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Military History/Questions Answered by Expert John

Subject	Date Asked
WWII Pearl Harbor	1/15/2012
Q: My dad spoke sometimes of the horror he witnessed at Pearl Harbor December 7th however, the aircraft ... A: You dad could not have been on the Ticonderoga on December 7th, 1941, as the ship wasn't even built ...
3398th Quartermaster Truck Company	10/29/2011
Q: My father is a veteran of WWII. He served in Europe during the war, having come ashore on D-Day at ... A: Go to www.history.army.mil. That's the official US Army history site. If they can't tell you ...
My Dad's Service File	8/6/2011
Q: John, My dad was a Seabee during WW2 in the Pacific Theater. He was attached to CBMU 591, Platoon ... A: The first place you need to go is the National Archives. They have a site ...
VMF 224 1945	6/24/2011
Q: http://www.casematepublishers.com/dlc/9781932033861/9781932033861.pdf I have searched the web and ... A: I sure can! Your best bet is to go here: ...
military history	3/31/2011
Q: During WW11 the US 8th Army Air Force Station 569, occupied by 1945th and 1949th Quartermaster Truck ... A: I'm more of a Navy guy, not an army guy, but I can help you a little bit. In WWII, there was no US ...
Where to start?	3/10/2011
Q: Greetings, I came across your profile on a google search for information about the 43rd Infantry ... A: I can't help you directly, but can point you to some true experts. First, you should be able to get ...
Sailor rankings	1/30/2011
Q: Sir, My Dad served on the U.S.S. Evans during WWII as a S2c. What is the difference between S1c and ... A: Seaman 2nd class. This would be a new sailor fresh out of boot camp. He would normally be assigned ...
WWII Pocket Bible	11/30/2010
Q: I'm putting together a scrapbook of my Grandfather's involvement in the Pacific Theater - WWII. He ... A: My first guess would be the YMCA logo. If you Google YMCA logo history, you'll see the symbols ...
surrender doc	11/1/2010
Q: here is a better pic reguarding my last question A: While the font of your copy look like the original, the borders and other spacing don't seem to ...
info	3/14/2010
Q: my dad was 1 of the survivors on the uss eversole 404 how can i get some more info on this ship like ... A: From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1969) Vol. 2, p.378. EVERSOLE John ...
Navy terminology	10/18/2009
Q: The Norwegian cheif officer on my ship said that US Navy ships use "left and right" when referring ... A: I spent 24 years in the US Navy, and it was always port and starboard when referring to a side of ...
WWII US Navy uniform	9/5/2009
Q: Was there ever a time that a lieutenant would have worn some type of emblem on his left sleeve? I ... A: An officer? Not that I can think of. On the blue jacket, there were gold stripes around the ...
WWII Era Photograph	8/1/2009
Q: Can you estimate the year of this sailor's photograph from Farragut NTS? His uniform is different ... A: I was able to find out a little, but not a whole lot. The photo must have been taken between 1942 ...
pearl harbor	7/31/2009
Q: can you describe where the American carriers were when the Japanese attacked and why they sorted out ... A: They just happened to be gone. There were only 3, if I recall correctly. One was ferrying aircraft ...
help finding info on grandfather	7/28/2009
Q: I just recently learned a little information on my grandfather from WWII. I have very little info ... A: If you want to know about the service of a former member of the military, the first place to check ...
WWII question	6/8/2009
Q: I am researching my genealogy and trying to find out about my dad's military service. I found an ... A: Your best bet is to get ahold of his service records. They are maintained by the Archives in St. ...
world war 2 weapons.	4/30/2009
Q: Howdy sir, i know that germany in world war 2 used alot of chemical war fair like mustard and all ... A: As far as I know, the Germans didn't use chemical warfare in WWII. Mustard gas was used in WWI, but ...
navy	4/29/2009
Q: How do you get in the navy? A: You have to go to your local recruiting office. You can check your phone book or go to ...
Requesting help identifying military insignia	3/5/2009
Q: John: can you please give me some information about the four patch insignia in the picture attached? ... A: I'm a Navy guy, not Army, but I did find out something: If you go to ...
WWII	2/25/2009
Q: My Father, a WWII Vet, passed away. Going thought his things I found notes on post it notes re: the ... A: The medals are easily replaced. The harder part will probably be finding out exactly what medals he ...
Pearl Harbor History Vs. Hollywood.	2/23/2009
