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86-year-old Keokuk native shares Naval experiences
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| Harry Starr as a sailor in World War II, left, and now. |
at Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal and the Philippines
Editor's Note: The following article about Keokuk native and World War II veteran Harry Starr is reprinted with permission from The Eagle in College Station, Texas.
By Bill Youngkin/Special to The Eagle
Harry E. Starr is like most of the World War II veterans: Their service was something they just didn't discuss with others except with those who shared their experiences. As Starr related, “I know my position in life and I know if I don't talk about it now, my memories will be gone forever. It is something my family has wanted to know for a long time. It may have been more than 60 years ago, but I remember it just like it was yesterday.”
Life for Harry Starr Jr. began in Keokuk on April 19, 1922, more than 86 years ago. As recalled by Starr, “I graduated in 1940 and held various jobs. When two of my buddies decided they wanted to join the Army, I thought about it and decided to join up with them. When we arrived at the recruiting office, the Army guy was gone but the Navy guy was there and gave his sales pitch, which I guess was convincing enough, because I signed up for the Navy.
“I signed up for four years but it would be six years before my enlistment would be up. I was sent to basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois on Dec. 11, 1940. I was then sent to San Diego in February 1941 to go aboard the USS Holland, a sub tender headed to Hawaii. In July I transferred ships to the USS Ortolan, a salvage vessel, to go back to San Diego.
“On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, I was about to go ashore when one of the petty officers walked up and said, ‘All leave is cancelled. Pearl Harbor has been bombed by the Japanese. Prepare to sail as soon as our sailing orders arrive.' He also gave me a .45 pistol and told me to stand watch on the gang plank.
“We received sailing orders that day. We loaded our supplies, including an additional diving bell, and sailed for Pearl. When we arrived, we were put to salvaging the sunken vessels immediately. The water was covered in oil. We tried to clear it as best we could but we were constantly in an oil slick.
“On some vessels, we had to cut off the upper structure before we could get floating tanks around them. It was sad work and none of us talked very much. We worked around the clock and were allowed to go ashore only once a week.
“We next received orders to put to sea, so we took on supplies and headed south. We didn't stop until we hit Auckland, New Zealand. I was very impressed with New Zealand. It was one of the prettiest places on Earth. There, we mounted three 50-cal. guns on our bow and machine guns along our gunwale. They patted us on our back and said head that way. That way ended up being Guadalcanal. The entire trip from Hawaii to New Zealand and now to Guadalcanal was unescorted. I guess the reasoning was the Japanese probably wouldn't mess with one little ship like ours.
“Guadalcanal was where we got initiated into combat. When the invasion of Guadalcanal began, the Japanese also attacked by ship, artillery and by air. We had just installed the guns on our ship and all of us had little or no training. We weren't very effective against the planes because we hadn't learned how to lead them in our sights. There was one dive bomber that dove on the USS Aaron Ward, a destroyer. We had been shooting at that Jap bomber and hit him but not before he hit the Ward.
“The Ward was badly damaged and we took it in tow. Another ship came over to help but hit the Ward causing the bulkhead to collapse. The Ward started sinking so we had to cut our lines. It was now us trying to recover the sailors who had managed to abandon ship.
“We took some aboard whom we saved but some we took aboard we couldn't save. Several of those sailors had been through the screws of both ships and were really chewed up. One guy I pulled aboard had one of his legs almost torn off. It was just dangling and I will never forget the look on his face and what he said. He said, ‘I know I m dying but please don't drop me.' I didn t drop him, but he couldn t be saved either.
“We took the men who died and laid them on the hatchway at the back of the ship and sailed across the canal to Eniwetok Island. We ran over a sand bar and under some trees lining a river. We put 12 bodies ashore for burial. We went back across the canal to start salvaging the ships that sank, including some of the Japanese ships. On the Japanese ships we took their papers only and gave them to our intelligence guys.”
Because of the service of the crew of the USS Ortolan, the ship and men received a commendation from the Navy and were allowed to head to San Diego for 30 days leave.
As recalled by Starr: “I headed home to Iowa as soon as I could, arriving home on March 10, 1944. A week later I met a girl and by March 31, 1944, the day I had to return to San Diego, I got her to agree to marry me, which she did that day. Annalee has been with me ever since. She made up her mind quick and I guess it has stayed made up.”
The war would end for Starr at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. He was discharged in November 1946. He worked several years for Montgomery Ward and was transferred to Bryan in 1981. In 1988 he retired, but he and Annalee decided that Texas was to be their home forever. As I was leaving after the interview he said, “I hope I don't dream about all this again tonight.”
Editor's Note: The following article about Keokuk native and World War II veteran Harry Starr is reprinted with permission from The Eagle in College Station, Texas.
By Bill Youngkin/Special to The Eagle
Harry E. Starr is like most of the World War II veterans: Their service was something they just didn't discuss with others except with those who shared their experiences. As Starr related, “I know my position in life and I know if I don't talk about it now, my memories will be gone forever. It is something my family has wanted to know for a long time. It may have been more than 60 years ago, but I remember it just like it was yesterday.”
Life for Harry Starr Jr. began in Keokuk on April 19, 1922, more than 86 years ago. As recalled by Starr, “I graduated in 1940 and held various jobs. When two of my buddies decided they wanted to join the Army, I thought about it and decided to join up with them. When we arrived at the recruiting office, the Army guy was gone but the Navy guy was there and gave his sales pitch, which I guess was convincing enough, because I signed up for the Navy.
