Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-15
Sd. {. Men Witness
Attack on Warship;
Other Pacific News

Other Pacific News
Three District men were aboard
the U. S. S. Bright when that de-
stroyer escort was hit by a Jap sui
eide plane during the campaign for
Okinawa, Navy dispatch revealed
The rescued men. 1t. David Miller
7019 Georgia avenue NV; Rene
Victor Bernard, torpedoman's mate
&c, 5000 Kansas avenue NV, and
William Bradford Tasker, Seaman
1/c, 6201 Thirty place NV,
were serving on the ship during an
antisubmarine patrol when a plane
was sighted coming over a small
island and heading directly for the
ship.
Guns took it under fire at about
$500 yards. Hits were scored on the
engine and port wing of the plane
by 40-mm. and 20-mm. guns, divert
ing the suicide craft from its course,
but the plane burst into flames and
crashed astern with part of the
wing hitting the depth charge rack.
AS it hit the water its bomb ex-
ploded, blowing in the Bright's
stern from below the water line to
the main deck.
GunnerS remained at their sta
tons firing on other attacking Jap
planes. Soon after, however, the
vessel was towed to safe ancorage
and returned to the United States
for repairs under her own power,
steered by a Jury rig" of unusual
design.
Pearce Rescued From LIST.
Clyde E. Pearce, electricians mate
&c, whose wife lives at Idado Hall,
Arlington, was rescued when the
LIST SIT was lost in action in the
Philippine area.
While returning to reinforce the
Lingayen Gulf beachhead, the LIST
was struck by a torpedo. Her stern
section broke off and sank almost
Immediately, the communique said.
That left survivors only in the float
ing bow section.
After first being reported missing,
100 Army passengers and IS of the
ships complement have been de-
clared dead, including the COM
handing officer.
1t. COmdr. William b. Willard,
3101 Woodland drive NV, serves on
the staff of the Bank of Guam, the
busiest bank of its size in the world.
1t was reopened by the Navy early
this year following the recapture of
the island from the JapS. 1t han
dies more than $1,000,000 a day.
Former Washington heavyweight
wrestling champ, James J. Pedro,
ships cook BIC. is serving as watch
captain in the galley on warship
in the Pacific.
Eight on Marine Carrier.
Eight District area men served
aboard the first Marine-manned
aircraft carrier to see action in this
war a release from the Pacific re-
yealed. The carrier struck at tar
gets around Okinawa. The men in
GUIDED:
Marine Capt. William v. Reed,
former director of the Standards
Division of the National Housing
Agency; Marine I'd 1t. Albert E.
Jones, 1888 Northampton street
NV, fighter pilot; Theodore ].
Taft, Navy Quartermaster sc, 1863
Geranium court NV; John K.
sands, Navy Seaman 1/c, 2034 Hill
FER place NV, gun battery fire con-
roller; Robert r. Padgett, 207 Penn
lvania avenue Sc, baker; Thomas
Niblock, Seaman &c, 628 Hamil-
On street NV; engine room fire.
an; Herman H. Nealey, Navy
.otographer's mate SIC, 252 Buchan-
n street North, Alexandria, and
toward B. Webley, Navy fireman
c, 4517 Wilson boulevard, Airing
On, engine room watcher.
Morris E. Dublin, musician 1fc, d.
'ects the nine-piece orchestra
aboard an aircraft carrier in the
Western Pacific The Navyman, who
lives at 1716 r street Sc, is a for
mer member of the United States
Navy Band, He plays the violin.
according to dispatch, Musician
Dublin added drummer to his Or
llestra to replace the two pianos
hich went out of tune every time
5-inch gun was fired.
Corpl. Howard r. Deem, former
vii engineer here, is serving with
ne Triple Wingers" signal unit
somewhere in the Philippine Islands.
This unit provided the vital COM
municationS system for Brig. Gen.
Paul H. Prentiss' Troop Carrier
Command throughout New Guinea,
Netherlands East Indies and the
Philippines, a 5th Air Force news
release said.
Corpl. Deems wife lives at 724
North Monroe street, Arlington.
Warren w. Matter, seaman 1ic,
U. s. N. r., is with a Seabee main
tenance unit in the Marianas The
son of Rev. and Mrs. C. R. Matter,
2O28 Lee highway, Arlington, Sea-
man Matters unit moved it's tools,
and living quarters from
the New Hebrides Islands and re-
built their camp with many i'm
provements, including greasing and
washing facilities for cars and
trucks, new officers quarters and a
tennis court.
Walter Johnson Potter, pharma-
cist's mate 1/c, 4730 Third street
NV, is serving on the flagship of |
the 7th Amphibious Force, 7th Fleet,
and went in on the two largest
Philippine invasions, Leyte and Lu-
ION. In the engagements at Manila
Bay he treated casualties on a hos
pital ship. In addition to caring
for our own sick and wounded he
has treated nearly SO wounded Jap
prisoners, it was said. One of them
presented Potter with a picture of
himself, gave his address in Yoka-
hama, and asked Potter to look for
it when he gets there.
Other Washington men in the
Pacific news:
Ensign Howard Hill Loftin, 1888
Connecticut avenue NV, has been
seeing action at Okinawa on heavy
cruiser -. James M. Spragin, cleo
tricianS' mate &c, 1405 Girard street,
NV, and Lewis E. Paul, seaman