3500 ST originally built as a Cab & Chassis for upfitting with a custom bed...Carfax confirmed that it had only two owners since its original sale at Tomball Dodge (then also a Weisner dealership)...It was a corporate truck fitted with a flatbed and used for local deliveries in San Antonio/Austin...From there it was sold to an individual in 2016 who drove it to Montana for work, and returned to Conroe to trade it in on another at Weisner in 2018...It was obviously well cared for with no signs of neglect nor abuse...

It is a single cab with seats for two and a middle jumpseat/armrest...It was originally specced with few options or creature comforts, but in addition to the standard power steering, power brakes and air conditioning, it does have AM/FM/CD radio and cruise control...A 52 gallon fuel tank means fewer stops to feed the mighty 6.7 liter Cummins diesel...This newer engine features a variable vane turbocharger with built in exhaust brake...A test drive confirmed it has all the power needed to keep up with traffic anywhere...One concession I made to my practical side was to accept the six-speed Aisin automatic transmission in place of my former manual shift...I'm already becoming accustomed to it although I still have a tendency to reach for that non-existent clutch pedal and shift lever...This is also a two wheel drive model, but in all fairness, I only needed the 4WD of my former truck twice in 15 years...Being specced as a cab & chassis, it was built with a super-strong solid tube axle in front in place of independent suspension, and industry-standard straight frame rails to accommodate upfitters...

I took delivery yesterday after negotiating a fair price with my salesman, Vince Taylor, who as always was willing to jump through hoops to please a customer with no rush, and no pressure...The Challenger was also taken as a trade at a fair price...Due to the previously talked of visibility issues between it and my trucks, it had received a scrape in a minor fender bender, for which I took the penalty in the negotiated trade...My next stop was CC Plus to get my XM radio installed (already tuned to my customary Radio Classics channel 148), and then to top off the fuel tank with fresh diesel...Today I drove it to Kustomwerk Paint & Body to schedule getting the paint refreshed on the flatbed...Other improvements are already beginning to take shape in my mind as I prepare for what I hope to be another long love affair with a truck...I look at this one as a combination of my beloved 2003 Dodge Laramie and my ever-dependable 1973 Chevy...The roll-up windows, manually adjusted towing mirrors and hand-operated  door locks remind me of the old Chevy, and the power and sound of the Cummins diesel bring a smile to my weathered face as I drive off into a new adventure in motoring...

With 145,200 miles on the odometer as I took delivery, the Cummins is fully broken in and champing at the bit for the highway...As with each of my 16 previous purchases at Weisner dealerships, this being the third one negotiated with my friend Vince Taylor, I look forward to crossing several more odometer thresholds in my new ride...

Photos may be seen here...

Addendum: In a move that has become commonplace with Traveler's Insurance Co. they again made an error in insuring my new ride...While reviewing my new policy and insurance card, my eagle-eyed staff noticed that the truck was listed as a 1998 year model instead of the correct 2009...A call was made and the mistake was corrected to reflect the change...Although this was clearly a blunder on the part of Traveler's since the year model should have been taken from the supplied VIN, and since Truckman told them the correct year in the first place, the Traveler's representative put the blame on the manufacturer because they had changed their name from Dodge to Ram in 2009, apparently confusing the folks at Traveler's who have only had the ensuing nine years to update their database...Their apology came in the form of an increase in price for my policy since the truck is now newer than they had thought...Arguing the point seemed fruitless, and Truckman decided his time would be more productively spent in locating a more competent insurer...

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A Tale of Two Ships...

Much has been written in this blog, and in the author's books of USS APc-48, and its service in the South Pacific during WWII, but little can be found of its postwar civilian career as a fishing vessel other than its transfer of ownership from one master to the next...Recently a connection was noticed between this old warrior and a sister ship...Just like those odd meetings sometimes told of those who have served their country in war, and somehow meet in later years as civilians, APc-48, in its peacetime identity as MV Allen Cody, is now known to have been docked together for a number of years with the MV Dennis Gayle, formerly serving the US Navy as USS APc-5...Built on opposite ends of the nation in Rhode Island and California, both saw honorable service in the South Pacific until the war's end, then transferred to MARAD for sale as demilled commercial vessels...In 2007 both ships were acquired by Stanwood Murphy with the intention of using one as a historic maritime exhibit, and the other as a private yacht...

Alas, good intentions are sometimes ensnared by circumstances...As has been told in the "APc-48" series of books, Allen Cody sank at its moorings in 2008, and was subsequently raised and salvaged, its current fate unknown...It has now been learned that the former APc-5, Dennis Gayle, also sank at the same dock as reported by the North Coast Journal, a periodical of Humboldt County, California...A small amount of investigation by "Gray Gang" member, Earl the Pearl, revealed the connection between the two, and the fact that both ships had been acquired by Stanwood Murphy...NavSource recorded that after purchase by Stanwood Murphy, Jr., the Dennis Gayle was then bought by Matthew Maurice of San Diego in 2009, then resold to Woody Murphy (believed by this writer to be either the same person, or of the same family as Stanwood Murphy)...The ship went to the bottom of Humboldt Bay on 2/28/2016 at the same dock where Allen Cody (APc-48) sank and was subsequently salvaged eight years earlier...The North Coast Journal article does reveal that the Allen Cody was dragged from the bay onto dry land where it was reported as resting at the time of that article...Efforts to speak with someone in the Murphy family through addresses found online have been fruitless...

A detailed search of the available War Diaries of APc-48 in NARA reveal no mention of steaming in convoy nor being moored with APc-5 during the war...But since both ships earned the same campaign ribbons (American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal), it is still likely they occupied the same waters at one time or another...It is certain that both ships made their retirement home at the same dock...The YouTube video below has further details...

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Giving It Away...

