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Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/7/2016 9:40:17 PM

Lecivius

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From: Denver
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An old friend had his grand parent pass away. While going through the usual stuff he came across a scrap book belonging to his grand parents uncle, who was in the U.S. Navy from the early 1900's until just after WWII. This scrap book almost went out with the dishwater, but Jack knew of my interest & saved it for me.

This older gentlemen served (from what I can tell so far) on the USS Salem, USS Selfridge, USS Tattnall, the USS Seattle, and the USS Langley. In WWII he sailed LST's down the river from the Illinois shipyards to New Orleans & handed them to Navy crews, as he was deemed to old for active duty. There are pictures in here I have never seen before including a few dozen of the Point Honda disaster, a ship called USS La Vollette that I can't find any reference to, pictures of the PN-9 and John Rogers, several external and internal of the Langley including a visit by I think SecNav Curtis Wilbur, a few aerial propaganda photos of "The Combined Battle Fleets" with the Langley in it and several battleships circa 1925...

I think I peed myself just a little. I'm going to look around and see if I can have these professionally scanned & cleaned up. This is REALLY old stuff (there are only 2 pictures with any dates, both showing Nov 1925), so anyone with references on who can do this kind of work, I would appreciate it. It may take a bit of time, but if anyone wants a CD once I get one, let me know. And if anyone knows of the USS La Vollette, I sure am curious

Also, if anyone knows of a library, a museum, or something that may want to look at this, let me know and I'll send them an email once I get this things digital & cleaned up.

Post #: 1

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/7/2016 10:01:57 PM

Gregg

Posts: 142
Joined: 7/26/2004
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Sorry USS La Vollette does not show up in "American Naval Fighting Ships" (through 1969), thus it must have been a non combative (transport, troopship, tanker or such).
Gregg

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 2

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/7/2016 10:20:16 PM

BillBrown

Posts: 2335
Joined: 6/15/2002
Status: offline

USS La Valette was DD-315, A Clemson class DD.
Later DD-448, a Flecher class DD was also named La Valette.

They were named for Rear Admiral Elie Augustus Frederick La Vallette.

(in reply to Gregg)

Post #: 3

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/7/2016 10:33:03 PM

Lecivius

Posts: 4955
Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
Status: offline

He has hand written "USS La Vollette" in the caption, but it is really old, and really hard to see. It is a 4 stacker. Could be...

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Post #: 4

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 12:12:39 AM

Arnhem44

Posts: 578
Joined: 11/23/2004
From: Singapore
Status: offline

Sounds like you have quite a treasure on your hands there. Would the local museum be able to help in terms of getting someone to take a look at the condition of the photographs and maybe restore/preserve them? Pretty sure the NARA would be happy to get their hands on it. Good luck and keep us posted!

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 5

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 12:33:27 AM

Revthought

Posts: 522
Joined: 1/14/2009
From: San Diego (Lives in Indianapolis)
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

An old friend had his grand parent pass away. While going through the usual stuff he came across a scrap book belonging to his grand parents uncle, who was in the U.S. Navy from the early 1900's until just after WWII. This scrap book almost went out with the dishwater, but Jack knew of my interest & saved it for me.

This older gentlemen served (from what I can tell so far) on the USS Salem, USS Selfridge, USS Tattnall, the USS Seattle, and the USS Langley. In WWII he sailed LST's down the river from the Illinois shipyards to New Orleans & handed them to Navy crews, as he was deemed to old for active duty. There are pictures in here I have never seen before including a few dozen of the Point Honda disaster, a ship called USS La Vollette that I can't find any reference to, pictures of the PN-9 and John Rogers, several external and internal of the Langley including a visit by I think SecNav Curtis Wilbur, a few aerial propaganda photos of "The Combined Battle Fleets" with the Langley in it and several battleships circa 1925...

I think I peed myself just a little. I'm going to look around and see if I can have these professionally scanned & cleaned up. This is REALLY old stuff (there are only 2 pictures with any dates, both showing Nov 1925), so anyone with references on who can do this kind of work, I would appreciate it. It may take a bit of time, but if anyone wants a CD once I get one, let me know. And if anyone knows of the USS La Vollette, I sure am curious Also, if anyone knows of a library, a museum, or something that may want to look at this, let me know and I'll send them an email once I get this things digital & cleaned up.

No offense, but I'd never give anything like this away to someone not in the family! I've been toying with applying to the national archive to get my grand dads navy records (he was in from 1928 to 1968) for some time.

_____________________________

Playing at war is a far better vocation than making people fight in them.

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 6

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 4:33:46 AM

Lecivius

Posts: 4955
Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

No offense, but I'd never give anything like this away to someone not in the family! I've been toying with applying to the national archive to get my grand dads navy records (he was in from 1928 to 1968) for some time.