Q: In the movie pearl habor; im assuming that josh & ben play the roll of george welch and kenneth ... A: PLEASE! Don't use the movie "Pearl Harbor" to get any sort of facts about the attack on Pearl. ...
Rape of Nanking	11/7/2008
Q: i am doing an extended history project on the rape of nanking. In order to conduct my research i ... A: Chang's book is, I think, outstanding. Offhand, I can't think of any other sources, but if you look ...
Burial Remains at Pearl Harbor	10/26/2008
Q: I am the Tour Director at the Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory NC.Recently I had the gracious ... A: For deep research like this, my first stop would be the official repository for all things Navy - ...
Found a Cannonball in my soil...Can you help?	8/14/2008
Q: I live in a house right across the street from a US naval weapon station in Seal Beach, CA. We dug ... A: I'm not an expert on weapons, but looking at the photo, I doubt it's a cannonball. In general, ...
Full Dress Uniforms WWII	8/7/2008
Q: Your specialty may be more about places and dates and weapons than my question, but if you don't ... A: You're right, it's not my area of expertise, but when I have a question about the way it really was, ...
Hickam Field	6/12/2008
Q: My father was in the army stationed at Hickam Field at the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. My dad is ... A: For photos you might see if the Army has a historical center. They Navy has one and has LOTS of ...
Hollywood vs History	4/11/2008
Q: I'm interested in the Hollywood vs History angle. The film "300" won big at the box office so it ... A: There are two that I like to use to point out how hollywood can get it so right and so wrong. Both ...
VMTB Pilots	2/11/2008
Q: I wanted to ask how long pilots were typically with their squadrons overseas during WWII? My ... A: Sorry for the delay, but I had to check a few sources. Nothing I have found can answer your ...
USS Astoria CA-34	11/20/2007
Q: My father was on the USS Astoria during The Battle Of Savo Island Aug. 1942 For a few years now i ... A: The first place I send people for information like this is the US Naval Historical Center. They can ...
VMF ? Yontan Field, Okinawa, WWII	11/18/2007
Q: In 1945 I was with Marine Fighter Squadron 224 (VMF 224) at Yontan Field on Okinawa. Another Marine ... A: According to Wikipedia, a source I recommend highly, the following squadrons were part of MAG-23: ...
Book Search	11/8/2007
Q: A book was recently published concerning a naval action in the Pacific in WW II involving several ... A: Sorry, I don't know the title, but here is some information that can help you find it. You're ...
4th Marine Air Group WWII	11/7/2007
Q: I am looking for more detailed information about the 4th MAW in WWII concerning air groups and ... A: Your best bet would be the Naval Historical Center, located online at www.history.navy.mil They are ...
USS Eversole DE 404	10/31/2007
Q: I am hoping you might direct me as to the right place to actually go concerning an original oil ... A: First off, have you been to hazegrey.org? They have transcriptions of the Dictionary of American ...
WWll NAVY DESTROYERS	9/17/2007
Q: I AM WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER ON THEM. I CAN'T FIND A LIST WITH JUST THOSE DESTROYERS USED IN WW2. ... A: The first place you should go is http://www.hazegray.org/. Andrew Toppan runs a first-class site ...
Iwo Jima	1/16/2007
Q: I recently saw the movie "Flags of our Fathers" afterwards I was asking myself."Why did we invade ... A: The short answer is we needed the airfield. Iwo Jima was about halfway between the Pacific B-29 ...
Military Army	12/16/2006
Q: I think I once read that if a country at war, losses the war, they are no longer permitted to have a ... A: Not true at all. Germany most certainly has an army and a navy. Japan does not have a 'true' ...
US navy termnology	12/2/2006
Q: what dose SS stand for in a ships name, for example SS enterprise? A: If it's JUST "SS", it's a merchant ship, and the SS stands for Steam Ship. Most modern commercial ...
casualty search	10/22/2006
Q: My uncle was killed in 1946 at Port Chicago California. There is some meurkiness surrounding his ... A: This is a little more detailed than most questions I work with. HOWEVER, if I were doing the ...
WWII	9/26/2006
Q: Where were all the black soldiers during the pearl harbor attack and why were they only allowed to ... A: Sorry, I hit the wrong button earlier. The basic reason, is that's the way it was in 1941. The USA ...
battle of midway	9/3/2006
Q: Would the invasion of the US been probable with the loss of the Battle of Midway A: Of the US itself, I doubt it. But, if we had lost Midway, we probably would have lost Hawaii, and ...