Giving away state secrets, or more correctly selling or trading classified information, particularly in a time of war when lives are in the balance, can be viewed as akin to treason, and punishable under prevailing law...Not all instances are alike, and not all are even punishable, although each has its consequences...Intention can be a governing factor in how an act is viewed from  both contemporary and historical angles...Almost all participants in war, whether active in military or government service, or passively biding time in a civilian position, are privy to some sort of information which could be valuable to a belligerent nation..."Loose lips sink ships" was a clever slogan first introduced in WWII by the War Advertising Council, and repeated countless times in posters, news media and word of mouth as an admonition against speaking of any knowledge which might be of use by an enemy...

It was used, and continues to be used, as the basis for innumerable conversation scenes in movies, TV programs and books between a usually well-intentioned braggart and a wiser listener who sometimes forcefully reminds the talker to shut up...At times the over-zealous blatherskite turns out to be someone who was schooled extensively in the value of words, but in a moment of mindlessness says the wrong thing to the listening ear of someone who is guaranteed to irretrievably repeat it to a widespread audience...Such an opportunity arose to Morton Tinslar Seligman, a US Navy Commander and Annapolis graduate with 23 years of continuous service and recipient of two Navy Crosses...Seligman had only recently left the doomed USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea in which, as Executive Officer of the "Lady Lex," he was credited with saving countless lives due to his efficient, cool-headed management of damage control operations...He was one of the last men to step off the ship before it sank into its grave on the seabed...

Following the battle, Seligman was berthed on USS Barnett (APA-5) for passage to the US and reassignment...Other survivors included embedded war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, Stanley Johnston, and flight leader of the Lexington's dive bombers, LCmdr. Robert E. Dixon who famously uttered the memorable phrase, "Scratch one flattop!" as the JIN Shoho burst into flame from its bombing...Available quarters were scarce for passengers aboard Barnett, and Seligman bunked with Johnston...From there most of the details of what happened next were cloaked in secrecy due to the sensitive nature of the developing scene, but certain facts are a part of public record...Much classified material and information was known to many of those aboard the Barnett, but most of them knew to whom they could speak, as well as when and where...Any information at all could conceivably be used by the enemy if it became known...Many meetings and debriefings were held aboard the Barnett in closed quarters in preparation for the endless number of reports that must be written and assimilated among the various agencies for analysis and policy decisions...Those attendees all certainly knew their responsibilities and limits...

As a higher ranking line officer of the US Navy with a security clearance granting him access to classified data, Seligman was well aware that Japanese eyes and ears were open and waiting for any scrap of information previously unknown to them...On 6/7/1942, five days after Johnston's arrival in San Diego on Barnett, under the blaring front page headline trumpeting the US victory in the Battle of Midway, a separate story headlined "Navy Had Word Of Jap Plan To Strike At Sea" told of the foreknowledge of Japanese plans that allowed the US Navy to plan an ambush at sea which ultimately destroyed four first line aircraft carriers of the JIN...Anyone reading this story, among them Japanese agents who scoured every American news source daily, could have, following a moment's thought, have surmised that if the American forces knew of the plans ahead of time, they must either be reading intercepted Japanese coded messages, or have a spy network within the Japanese war ministry feeding them information...Either way this information could be devastating to the sensitive information gathering process used by the Allied forces to plan actions against the enemy...The author of the story and his publisher would also know this, and must somehow be accountable for the potential damage to the Allied war effort...

The US Naval Historical Foundation tells three separate versions of the story on its website nodding to the fact that the incident has been shrouded in mystery and embarrassment for over 70 years...In the first, Johnston himself in his book, "Queen of the Flattops," admits that he saw classified messages listing the Japanese order of battle for Midway and US estimates of the Japanese battle strength two weeks before the battle took place, giving him the basis for the story he filed with the Chicago Tribune...The federal prosecutor assigned the job of investigating the matter by the US Attorney General took the generally accepted position that Johnston's bunkmate, Seligman, either deliberately or inadvertently let slip a copy of the decoded messages from Adm. Nimitz during the voyage...The second version is similar, differing in that Seligman made the same blunder aboard USS Chester (CA-27) during transit away from the Coral Sea action scene, but before boarding Barnett...This is recorded in the biography, "Nimitz," by EB Potter...

The third version is mostly hearsay and usually said to be notable only because of its source...A civilian advisor to then Navy Secretary Frank Knox told of a meeting with Johnston 15 years after the event in which Johnston said he was rescued from the sea by USS New Orleans (CA-32) and transported to Pearl Harbor...During this trip he was said to have gained access to the coded messages and memorized them to use as notes for the story he later wrote and filed...The civilian did not make this conversation known immediately, but 20 years later related it to a doctor who then wrote of it for the US Naval Institute's publication, "Proceedings"...The civilian's credibility arises from his identity as Adlai E. Stevenson II, former Illinois Governor, Ambassador to the UN and twice a failed candidate for US President as a Democrat...

The generally believed version holds that Seligman, for whatever cause, released the messages to Johnston who, aided by the willingness of the Chicago Tribune, released this vital military secret to possible interception by the Japanese enemy for the sake of either readership numbers, or possibly as a source of embarrassment for President FD Roosevelt, who shared a mutual hatred with the then-editor of the Tribune, Robert McCormick...Neither Seligman, Johnston nor any other player in this real-life drama was ever indicted or prosecuted in the interest of keeping the story as low-key as possible, avoiding the revelation of its importance to national security in a public trial...Seligman never received another sea assignment, or promotion, retiring in 1944 before the war's end...CNO Adm. Ernest King personally intervened with the Navy promotions board to see to it that Seligman never advanced, although he was granted a tombstone promotion to Captain after his retirement in view of his service record before the Tribune incident...He had a minor career in Hollywood filmmaking both before and after the war as a technical advisor...Johnston reported the Latin American scene as a foreign correspondent for the Tribune until he returned to become grounds manager at Robert McCormick's Illinois estate...He died from an apparent heart attack shortly after...Despite urging from President Roosevelt to press for espionage charges against the Tribune's editorial staff, no further legal proceedings were carried out...All grand jury documents concerning the incident were sealed until 2017...

