Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween

[1795 - John Keats, poet, born in Finsbury Pavement, London]

[1887 - Chiang Kai-shek, Nationalist China President, born in Xikou, Chekiang Province, China]

[1896 - Ethel Waters, actress, singer, born in Chester, Pennsylvania]

[1920 - Melina Mercouri, actress, government minister, born in Athens, Greece]

[1922 - Barbara Bel Geddes, Emmy Award-winning actress, born in New York City]

[1936 - Michael Landon (Eugene Orowitz), actor, writer, director, born in Queens]

[1941 - German sub (U-552) sinks USS Reuben James (DD-245)- 115 lives are lost
- First U.S. Navy ship lost to enemy action World War II]

[1950 - John (Franklin) Candy, comedian, actor, Mayor of Melonville, born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada]

[1983 George Halas, NFL HoF player, coach and founding owner dies at age 88]

What Were Their Names?

Reuben James was one of our "four-piper" destroyers, built between the two World Wars for speed and maneuverability - not survivability. These ships, even as our current day destroyers, were {in their time} the unarmored greyhounds of the sea. When Reuben James went down with the tragic loss of 115 of ship's company, war between the US and Germany had not yet been declared.

Tell me, what were their names.
Tell me, what were their names.
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?

William's Whimsical Words:

I did not know anyone in Reuben James, but I lost 115 shipmates when she went down.

to Fall 2009

to Almanack Main Page