The PT Boat Forum
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi

ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?cid=101&fct=showf

ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboard.cgi?fct=gotoforum&cid=101&fid=102

ť Topic: PT BOAT MEMORIAL STONE
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=849

PT BOAT MEMORIAL STONE

This is the stone I had made for the Massachusetts Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Agawam. I was not sure if I ever shared it with you good folks on the message board. Took this picture today....

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/pt109mem.jpg[/image]

Frank . . . .

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jun 21, 2008 - 5:24pm
Total Posts: 3548 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Very nice Frank...both the memorial and the gesture.

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Jun 22, 2008 - 7:42am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

FRANK YOU DID WELL.IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL.SPEAKING FOR MYSELF,I AM TRULY GRATEFUL YOU THOUGHT SO MUSH OF US BY HONORING US THIS WAY. THANK YOU
EARL PT108 RON 5

earl richmond

Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Jun 22, 2008 - 8:39am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Frank:

Very nice gesture on your part. I wish my father had access to this board when he was alive. What goes on here are truly great works in all the various aspects. MTB service has truly captured the hearts and minds of so many great folks.

Allan

Posted By: Allan | Posted on: Jun 22, 2008 - 5:32pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

The Memorial is Great Frank!
Im sure my Grandad would be very pleased to be remembered by present and future Generations.I say a very big THANK YOU for him.
Keep up the good work,and boy i wish i was closer to the US,and your exibit but this Board more than makes up for it.One day, when i win the Lotto????????
Cheers Mate

Michael

Posted By: Michael | Posted on: Jun 22, 2008 - 10:51pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Hello Earl,

We all think a lot about your WW-II service. Frank is just better at it.

Wayne Traxel

Posted By: Wayne Traxel | Posted on: Jun 23, 2008 - 10:43am
Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am

You have been such a great suporter of the PT boat veterans and this message board. Many of us have happily donated items to your exhibit, knowing that it would be put to a good cause, keeping alive the memory of the mosquito fleet.
You have given much information to many who have seeked knowledge of their family members who served on these wooden warriors.
I know that you appreciate what you have learned fron this board. The monument that you have established is undoubtedly the nicest thing that you could have done to honor us who served.
Thank you soooo much. God Bless

Posted By: Russell Pullano | Posted on: Jun 24, 2008 - 7:34pm
Total Posts: 131 | Joined: Oct 23, 2006 - 7:31am

I was at the Memorial this afternoon when 3 WWII Veterans came walking down the Memorial pathway. They stopped at the PT BOAT MEMORIAL. One looked at the other and said, those little boats saved my life. It was at this point I introduced myself, and this is where the story unfolded. This man was fished out of the water by PT Boats near Savo Island after his transport was hit by enemy gunfire. Seems the boats picked him up and several others. I asked him which transport he was on and I think he was confused about this and stated he was on the USS BIDDLE. To my knowlege, the Biddle was never sunk. They loved the Memorial stone, and I will be talking to this man a bit more later in the week.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Apr 11, 2011 - 6:25pm
Total Posts: 3548 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank: You were very thoughtful to erect this memorial for all us PT. Vets. Thank You. You mentioned Savo Island, reminded me of an experience that I had on that island. It was the later part of Oct. 1943 and we were on our way from Tulagi to Rendova. Savo is right on the way. We had aboard our boat our Squadron Exec. Lt. Commander George Brackett. He wanted to stop at the island. His brother was a Navy or Marine pilot that had been shot down, killed and was buried on the island. We pulled into the beach and went ashore to a small native village composed of a few grass huts - very clean and neat village. Some natives met us and Commander Bracket conversed with them and they led us a few yards back in the jungle where his brother was buried. They had the grass cut and the brush trimmed from around the grave. Looked Nice. We knelt and Commander Brackett said a short prayer at the grave. We loaded back on the boat and proceeded on to Rendova. It was a sobering experience for a young kid.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Apr 11, 2011 - 7:40pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

CJ
Thanks for sharing that most touching story. Those are the types of memories that will last a life-time.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Apr 12, 2011 - 1:24am
Total Posts: 3548 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank,
Great picture! If you can email me the image (350 dpi, 5 X 7 size) and
caption, I will try to get it in my book to salute those that made the
supreme sacrafice.
Thanks,
Victor
email: victorkchun@aol.com

Victor K Chun

Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Apr 12, 2011 - 9:42am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

Bravo Zulu, Frankie

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Apr 12, 2011 - 1:19pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

I was very happy to meet with the WWII NAVY VETERAN that I had seen at the PT BOAT MEMORIAL. At first he had mentioned he was on the USS BIDDLE, but after talking with his Son, it was evident he was suffering from Dementia. I sat down with him and although a struggle, he started to remember things. Afer looking at some letters and papers his son showed me, he served on the USS BENHAM DD-397. Mr. Jannotti told me of his ship taking off survivors of the stricken USS YORKTOWN. Getting him to remember was a tough chore, but I managed to pry him a bit, and he said his ship was jumped by Japanese planes in the Savo area. A large bomb had blown off the bow of his ship, but they were still floating. He rembered another ship picking up his crew, although he could not tell me which one, and they were taken to another base. I asked him about the PT BOATS and he seemed to perk up. He said he remembered two PT BOATS along side the Destroyer, and he and some other crew members jumped on one of the boats.

I asked him if he remembered which boat he was on, or any names, but this was lost in time. All he said was they were dam fast and he remembers the engines making a large racket. He says the PT BOATS beat the Destroyer in to the base by a large margin. He said the PT BOAT guys were very nice but were scruffy and needed a shave. He thinks they landed at Espiritu Santo but was not sure. It was real nice meeting him, and better yet to find out that PT BOATS were a part of the USS BENHAM's rescue.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Apr 15, 2011 - 4:24am
Total Posts: 3548 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank;
I was right, as I told you in my previous off site e-mail, he was picked up by Leonard Nickoloric in PT 37 the log states: 1230 hrs. Picked up survivors off Savo Island. 1330 hrs. Transferred survivors to USS Meade. 2117 hrs. Underway for patrol. No contact.
This is the only boat that makes mention of picking up survivors, however, Brent Greene in PT 39 and Robbie Robinson with Stilly Taylor in PT 46 were also out on this patrol. These were the only three boats able to go out that night as the other 5 boats were in various stages of repair.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Apr 15, 2011 - 6:17am
Total Posts: 3094 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Thats great News Ted. It was fun meeting with this man, and even better that we can narrow things down to the early boats, as to who might have picked him up. I love it when a plan comes together............

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Apr 21, 2011 - 12:21pm
Total Posts: 3548 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am