The results of the investigation had been sealed within the halls of NARA for 75 years before a court ordered them released for viewing by the public...It can now be revealed that Johnston insisted at the time that he found a scrap of paper detailing Nimitz' messages, copied them and later used them to write his story...He claimed to have not known of the secrecy involved, and only remembered the notes after hearing of the battle...Presenting what he knew to his story editor, he wrote his article then destroyed the notes...All a likely story, but unprovable otherwise for the prosecutor without corroborating evidence...Seligman's culpability could neither be proven but was assumed to be so by CNO King, who broke a personal oath to never use his influence over promotions to see to it that Seligman's Navy career was finished...The coded message from Nimitz, numbered 311221, was not intended to have been placed aboard USS Barnett, but the decoding equipment needed to read it had by chance been placed on that ship...As it turned out, the story was never even heard of in Japan by anyone who could have known its importance and made preparations to secure further messages...The JIN changed their operations code shortly before the story broke merely because the change was due on a timetable...

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Midway...

Not much is there that will pass for streets, but Google Map makes the attempt with 360 degree panoramic views in its "Street View" mode...

Sand Island...

Eastern Island...

The view looking west 77 years ago is seen in an excellent photo from Wikipedia...Keen observers may note that in the 1941 photo Henderson Field is located on Eastern Island, while today the facility is located on Sand Island to the west...Both airfields were named for USMC aviator, Major Lofton Henderson, for whom the other Henderson Field on Guadalcanal was also named...Major Henderson was KIA leading a squadron of Douglas SBD's on a glide-bombing attack against the JIN Hiryu, one of four JIN aircraft carriers sunk in the Battle of Midway...I have not researched it, but he may be the only person so honored by having three military airfields named for him...

The Sand Island location is now used by civilian aircraft, and the entire atoll is under the management of the US Fish & Wildlife Service as a national wildlife refuge...It is the home of the largest nesting site in the world for the albatross (or gooney bird)...The airfield has no tower, and during the albatross nesting season, November to June, flights are permitted to land and depart only at night when the birds are nested...About 50 people are permanent residents, and although living conditions may seem harsh to some who are more accustomed to modern living conveniences, they are certainly more amenable than those facing the military and civilian Midway population of late 1941...Today's observers might have called it downright primitive...

The elevation at Midway of about 18 feet would seem almost mountainous in comparison to another mid-ocean location which also had a strategic history in WWII...French Frigate Shoals is located approximately halfway between Pearl Harbor and Midway atoll, and is actually part of the Hawaiian chain of islands...A shoal (for those like me who didn't know until I looked it up) can be likened to a submerged sandbar, and to run across one in the middle of the Pacific with no other land in sight could be considered an anomaly...The mean elevation there is six feet above sea level, with La Pérouse Pinnacle projecting 120 feet out of the sea...

Running across it very nearly happened to the two frigates under the command of French naval officer Commodore Jean-François de La Pérouse, who was on a commissioned voyage to enrich the treasury of King Louis XVI, presumably so his mistress/wife/queen, Marie Antoinette, could eat more cake while the peasants starved...While underway the night of 11/6/1786 one of his crew sighted waves breaking in their path indicating a submerged danger, and shouted the warning...Being French, La Pérouse's first instinct was to surrender to this unknown hidden danger, and he ordered an immediate turn for both ships, missing what turned out to be a large crescent-shaped reef near the surface...No mention is made in current historical accounts of whether La Pérouse flew the French tricolor or the standard white French battle flag...

The next morning, they returned to map the hazard, and found that what the lookout saw was waves breaking against the only point above water, later named La Pérouse Pinnacle, the only remnant of the volcanic action that formed the shoal area millions of years ago...The common name for the reef became known as French Frigate Shoals, and was later used as a refueling stop for the two Japanese seaplanes which took part in the second bombing of Pearl Harbor 3/4/1942...They embarked their mission from Wotje Atoll in the Marshalls, and flew to French Frigate Shoals to be refueled from a Japanese submarine...Another JIN sub, I-23, was intended to stand off as a lookout for the mission, but it was never heard from after 2/24/42, presumably sunk from unknown causes...

The mission was largely a failure, as little damage resulted from the bombing, mostly shattered windows at Theodore Roosevelt High School from the impact of the bombs dropped near it...However, the alarm was raised among US Navy planners when it was realized that the Japanese "Emily" flying boats had to have been refueled somewhere, and the only logical place was the uninhabited French Frigate Shoals...A construction mission was immediately launched by the USN to dredge and build up the area into a usable island to be manned as a submarine refueling and reprovisioning point...Future plans by the Japanese to repeat its use to refuel seaplanes were shelved when a Japanese submarine reconned the area and found the American military presence...

Eventually enough island space was built to accommodate a 3,000 foot landing strip on Tern Island for emergency landings by Navy aircraft, known today as French Frigate Shoals Airport...It was large enough in 2009 to land and depart a USCG C-130 to evacuate the Coast Guard unit operating a LORAN station on East Island, the second largest artificial island constructed there...Like Midway Atoll, French Frigate Shoals is today managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service as a nesting refuge for tropical birds...Last month, October 2018, Hurricane Walaka blew East Island into non-existence...

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A Brief Announcement...

The commercial bookselling site, Amazon, has asked Truckman to create an author page to further advance sales of his growing list of publications...It can be found here for those who wish to purchase from Amazon...However it should be noted again that Amazon still sells the Truckman Publications at full retail price, rather than the discounted prices found on Truckman's own sales site...It may also be noted that the so-called "free shipping" enjoyed by Amazon buyers is more than absorbed by the exorbitant extra profit generated by Amazon's higher prices...For those unaware of the publication process, when a Truckman Publishing book is ordered through Amazon, it is then ordered by Amazon from Truckman's sales site...Their claim that the book is "ready to ship" in 1-2 days is misleading, as it is not printed until ordered...Printing takes 5-7 days under normal circumstances, after which it is shipped...

