Scott Generations: Ulithi Island

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ulithi Island

Pete is in front row of those standing near the far right of this picture with cap on, smiling.

I have been doing a little bit of research on Pepaw's (Pete's) time in the navy during World War II. I was looking at this picture of what looks like a beer party on a tropical island and wondered whether it was in Hawaii or out further. I believe this took place at the island of Ulithi a military base in the Indonesian Sea about 1300 miles south of Japan-fairly close to the Philippines.

I know from the Zellars website there was a party there.

(Ulitha atoll right- green in Pacific) and the pictures of this party match our picture. In fact I believe that Pepaw is standing in the back looking over everyone else in this picture that I found on the website

The above pictures of the party were taken before the kamikazi attack. According to the Zellars 777 website, the ship stopped there along with a huge fleet. They traveled from here and arrived at the Ryukyus Islands one of which was Okinawa, on March 5th, 1945. They begin firing on a small group of islands called Kerama Retto located 20 miles S.W. of Okinawa. They were engaged in shore bombardment to protect an underwater demolition team from shore gunfire. (modern Ulithi-Tropical and beautiful)

Because most of the targets on Okinawa were located well inland in accordance with Japan's relatively new strategy of defense in depth, Zellars' 5-inch guns usually deferred to the larger caliber batteries on board the battleships and cruisers while she provided them with antisubmarine and antiaircraft protection.

"On the sixth, the Japanese Super-Battleship Yamato and surviving elements of the Japanese fleet attempted a suicide attack on troop transports at the beachhead. The old Battleships and we started to steam North to meet them. We were not disappointed when our carrier planes stopped them cold. The "Z" was credited with shooting down seven Japanese planes at Okinawa" Zellars Crew Member

From Wikipedia: After the 1 April amphibious assault on Okinawa, she continued to screen the larger ships of TG 54.3 and provided call fire in support of the troops ashore. On the afternoon of 2 April, she was screening Tennessee (BB-43) when three Japanese "Jills" made a coordinated attack on her. They came at the destroyer's port quarter from an altitude of about 15 feet above water. Zellars rang up 25 knots (46 km/h) to unmask all batteries and opened fire. She splashed the lead attacker at a range of 1,800 yards and caught the second some 3,000 yards away. The destroyer then shifted fire to the third intruder and began scoring 40-millimeter hits on him. The Japanese pilot, however, pressed home his attack and crashed into Zellar's port side, forward of the bridge in her number 2 handling room.

His 500-kilogram bomb tore through several light bulkheads before exploding on the starboard side of the ship in the scullery. She temporarily lost all power, and the fireroom had to be secured. Meanwhile, the after 20-millimeter guns continued to ward off additional tormentors and assisted in splashing another plane. That evening, she limped into Kerama Retto with extensive damage. After temporary patching, the destroyer headed back toward the United States and arrived at Terminal Island, Calif., on 1 June. During some two and one-half months in which the ship underwent repairs and overhaul, World War II ended.

Kerramo Retto Island burial ground of those killed in attack

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Meet The First Cousin of Dumpie's Great-Great Grandpa (also named Benjamin Hawkins)

Colonel Benjamin Hawkins Dumpie had a brother named Lloyd Colonel and a nephew named Colonel Theodore, the name 'Colonel' is scattered throughout her ancestry her is why. Benjamin Hawkins (15 August 1754 – 6 June 1816), usually known as Colonel Hawkins, was an American farmer, statesman, and Indian agent from North Carolina. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator, as well as a long term diplomat and agent to the Creek Indians. Benjamin was born to Philemon and Delia Martin Hawkins on August 15, 1754, the third of four sons. The family farmed and operated a plantation in what was then Granville County, North Carolina, but is now Warren County. He attended the College of New Jersey, later to become Princeton, but left in his last year to join the Continental Army. He was commissioned a Colonel and served for several years on George Washington's staff as his main interpreter of French. Hawkins was released from federal service late in 1777, as Washington learned to rely on Lafayettte for dealing with the French. He returned home, and was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1778. He served there until 1779, and again in 1784. The Carolina Assembly sent him to the Continental Congress as their delegate from 1781 to 1783, and again in 1787. In 1789, he was a delegate in the North Carolina convention that ratified the United States Constitution. He was then elected to the first U.S. Senate and served from 1789 to 1795. Although the Senate did not have organized political parties at the time, his views shifted during his term. Early in his Senate career, he was counted in the ranks of those Senators viewed as Pro-Administration, but by the third congress, he generally sided with Senators of the Republican or Anti-Administration Party. Indian Agent In 1785, Hawkins had served as a representative for the Congress in negotiations with the Creek Indians. He was generally successful, and convinced that tribe to lessen their raids for several years, although he could not conclude a formal treaty. The Creek wanted to deal with the head man, and finally signed the Treaty of New York after Hawkins convinced George Washington to become involved. In 1796, Washington appointed Benjamin Hawkins as General Superintendent of Indian Affairs dealing with all tribes south of the Ohio River. He personally assumed the role of principal agent to the Creek tribe. He moved to the area that is now Crawford County in Georgia. He was adopted by the Creeks, and took one of their women as his common-law wife. He began to teach agricultural practices to the tribe, starting a farm at his home on the Flint River. In time, he brought in slaves and workers, cleared several hundred acres and established mills and a trading post as well as his farm. His operation expanded until he had over 1,000 cattle and a large number of hogs. For years, he would meet with chiefs on his porch and discuss matters while churning butter. His personal hard work and open-handed generosity won him such respect that reports say that he never lost an animal to Indian raiders. He was responsible for the longest period of peace between the settlers and the tribe, overseeing 19 years of peace. When a fort was built, in 1806, to protect expanding settlements, just west of modern Macon, Georgia, it was named Fort Benjamin Hawkins. Hawkins saw much of his work toward building a peace destroyed in 1812. A group of Creeks, led by Tecumseh were encouraged by British agents to resistance against increasing settlement by whites. Although he personally was never attacked, he was forced to watch an internal civil war among the Creeks, the war with a faction known as the Red Sticks, and their eventual defeat by Andrew Jackson. During the Creek War of 1813-1814, Hawkins organized the friendly Creeks under Major William McIntosh to aid the Georgia and Tennessee militias during their forays against the Red Sticks. After the Red Stick defeat at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, activities in Georgia and Tennessee prevented Hawkins from moderating the Treaty of Fort Jackson in August 1814. Hawkins later organized friendly Creeks against a British force on the Apalachicola River that threatened to rally the scattered Red Sticks and reignite the war on the Georgia frontier. After the British withdrew in 1815, Hawkins began organizing a force to secure the area when he died from a sudden illness in June 1816. Benjamin never recovered from the shock of the Creek civil war. He had tried to resign his post and return from the Georgia wilderness, but his resignation was refused by every president after Washington. He remained Superintendent until his death on June 6, 1816. On his death bed, he married the woman who had given him four children over the years. Benjamin Hawkins was buried at the Creek Agency, on the Flint River near Roberta, Georgia. The modern Ocmulgee National Monument includes the site of the original Fort Hawkins. Hawkins County in Tennessee is named in his honor. From the Benjamin Hawkins family Tree

Welcome Scott Family

This is a blog I started back in August to promote and discuss the reunion, but never did anything with it. I have decided to go ahead and open it although it is a little rough. Feel free to comment by just clicking "0 comments" below a post a little pop-up window will appear and you can write your comment clicking 'post comment" don't forget to sign your name. You can just read other comments. Please send announcements and suggestions. If you would like to add posts let me know and I will send you the sign-in information. Jacki (Jack's daughter)

Scott Generations

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ulithi Island

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