None taken. I have to admit to some surprise as well, but my friend is in his 80's. The family had gone through the house and no one wanted it. Who am I to judge?<shrug> I obviously never met the guy in the scrap book, but some of these pics just overwhelm.

I may post a few once I get them digital. Even AW1Steve will be banging his head on a few

And seeing an anchorage with 12 or more battle-wagons and the Langley, all at anchor...never saw that before. Really cool stuff.

(in reply to Revthought)

Post #: 7

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 5:11:02 AM

geofflambert

Posts: 14604
Joined: 12/23/2010
From: St. Louis
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

I think I peed myself just a little. I'm going to look around and see if I can have these professionally scanned & cleaned up. This is REALLY old stuff (there are only 2 pictures with any dates, both showing Nov 1925), so anyone with references on who can do this kind of work, I would appreciate it. It may take a bit of time, but if anyone wants a CD once I get one, let me know. And if anyone knows of the USS La Vollette, I sure am curious Also, if anyone knows of a library, a museum, or something that may want to look at this, let me know and I'll send them an email once I get this things digital & cleaned up.

I can assure you that I have "peed myself" for much lesser reasons. One time it wasn't "just a little". I have a friend who swears I have an iron bladder. I never have to use the restroom when leaving a movie theatre.
I actually wish I was a hero who could claim to having "peed myself a little" for discovering something important. Perhaps Sir Edmund Hillary "peed himself a little" when Tenzing Norgay advised him that they were at the top, and what do you want to do now?
Unfortunately, on the two occasions that happened to me I had no heroic excuses.

_____________________________

Currently fighting for the Emperor against AW1Steve. As of 2/21 it is 5/45.

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Post #: 8

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 10:11:39 AM

Dili

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Joined: 9/10/2004
Status: offline

What about navsource.org? they might like the ship photos

http://www.navsource.org/

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Post #: 9

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 4:31:13 PM

Lecivius

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Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dili

What about navsource.org? they might like the ship photos

http://www.navsource.org/

Excellent idea! There are several of the Shenandoah they do not have, and if nothing else they might know of proper places. Thanks!

(in reply to Dili)

Post #: 10

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 6:16:05 PM

AW1Steve

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From: Mordor Illlinois
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Having worked for a number of naval and military museums (and volunteered in others) you need to be very , very careful with donations of priceless relics. I'd recommend LOANING them, with a legal contract defining them as your property , to be returned rather than disposed of if no longer desired. The thought of a museum "disposing" of a relic may seem horrifying to readers of this forum, but I assure you it happens everyday. Museums are rapidly changing from places that display artifacts (what most of us are familiar with) to learning centers. Since the 1980's curators and staff have been transitioning from historians , to educators. Indeed the feeling is that an interactive video game teaches a young person far more than some moldy old piece of junk.

Ironically some of the best collections (not in Smithsonian hands) in the country are in the hands of private , volunteer run museums that operate on the philosophy of "never throw anything out". Bigger museums operate on the "space is money" principal. The older museum curators , like a previous generation , operate on the "reverence principal". Here's an example. Once at a museum I was asked to do a quick rummage through one of many storage rooms to find something "different and interesting " for a small display. The very 1st bankers box I went through had a number of dirty (actually covered with smoke grime) signal flags jammed tighter. At the bottom of the box I found a carefully written card that said "Signal flags displayed on USS Pennsylvania Dec 7 1941. That was just the 1st treasure of that day. Yet had that been in many museums it would have been long ago thrown out.

At another memorial I had to fight tooth and nail (and lost) against management to retain a rather crudely built wooden model of the USS Houston. Which had been built by a survivor of that ship. Before I could come out with some alternative action , the model was put out with the trash.

If you loan the artifact to a museum , you might be able to prevent such a fate.

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 11

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 8:57:58 PM

Lecivius

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I'm planning on having things digitized, then sending CD's of the pics to whoever wants. They can print or post what they want. Jack has given me Carte Blanche in writing saying "I would be pleased if others can enjoy the history and memories saved by a fellow Navy man.". I can understand things getting thrown out. This stuff was literally going out in the trash, and it was family history. Talking to the estate 'cleaner', guy said it's getting harder to sell the old things. People now days just aren't interested in old stuff, just throw it away.

One mans junk is another mans treasure. I'll pay to get this all converted. I'll send it to anyone that's interested. Best I can do to honor the mans legacy. Again, let me know if you want a copy, or have any more excellent ideas

(in reply to AW1Steve)

Post #: 12

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/8/2016 9:37:18 PM

RichMunn

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Joined: 5/14/2008
Status: offline

For Geoff Lambert -

I am afraid this falls into the category of "too much information".