In addition periodic discounts can be found from the printer, Lulu.com, which, unlike other promotions from other sellers, can be added to the already discounted price offered by Truckman Publishing...Sometimes these discounts can include shipping, and buyers are encouraged to look for these bargains, and add the appropriate discount code to an order...These discount offers are not passed on by Amazon...It might be further noted that in Truckman's experience "express shipping" is seldom any faster than the "standard shipping" through the US Postal Service, the bulk of which transit is accomplished by Federal Express anyway...Amazon also does not offer the far less profitable paperback editions available from Truckman...We wish Jeff Bezos continued success in his Amazon business, but want cost-conscious readers to always be aware of the otherwise hidden costs, and the available bargains offered to those who make the effort to look...

In other business decisions, the fine and well intentioned Facebook group, USS APc-1 WWII, dedicated to preserving the memory of the brave veterans of service aboard the US Navy's Small Coastal Transports during the Pacific War, will now continue to preserve the memories of those troubled times without the direct contributions of Truckman...The narrow-minded petty decision of Mark Zuckerberg to stifle the posts offered by Truckman to this worthy group through his still unexplained deletions of Truckman's posts has brought Truckman to the reluctant choice of resigning from Facebook...USS APc-1 WWII's administrator, Neal Ash, continues his efforts to bring awareness of this "forgotten fleet" to the public, and any new information gleaned from the research of Truckman's hardworking staff will continue to be passed along to Neal, who will certainly post these items for his Facebook readers...A link to the Facebook group will continue to be available to readers here as the "Applecart Link" button under the banner at the top of each page on this blog...

Added in edit: It should be said here in the interest of transparency that Truckman does indeed receive a royalty payment on each copy of his books which are sold, whether that sale takes place on his own site or the various reseller sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram or any of the other book sales outlets...However the amounts of those royalties vary greatly...The amount received by Truckman when a reader purchases from the resellers is approximately one-third of the amount received when the reader purchases from Truckman's site at a reduced price...A simple math equation should reveal where the most profit lies, the author who researched and wrote the book and sells for less, or the book outlet which sells the same product for more money...

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Public Service Announcement...

It should be noted that for maximum enjoyment by Truckman's readers, he voluntarily accepts no commercialization attempts on his many blogsites...Readers interested in only fact and truth will not be victimized by obnoxious advertising, nor by annoying pop-ups demanding the reader turn off his adblocking software in order to continue reading...It is a sad fact of the journalistic world that crass commercialism has become the guiding light for almost all blogs, historical websites and news sources...Truckman will resist to the end any attempt to insert ads on his websites which attempt to draw hard-earned assets from the pockets of his loyal readers...

It is true that the mighty dollar-worshiping Google may attempt to place advertising on Truckman sites, but this is not done with the cooperation nor collaboration with Truckman...We have taken every step possible to deny the presence of advertising on these sites, and will continue to do so...Truckman encourages his readers to install adblocking software, available at little or no cost as browser extensions on almost any modern web browser...These extensions infuriate commercial websites interested in bilking rather than informing the public, and they will employ many clever devices to defeat them...Some websites will block viewers altogether who do not submit to the distraction of commercial advertising...Truckman's answer to this is to merely avoid those websites, and seek out other sources for the desired information...

Readers here visit because they have come to trust Truckman as a source of unbiased truth which cannot be bought with money...The only redirects here will lead to other activities brought to you by Truckman, such as his video channel, photo and satire blogs, and publishing site...Yes, there are books for sale on the Truckman Publishing site where proceeds are used to further research into future books...Any reader here who finds that either Google or an internet provider or even an unscrupulous hacker has placed advertising on these websites operated by Truckman Industries is encouraged to report it using the email address provided in the sidebar...These sites are wholly financed by Truckman, and the readers may be confident that the only requirement to join this group is to merely read and absorb the truth...

You're welcome...

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Introducing the APc-48 "Gray Gang"...

In memory of the service aboard APc-48 during WWII of this writer's Uncle, MoMM2/C William Vernon Johnson, as a member of that ship's "Black Gang," this blog proudly announces the formation of the "APc-48 Memorial Gray Gang"...For the uninitiated Wikipedia defines a ship's Black Gang thusly:

"The black gang are the members of a ship's crew who work in the fire room/engine room; they are also called stokers or firemen. They are called "black" because of the soot and coal dust that is thick in the air in the fire room/engine room. The term began being used in the days of the coal-fired steamships. The term is commonly used in the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy to describe personnel in 'M' and 'B' divisions."

Firemen and other members of a ship's Engine Force were called the "Black Gang" due to the considerable amount of oily grime and dust that collected on their skins, hair and clothing from performing their assigned duties in the often stifling heat of the confines of the Engine Room...MoMM2/C Johnson's assignments seesawed back and forth between Fireman and Motor Machinist's Mate, as well as sharing gunnery, deck watch and galley duties as needed with the other crewmembers...Truckman chose to honor his Uncle's service with what has become first a series of articles, and then books concerning the tiny wooden ships classified as Small Coastal Transports, of which APc-48 was but one example...Truckman's research staff has found that any information concerning these small but tough little ships is often buried in the shadows of the larger warships, and often must be pried out of the mountains of data that was recorded in the various official Navy reports, and the books written in the post-war period...

At this time Truckman is proud to declare the embarkation of our own "Gray Gang" dedicated to digging out those stubborn bits of intelligence to keep the fires of APc research burning, much as the "Black Gangs" of earlier centuries dug the last scrap of coal from their vessels' coal bunkers to fuel the fires of their ships...The "gray" is in deference to the color of hair taken by many of us whose interests lie in this narrow field of inquiry...The only requirements needed to enlist with this important research team, is to use the email link in the sidebar to the right of this article to submit the username to which you want your new finding credited...What we are looking for is any pictures, books, articles or news items concerning the activities, locations or service of these ships or their crewmembers, whether in war or in the hard-earned peace which followed, that may be included in future books in the "APc-48" series...Please note that your submissions do not have to be directly related to APc-48, but rather to any of the Small Coastal Transports, including the planning stages, construction, recruitment, staffing, assignments or later post-war civilian careers...Letters, journals, notes and diaries can be other valuable sources...If it concerns the APc ships, or their officers and crews, we want to hear about it...