“I signed up for four years but it would be six years before my enlistment would be up. I was sent to basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois on Dec. 11, 1940. I was then sent to San Diego in February 1941 to go aboard the USS Holland, a sub tender headed to Hawaii. In July I transferred ships to the USS Ortolan, a salvage vessel, to go back to San Diego.
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“We received sailing orders that day. We loaded our supplies, including an additional diving bell, and sailed for Pearl. When we arrived, we were put to salvaging the sunken vessels immediately. The water was covered in oil. We tried to clear it as best we could but we were constantly in an oil slick.
“On some vessels, we had to cut off the upper structure before we could get floating tanks around them. It was sad work and none of us talked very much. We worked around the clock and were allowed to go ashore only once a week.
“We next received orders to put to sea, so we took on supplies and headed south. We didn't stop until we hit Auckland, New Zealand. I was very impressed with New Zealand. It was one of the prettiest places on Earth. There, we mounted three 50-cal. guns on our bow and machine guns along our gunwale. They patted us on our back and said head that way. That way ended up being Guadalcanal. The entire trip from Hawaii to New Zealand and now to Guadalcanal was unescorted. I guess the reasoning was the Japanese probably wouldn't mess with one little ship like ours.
“Guadalcanal was where we got initiated into combat. When the invasion of Guadalcanal began, the Japanese also attacked by ship, artillery and by air. We had just installed the guns on our ship and all of us had little or no training. We weren't very effective against the planes because we hadn't learned how to lead them in our sights. There was one dive bomber that dove on the USS Aaron Ward, a destroyer. We had been shooting at that Jap bomber and hit him but not before he hit the Ward.
“The Ward was badly damaged and we took it in tow. Another ship came over to help but hit the Ward causing the bulkhead to collapse. The Ward started sinking so we had to cut our lines. It was now us trying to recover the sailors who had managed to abandon ship.
“We took some aboard whom we saved but some we took aboard we couldn't save. Several of those sailors had been through the screws of both ships and were really chewed up. One guy I pulled aboard had one of his legs almost torn off. It was just dangling and I will never forget the look on his face and what he said. He said, ‘I know I m dying but please don't drop me.' I didn t drop him, but he couldn t be saved either.
“We took the men who died and laid them on the hatchway at the back of the ship and sailed across the canal to Eniwetok Island. We ran over a sand bar and under some trees lining a river. We put 12 bodies ashore for burial. We went back across the canal to start salvaging the ships that sank, including some of the Japanese ships. On the Japanese ships we took their papers only and gave them to our intelligence guys.”
Because of the service of the crew of the USS Ortolan, the ship and men received a commendation from the Navy and were allowed to head to San Diego for 30 days leave.
As recalled by Starr: “I headed home to Iowa as soon as I could, arriving home on March 10, 1944. A week later I met a girl and by March 31, 1944, the day I had to return to San Diego, I got her to agree to marry me, which she did that day. Annalee has been with me ever since. She made up her mind quick and I guess it has stayed made up.”
The war would end for Starr at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. He was discharged in November 1946. He worked several years for Montgomery Ward and was transferred to Bryan in 1981. In 1988 he retired, but he and Annalee decided that Texas was to be their home forever. As I was leaving after the interview he said, “I hope I don't dream about all this again tonight.”
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of dailygate.com.
Thank You Mr. Starr wrote on Dec 23, 2008 5:31 PM:
" First of all, I have the greatest admiration and respect for Mr. Starr and his peers, whose great sacrifices and service allow us to have the freedoms we enjoy today. Well done, gentlemen.
There is one discrepancy I wish to question. Mr. Starr's description of the action off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands (4/7/43) involving the 'USS Aaron Ward' is accurate. He mentions that his ship the 'USS Ortolan' dropped off some of the Navy men killed in this action on Eniwetok Island.
Eniwetok Island (or more accurately Eniwetok Atoll) in the Marshall Islands is 1400 miles from Guadalcanal, and was still under Japanese control at that time. It wouldn't be liberated for another 10 1/2 months (2/23/44). Mr. Starr may have made a mistake here. Perhaps he meant Savo Island or Florida Island, the nearest islands to the 'Canal. Eniwetok of course later became a US nuclear weapon test area.
In the 1980s I lived next door to a Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry on Guadalcanal. The gentlest man you could ever meet; he loved his flower gardens. He never called it Guadalcanal; he always referred to it as 'that [bleeping] hole.' To this day I recall in every bloody detail the harrowing stories he recounted. "
There is one discrepancy I wish to question. Mr. Starr's description of the action off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands (4/7/43) involving the 'USS Aaron Ward' is accurate. He mentions that his ship the 'USS Ortolan' dropped off some of the Navy men killed in this action on Eniwetok Island.
Eniwetok Island (or more accurately Eniwetok Atoll) in the Marshall Islands is 1400 miles from Guadalcanal, and was still under Japanese control at that time. It wouldn't be liberated for another 10 1/2 months (2/23/44). Mr. Starr may have made a mistake here. Perhaps he meant Savo Island or Florida Island, the nearest islands to the 'Canal. Eniwetok of course later became a US nuclear weapon test area.
In the 1980s I lived next door to a Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry on Guadalcanal. The gentlest man you could ever meet; he loved his flower gardens. He never called it Guadalcanal; he always referred to it as 'that [bleeping] hole.' To this day I recall in every bloody detail the harrowing stories he recounted. "
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Lesley Starr wrote on Dec 27, 2008 2:09 PM:
To the individual who has questions as to Eniwetok Island, I am asking Daddy about this and will let you know his response.
As to the the note of admiration my father stated, "I am not a hero. The heroes are the men that did not come back."
Thank you Daily Gate City for your "Reader Comments Section"!
Lesley "