An unusual category in WITPAE threads. Or should this be "WOTPEE" threads?

Cheers,

Rich

< Message edited by RichMunn -- 5/8/2016 9:39:47 PM >

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 13

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 11:34:08 AM

geofflambert

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From: St. Louis
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quote:

ORIGINAL: RichMunn

For Geoff Lambert -

I am afraid this falls into the category of "too much information".

An unusual category in WITPAE threads. Or should this be "WOTPEE" threads?

Cheers,

Rich

Hey, Rich, Pee unto others as you would have them pee unto you.

_____________________________

Currently fighting for the Emperor against AW1Steve. As of 2/21 it is 5/45.

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Post #: 14

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 7:58:58 PM

Lecivius

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Is there a page to look up potential service records from that far back? I think this guy was a P.O., just curious.

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Post #: 15

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 8:05:35 PM

geofflambert

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A whale of a lot of stuff was lost in a fire at (I forget the name of it) the St. Louis records center in the '70s which is unrecoverable, as it was before the digital age we are now in.

_____________________________

Currently fighting for the Emperor against AW1Steve. As of 2/21 it is 5/45.

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Post #: 16

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 8:09:06 PM

geofflambert

Posts: 14604
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From: St. Louis
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By "a whale of a lot of stuff" I mean, remember that scene from Indiana Jones of a warehouse where they dumped all sorts of amazing stuff? If half of that was burned up, that's what I'm talking about.

_____________________________

Currently fighting for the Emperor against AW1Steve. As of 2/21 it is 5/45.

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Post #: 17

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 8:46:06 PM

Bearcat2

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Lavallette DD315 was scrapped in 1930

< Message edited by Termite2 -- 5/9/2016 8:51:53 PM >

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Post #: 18

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/9/2016 9:03:03 PM

Lecivius

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From: Denver
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Termite2

Lavallette DD315 was scrapped in 1930

woah...

Source?

<edit>

NM, a sniff is all I need. I'm Off To The Internet! Thanks!

< Message edited by Lecivius -- 5/9/2016 9:06:12 PM >

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Post #: 19

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 6:04:27 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

He has hand written "USS La Vollette" in the caption, but it is really old, and really hard to see. It is a 4 stacker. Could be...

As others noted, it should be USS La Vallette.

http://www.destroyers.org/shipsstore/profiles/Conf%20SS-Clemson%20Class.htm

This pic is the John D Ford, a sister of the Clemson class.

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by m10bob -- 5/10/2016 6:08:54 PM >

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Post #: 20

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 7:40:08 PM

John 3rd

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From: La Salle, Colorado
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Damn. What a gold mine...

Makes the historian in me green with envy.

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Post #: 21

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 9:19:34 PM

crsutton

Posts: 9590
Joined: 12/6/2002
From: Maryland
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

quote:

ORIGINAL: Revthought

No offense, but I'd never give anything like this away to someone not in the family! I've been toying with applying to the national archive to get my grand dads navy records (he was in from 1928 to 1968) for some time.

None taken. I have to admit to some surprise as well, but my friend is in his 80's. The family had gone through the house and no one wanted it. Who am I to judge?<shrug> I obviously never met the guy in the scrap book, but some of these pics just overwhelm.

I may post a few once I get them digital. Even AW1Steve will be banging his head on a few And seeing an anchorage with 12 or more battle-wagons and the Langley, all at anchor...never saw that before. Really cool stuff.

No but the important thing is that if you now have photos and documents of historical value you should see that a few legitimate museums or societies get them to go in their archives...That is, after you post some of them here...

_____________________________

I am the Holy Roman Emperor and am above grammar.

Sigismund of Luxemburg

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 22

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 9:19:34 PM

Canoerebel

Posts: 21098
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From: Northwestern Georgia, USA
Status: offline

Lecivius, Cliff Johnson of Roswell, GA, has done the design work for the magazine since 2004 (before I came aboard). He does photo retouching on the side. He's very good at it. More importantly, he's one of those men who has good judgment and integrity. His word is his bond. I'd trust him to do anything on a handshake.

Contact email: Clifford Johnson - cj.design@comcast.net

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Post #: 23

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 9:22:53 PM

Lecivius

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From: Denver
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Nice, thanks Dan.

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Post #: 24

RE: Semi OT- But this might interest some - 5/10/2016 9:24:22 PM

crsutton

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From: Maryland
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It is fun and exciting to stumble on old treasure such as this. I posted this once before but here is a very rare US M1911 that was manufactured in 1913. Only 17,000 were made with US Navy stamped on the slide. This pistol was on it's way to the police station to be destroyed when I saw it and asked for it. The family just gave it to me. Had been in a drawer for 40 years.