It is also not necessary to submit new information right away, just your intention to add to our APc bank of knowledge and your username (real or assumed) are all that is necessary...A method of keeping score of information submissions may also be added in the future...

EDIT: Score of acceptable submissions is now kept by the italicized number within parentheses to the right of the username...

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Another reprint...

OK call me lazy if you wish...This was recently posted by me on USS APc-1 WWII...

I just finished watching "The Fighting Lady," a conglomerate of WWII combat and promotional footage presented as a feature film about an unnamed aircraft carrier (actually USS Yorktown CV-10)...I was hoping to see some glimpses of the smaller auxiliaries like our coastal transports, but as usual the big boys hogged the glory...Only one Hollywood star was listed in the credits, Robert Taylor as narrator, but listed as Lt. Robert Taylor USNR...All other cast members were also presently in Navy service including Adms. JJ "Jocko" Clark and John S. McCain Jr...Also seen was the legendary Captain Dixie Kiefer, who made the first-ever night takeoff from a warship...He served as XO of the the original USS Yorktown (CV-5) in the Battles of the Coral Sea and then Midway where the Yorktown was shot out from under him, shattering his right leg and knee...He recovered sufficiently in time to take command of the new USS Ticonderoga which was attacked by Kamikaze pilots during action in the Pescadores...

The first caused massive fires in the hangar deck...Kiefer immediately improvised by flooding port side compartments (an action unheard of until that moment), inducing a 10 degree list and causing the flaming debris to slide overboard...He then steered his ship upwind away from the floating flames where the second kamikaze hit near him leaving him with 65 separate shrapnel wounds and a broken arm...Disregarding his injuries, he stayed on the bridge in command another 11 hours...SecNav James Forrestal, after Kiefer's award of a second Distinguished Service Medal to offset his previous DSM and Navy Cross, called him "the Navy's indestructible man"...

Kiefer had also previously broken his left ankle and kneecap playing football, in addition to having a shattered elbow from being hit by the wingtip of a passing seaplane flown by a fellow pilot showing off by buzzing him a mite too closely...No word on the following aviation career of the showoff aviator...Kiefer's crew on the Ticonderoga said he had so much metal in his body that the ship's compass followed him wherever he walked on deck...

Even without any APc's in the supporting cast, "The Fighting Lady" is well worth an hour of your time...

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Reprint...

Since I have been lax in my duties as a source of information for my loyal fans, I wanted to publish the following posts I wrote for Neal Ash's "USS APc-1 WWII" Facebook group...This group can only be accessed by joining, but it is well worth it for the information contained within concerning Small Coastal Transports...

Today's discussion of aircraft carriers prodded my memory of a few items...One often hears the term, "four and a half acres of sovereign US territory" in reference to the size of the flight decks of our largest carriers, but is it really treated as such?...The answer is yes, by international law...The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea gives US flagged warships not engaged in commercial trade the same status as land within US borders...It flies the US flag only, is bound only by US law and is immune to search and seizure by other powers, even when docked in a foreign port...  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_ships…

And foreign ports can be particularly welcoming of our carrier fleets when disaster strikes...Our nuclear powered aircraft carriers can produce enough electricity to power a small city, or essential services for a larger city...It's sick bay is actually a hospital which can act as an emergency room, and its helicopters can act as flying ambulances:

http://cimsec.org/flattops-of-mercy/23912

As a final item in my jogged memory, there have been times when a passing ship sighted by a pilot in distress has become a convenient flattop of opportunity: 

 http://1truckman.blogspot.com/2016/09/lost-at-sea.html

Another sometimes wondered about question concerns the aircraft carrier's traditional placement of the superstructure (or island) on the starboard side of the ship...Although bluejackets will tell you that the superstructure on any ship only exists to give sailors something to paint, the first carriers to have a superstructure were the British HMS Glorious and Courageous, both converted from cruisers...Their placement had to do with the original ships' boiler and stokehold air intakes and the fireroom's exhaust...Subsequent A/C's kept it on the same side to avoid confusion for pilots landing on a ship from which they did not take off...Other stories insist the propeller powered aircraft had a strong torque-steer toward the left, and since landing aircraft were kept under full power until forward motion was halted, larger disasters were avoided in the rare case when an arrestor cable broke under tension sending the aircraft back out to sea in an unwanted direction...For this reason the extremely powerful F4U Corsair, with its 13 foot propeller had to be kept under 3/4 throttle on arrested landings, otherwise it could flip over at full stop...The Japanese carriers Akagi and Hiryu were built with their superstructures portside to operate with their sister ships, Kaga and Soryu which had starboard side islands...The theory was one would fly left-hand circuits, and the other right-hand circuits, effectively splitting the air and sea lanes...Innovative thinking, but they lost the war anyway...In any event, the unwieldy width of the carrier with the superstructure mounted far to one side means other heavy equipment, including propulsion units, fuel and water tanks, ammunition magazines, and hangar decks with their spare parts and machine shops, must be proportionately distributed to achieve an even balance, preventing capsizing in emergency high-speed turns...

At some point soon I hope to have the loads lifted from my shoulders which have been thrust on me by the fortunes of life, at which time I can resume my previous direction in research and writing my blog articles and books...Thank you for your patience...

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Living with violence...

Since no one else seems capable of uttering the obviously most effective method of removing the spectre of violence from society, I'll say it...Those with demonstrable tendencies toward violence, and histories of incapability of living peacefully must somehow be separated from the law-abiding, productive peaceful citizens who remain...The group to be removed would of necessity include all mentally unbalanced persons of all ages, and even those who have been physically violent, or threatened violence within their own schools, workplaces and families...