Naval rank	7/30/2006
Q: My uncle served on the USS Meriwether in WWII. His rank was listed as WT2c What does that stand ... A: I'm not totally up on the rating designations used back then. HOWEVER, based on some fiction and ...
Pearl Harbor	5/17/2006
Q: Regarding the attack at Pearl Harbor: This note is about the words "sneak attack". I have been ... A: That's been a favorite of conspiracy theorists for over 60 years. It's true that we were fairly ...
Black Submariners in WWII	3/17/2006
Q: To what extent did African-Americans participate in submarine warfare in WWII. Was it on both sides ... A: I'm not a true expert on WWII submariners, but it is my understanding that there were no black ...
WWII ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR	10/28/2005
Q: John, I was given a box of pictures that belong to my grandfather who passed away when I was ... A: What a treasure you have! I would suggest that you try to contact Daniel Martinez, the USS ...
navel terminology	3/24/2005
Q: if a ships first voyage is a maiden voyage, what is it's last voyage called. this is in response to ... A: You've got me! After 24 years in the Navy, the subject just never came up! I would guess at either ...
pearl harbor	3/9/2005
Q: Trying to get different people opinions on what they feel was one of the most important events in ... A: I don't know about the attack on Pearl Harbor being THE most important event in American history, ...
Germany First Strategy	12/28/2004
Q: How did the Germany First decision affect the war in the Pacific? A: This is a question with a very long and involved answer. However, here's a short version. The ...
US Navy hull collors	12/5/2004
Q: Why are the undersides of ships hulls painted red? Are all US Navy craft painted this way? A: Yes, all ships are painted a reddish color below the waterline, and have a black stripe called "boot ...
Could the US have lost the war?	9/18/2004
Q: I had a discussion with a person that claimed that the US could lose the war in the Pacific with the ... A: It was not only possible, but very likely during the first year. The Japanese Navy vastly ...
officer- of -the -line	9/3/2004
Q: What is the difference, in navy terms, between an officer-of-the-line and and ordinary officer? ... A: The term is properly "line officer". There are two types of line officer, restricted and ...
display of flags	8/15/2004
Q: I am interested in knowing why this exception exists in the flag flying guidelines of the United ... A: I'm not really sure why that is true, but it is. One would think that it's because God is above ...
Which branch of U.S. military has the most boats I always heard it is the Army . How can that be so?	6/15/2004
Q: Which branch of U.S. military has the most boats.I always heard it was the Army. How can that be ... A: The army uses a lot of BOATS, as they normally move material short distances. They Navy uses SHIPS, ...
The Attack on Pearl Harbor	5/19/2004
Q: Did the United States do something to Japan before the Attack on Pearl Harbor? A: Sort of. Japan had invaded and conquered a large portion of Chine and Korea in the late 1930s. In ...
90mm Mortar	5/4/2004
Q: I have just found something interesting in back of a gas station that i work at. it seem to be a ... A: Hmm... I'm not an expert on ordnance, but I suspect that what you have is an empty shell casing from ...
David Lowman and Internment of Japanese Americans	5/3/2004
Q: 5/3/04 Dear John: I read the book by Mr. David Lowman entitled MAGIC: The Untold Story of U.S. ... A: I haven't read the book in question, so can't answer a lot of specific questions, but in general, ...
World War One (this is not a homework question)	3/9/2004
Q: Was European Imperialism given a new lease of life in the aftermath of World War One? A: Without writing a long essay, no, I think it was the opposite. Because of WWI, many of the colonial ...

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John

Top Expert on this page

Expertise

Retired US Navy, stationed 10 years in Hawaii. Study of the early years of the Pacific War 1941-42, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. Easy access to actual sites in and around Pearl Harbor. More limited knowledge of general WWII history in the Pacific.

Experience

I'm well-read in general WWII history, and spent a lot of off time exploring various military sites on O'ahu.

Education/Credentials
I hold a B.A degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu in Historical and Political Studies, Summa cum Laude, earned in 2002.

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