Since the world economy cannot support the building of enough prison space to house, feed, clothe, guard and sustain the health of this many people, they must be removed from society by ending their lives...Then those that cause those deaths would have to be added to the list of those with violent histories, necessitating their removal from society...Eventually this would leave one non-violent person left breathing who, if honest, would have to admit his own aggressive tendencies simply by passively allowing the destruction of the world's population, and being honest would have to commit suicide...

The above ridiculous and obviously unworkable solution would certainly remove the menace of violence, but nobody would be left to enjoy the peace...And until we all realize we are flawed human beings living together with other flawed human beings, then other impossible solutions such as mechanical safety devices, outright bans of instruments which have the possibility of being used for violence and increased expenditures for prisons and mental wards on an already overburdened taxpayer will be presented, discussed, studied, argued and rejected as ineffective...
'
Finding an affordable, acceptable method of ending violence permanently is a fool's errand...Learning to live with the consequences of an evolving world is the only alternative...

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Truckman has become truckless...

The drama seems to have played itself out, and now the story can be told...And it is a sad one...On January 11 this year, and for reasons still not 100% clear, Truckman lost control of his truck while driving home from running errands...It was offered as speculation from the attending EMT personnel, although an official medical determination was not recorded, that my blood glucose level took a sudden drop causing me to lose consciousness and leave the roadway...This theory was not supported in later examination by any medical professional with an actual degree in medicine...I regained consciousness at some point later, still in my truck, as EMT's worked to revive me...I was not told, but I am reasonably sure the police on scene had already determined that alcohol was not a factor, a correct conclusion since the last drink I consumed was in 1977...

EMT's quickly found my blood glucose level to be 55, and administered liquid glucose orally...My senses began to return then, and I could see my truck had stopped against a concrete bridge abutment...No one, including myself, was injured, and no other vehicles, property or people were involved...Since it occurred on the freeway feeder road, I'm sure my speed was at or under the posted limit of 45MPH considering that I habitually prefer staying within the speed limits anywhere...I figure if I needed to be in a bigger hurry, I should have left the house sooner...

An ambulance ride to the ER was mandatory, and all tests performed there indicated no injuries...The only physical pain since then was in my chest due to the sudden stop against the seat belt...No airbags deployed...As a result, no citation was issued by law enforcement, and after arriving at home, I reported the incident to my insurance carrier, Traveler's...Thereafter the real pain began...The non-consent tow to a local storage yard was performed by a neanderthal who the next day demonstrated his lack of grasp on tow and store laws...He thought he was going to keep the truck until I personally paid him his ransom in cash, but he was forced to release the truck to the tow company of my choice by someone with more active brain cells than he possessed (which didn't involve much effort)...

The Traveler's company's hiring standards for adjusters and appraisers is at best questionable to the layman, but I suppose if alienating and frustrating their clients works for them  they're welcome to it...The language barrier is a difficult one to cross, especially when dealing with one whose accent in her second language, English, is further distorted by the affliction known as tinnitus, which visits some of us after many years of exposure to noise at high decibel levels...This is compounded by a perceived attitude of indifference and arrogance transmitted by the person who was ostensibly hired to put the client at ease, and assure him his claim will be settled in a fair and timely manner...The adjuster tipped her hand, revealing her disdain for customer satisfaction when she denied my coverage for medical treatment under the "personal injury" clause of my insurance policy, saying this was her "area of expertise" in insurance, and that I should accept her decision as absolute...

Until that point I did not even realize I had medical coverage on my auto policy, having told the people in attendance at the hospital that Medicare was my only insurance carrier...This oversight on my part will rear its head later...I then suggested it might be wise to transfer my claim to someone with a better understanding of my policy (and hopefully a more advanced command of the English language)...

Apparently it takes a while to locate someone with those qualifications within the Travelers hierarchy, but eventually a lady was found who did assure me that my required medical care would be paid up to the limit shown in my policy...Seeing that the wind would be blowing from numerous directions from this company, I asked that her determination be confirmed via email for the record...She complied, and this method proved useful in the subsequent dealings with others who involved themselves in my claim...As I write this, all ensuing medical bills were paid, although some bottlenecks occurred at the provider, and the medical adjuster at Traveler's cooperated fully...

My truck had hence been towed to my chosen repair facility, Kustom Werx Auto Body & Paint, where it had been repaired and completely restored the previous year (another Traveler's experience)...The initial adjuster had insisted that the truck had been totaled, and must be towed to Copart (a wrecking yard in Houston where vehicles go to die)...She had made this determination without having seen the truck, or even pictures of it, apparently believing herself omniscient...The adjuster I was handed off to in this shell game also claimed the truck was a total loss (again without seeing either the truck or pictures of it, relying solely on the verbal account of the knuckle-dragging tow truck driver who obviously by now wished to retain my truck for himself), insisting that it had rolled over before coming to a stop...By this time I had examined it myself at Kustom Werx, verifying that no rollover had occurred, and already getting my own estimate from Kustom Werx owner, Cory Scott, indicating the truck was indeed reparable...

The sticking point in the negotiations rested on Traveler's new insistence that the truck was a total loss due to a bent frame horn where the front bumper was attached...Their contention that the entire frame had to be replaced was argued against by my own trusted frame and body repairman, a man of impeccable credentials and experience, who stated the damage to the frame was easily reparable without replacement...Indeed, I could have accepted an amount from the insurance company which would have covered all repairs, but I would have had to accept a new "salvage" title for the truck, rendering it not only uninsurable, but practically unsalable to any future buyers...It is now obvious that they merely wanted a 15 year old truck, which they considered over-valued, off the roads regardless of the fact that it was a better quality truck than anything that could be purchased new...

By now I had been handed off once more to the first of a series of "appraisers," who again verified the incompetence of those within the Traveler's organization...This is apparently a well rehearsed act for Traveler's (and in all probability, all other insurers) in their attempts to wear down the insured, hoping to discourage him from seeking a fair and honest settlement by passing him along a chain of successively thick-headed and obstinate "appraisers"...The last of these was, to his credit, comfortable with the English language, although verifiably unable to decipher a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) correctly...He insisted my truck was a lower-priced SLT model instead of the top-of-the-line Laramie model I knew to be, since I had bought it new and still had all original paperwork from the sale...After obtaining for myself a complete breakdown of all the VIN details from an authorized dealer, and presenting them to the technology-challenged adjuster, he was forced to accept my truck's higher valuation...

But the real stone wall was thrown up in the adjuster's insistence that the additional coverage for $7,500.00 to cover replacement of the custom equipment for which I had been paying for many years, did not apply to my truck because I was not repairing it, instead accepting an amount to replace the entire truck...My argument that to restore a replacement truck to mine's original glory would involve replacing the lost equipment also fell on deaf ears...My alternative at this point was to find justice in a court of law, a process which might consume more time than I have allotted to me in this life, and at the expense of competent legal assistance, or to cut my losses and accept the offer of the bare truck's retail value (an amount which was finally acceptable with their acknowledgement of the VIN deciphering)...

I reluctantly opted for the check as I'd like to see some value from the transaction, and I draw some satisfaction in the knowledge that Traveler's was forced to cough up an additional $2,100.00 in storage fees for the time they wasted in their mule-headed interpretation  of my policy...I also gained some value in now knowing the worthlessness of add-on "coverage" which will be eventually denied by an unscrupulous business entity...

Further insult was added to the injuries when the Texas Department of Public Safety notified me of their demand to see proof that my diabetes was not a further menace to the motoring public...I had already been in contact with my endocrinologist who adjusted my medications, and verified the effectiveness of the change with a follow-up visit...The result of dealing with yet another layer of bureaucracy is yet to be determined...In addition, the kind folks at Medicare involved themselves, demanding repayment of the EMT and hospital bills which they had already paid...I turned this over to the only courteous and knowledgeable person I had encountered at Traveler's who assured me she would pay the bills...She later confirmed that her company had indeed settled all medical accounts...

Truckman's quest for another truck to replace his fallen steed has begun, but will be time-consuming as my standards are high, but my expectations low...A pictorial supplement to this article will be offered in Truckman's photo blog as soon as time can be found to process the pictures...

EDIT: A trip to court was required to extricate myself from the claws of the Texas Department of Public Safety who had sued me to force the revocation of my driver's license...Without any testing or interview of any kind, they had determined, in writing, that I was "incapable of operating a motor vehicle," and demanded that I give up my license, forcing me to walk anywhere I needed to go - a veritable death sentence in Texas...I appeared in court as required by the summons, and presented my case to the judge, along with statements of testing from my endocrinologist...The DPS did not even bother to send a representative to argue their non-existent case, a clear indication that knew it had no value...The judge found in my favor, and I walked out of court retaining my driver's license...

As the late, lamented Paul Harvey used to say, the "rest of the story" can be found in the following links, and the pictorial articles are in my photo blog...

Rebirth Update #10...

Rebirth Update #9...

Rebirth Update #8...

Rebirth Update #7...

Rebirth Update #6...

Rebirth Update #5...

Rebirth Update #4...

Rebirth Update #3...

Rebirth Update #2...

Rebirth Update #1...

Truckman Reborn...

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Military History Online...

This longstanding website dedicated to the preservation and discussion of historical military events throughout mankind's history has asked Truckman to submit an article for publication...Concerning the recent book, "APc-48 - Combined Edition," the essay is presented here...As other articles by other writers are presented, this article will take its place among the many other fine writings found here, but for the time being it headlines the list...

The same site hosts a discussion forum where Truckman's comments join the other students of military lore...Much can be learned here for those interested...Truckman participates even though he knows the hidden dangers of forum addiction found in his previous activities...Once an active member on 34 separate discussion forums, I now understand better the nature of addictive behavior, and limit myself to "discussion in moderation"...

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Working...

Going back over the jobs I've held, I think I did best when I was responsible for my own level of success...My high school job as a Fuller Brush Man meant I worked on commission only, and I worked hard at it because the more happy customers I created, the more money I made, and the repeat sales made it easier as time went on...

After high school, I entered the USAF, but I treated it more as an opportunity for tourism and self enjoyment than as a serious career opportunity...I felt a sense of accomplishment by doing a competent, although uninspired job on the flightline as a weapons specialist, but I could have done better...With a better attitude on my part, it could have been a worthwhile career...

Working in a factory after discharge was good because the supervisors I worked for let me work at my own pace which was good for production since I hate wasting time...I had plenty of opportunities for overtime since I learned the jobs of others who preferred to go home after eight hours...The union people didn't like me much because slower production was better for job security...

The longest lasting career I had was as an auto mechanic...I enjoyed the challenge, and being on straight commission meant the more I accomplished (and got right the first time), the more money I earned...I worked for one flatrate shop briefly, but I didn't like seeing customers cheated and found better employment elsewhere...I also had my side business at home where I repaired cars on my own...

My most satisfying employment was operating my own business, not only as a mechanic, but in gun sales...As increasingly poor eyesight and arthritis double-teamed against me as a mechanic, I got my own FFL, and started a home-based business in firearms, buying, selling and trading at home and gun shows...Eventually as the inventory outgrew my house, and my health limited my income at fixing cars, I built my own gun store and indoor range...

After selling it and retiring, I began my least paying, but perhaps most satisfying job of writing...It'll never pay the rent, but at least my Mom finally got to say there was an author in the family...In analysis I would say my best jobs were those in which I could please other people, and still make a living...

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Reading, writing, research and the lack thereof...

Sharp-eyed followers of this blog (both of you) may have noticed a severe dropoff in articles for this blog...Since most of Truckman's activities are necessarily screened behind a cloak of anonymity to ward off the constant crowd of paparazzi, it might be surmised by the public that I am busy writing the new book spoken of here earlier, or that I am on another photographic assignment, or that I'm simply immersed in intensive research and compiling notes for later study...But since you the reader come here for the truth, I will reveal that none of the above scenarios are occurring at this time...

A family event of a dire, although not entirely unexpected nature is in progress, and at this time demands as much of my attention as I have at my command...In addition, a sudden and otherwise unexpected calamity landed on my shoulders, but was dealt with, although not entirely to my satisfaction...Both of these events will be written of here in future articles, but the effect on the amount and quality of time I am able to put forth in research and writing has been severely curtailed due to the constraints of time...I cannot expand on these thoughts any more at this time, but I can share some of the few tidbits found in my few leisure moments...

Even though my research into booklength treatises has been put on temporary hold, I still devote spare moments to reading topics of interest...Some of these have been posted on the USS APc-1 WWII Facebook group (a group which requires a no-cost membership to view)...The latest in the series of books I have set aside for casual reading and further research is Adm. Samuel E. Morison's fifteen volume "History of US Naval Operations in WWII," first published in 1947...My copy of this collection is the updated 1984 edition...

In reading the first volume ("Battle of the Atlantic"), I ran across a connection to the Small Coastal Transports which I discussed in great length in the "APc-48" series of books...In the prewar climate of pacifism and appeasement, no country which had to answer to its voters was prepared completely for the outbreak of war...Dictatorships, such as Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, could build huge stockpiles of warmaking materials, while at the same time deceiving other governments by declaring peaceful intentions...The US and Great Britain had to contend with internal pressures to avoid war while still maintaining the semblance of a defensive posture...This caught the British by surprise first as they were totally unprepared for the U-Boat attacks on their commercial shipping beginning immediately following the German attack across Polish borders...

Keeping the U-Boat menace as far as possible from British shipping lanes and coastal waters was thrust upon the Royal Navy which was better prepared for blue water war in deeper seas than it was with defense against attacks closer to home...The RN's inventory of shallow draft warships was itself shamefully shallow, forcing it to press into service commercial fishing and cargo vessels, arming them in whatever means lay at hand...Equally defenseless were the deepwater cargo ships sailing under the British flag, as they were initially unarmed and vulnerable to attack because of the British adherence to the Washington Naval Limitations Treaty of 1921, which forbade arming of merchantmen...

Not only were armed coastal-capable ships thinly spread for the RN, but even scarcer were suitable armament for conversion of merchant ships, and the absence of trained crews to man the new positions only exacerbated the problem...A dearth of RN aircraft carriers meant that an air arm consisting of 220 light bombers separated into 19 hastily formed squadrons from Bomber Command were the only defense from the air along the shorelines...These bomber crews were forced to develop their own anti-submarine warfare techniques, and thanks to a detachment of American aircrews as observers, US planners were able to gain a wealth of knowledge in the hitherto uncharted science of defense against, as well as attack of submarine fleets...

Writing of these early days of WWII on 1/5/1944 for the February 1944 issue of the "Royal United Service Institution Journal," Admiral Sir William James said:

"I was on the board of the Admiralty before the war and it was always a question of trying to do the best we could with what money was available, and the plan arrived at with regard to Coastal Craft was that we should go for prototypes. There were three reasons for that. One was that the type was in the process of development: it was no good giving an order for say a hundred of a certain type when next year something very far in advance might be produced. Another was the manning problem: you cannot in peacetime keep a large number of Coastal Craft in commission; they wear out very quickly and we could not really find the personnel for them. The third reason was that we felt they were of the one type of craft that could be built quickly, and that what money we had ought to be put into ships that took a long time to build - destroyers and cruisers."

Faulty strategic thinking notwithstanding, the Admiralty's pursing agents scoured the world for bargains in warmaking materials of any kind, especially those which could be had for trade or promise of payment later...The informative Shipscribe website tells of the interest by the British Admiralty in the newly created APc hull designation, resulting in their order of 50 of the increasingly versatile design...One of the suggested uses of the design by the office of the CNO, before the first one was ever launched, was that of "Raider Transport, AP"...Seeing the easy adaptability of the Small Coastal Transport design to the needs of British coastal defense, and later invasion uses, the order for 50 was quickly placed and accepted...

65 hull numbers were eventually assigned for British use before their construction...The aforementioned Shipscribe site lists the deployment and/or fate of each of these hull numbers...

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Just a quick toot of my own horn...

"APc-48 Combined Edition" has been added to the list of Recommended Reading at the NavSource site, the well-regarded information source for all things Navy related...Many thanks to site manager Gary Priolo and the entire NavSource team for the magnificent job they do in preserving history...For those who do not know, NavSource is not supported by government funds, and its team members are always responsive to additional information provided by the public regarding their historical accuracy...I consistently find the most up to date data in their pages...

Quote from the site:

"APC-48" is the story the US Navy Coastal Transports. Very little has been written about these small wooden ships and their brave crews and their contribution to the Pacific war effort. APc's were invaluable in the efforts to dislodge the Japanese from the many small islands in the South Pacific. APc's transported troops and their equipment, delivered need supplies to small isolated outposts and were vital in the amphibious operations to recapture many of the islands. APc's, because of their shallow draft, led many larger landing craft into beachheads. Lightly armed with only four single 20mm guns and occasionally with an additional two .50cal machine guns they faced the enemy knowing that a single mortar or artillery shell could sink them. "APc-48" is really two books in one. Book One describes the contribution of one middle America family to the war effort at home and overseas. It also provides an overall description of World War II both at home and abroad and how family members fit into the picture. Book Two follows the operations and travels of APc-48 and family member 19 year old draftee William Vernon Johnson MM2/c USNR who served in the ship during World War II. ISBN 978-1-387-32291-6. The book can be purchased on the Internet from LULU Press

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