8.
Apr. 29, 2008

My father, Charles Widner (age 87), and I are writing his memoirs of the six years he served in the Navy. He served aboard the USS Arkansas BB-33 in 1941. I have his "Neptunus Rex" certificate indicating the ship had crossed the equator on or about August 23, 1941. The only records we have found for the Arkansas put it in Newport, RI until mid-August of that year. Can anyone confirm the ship's probable location during the last week of August 1941? Also, we have a handful of signatures from some of his friends at that time. If able to help, or interested in signatures, please contact me.

Dan Widner
Fort Wayne, Indiana

7.
Feb. 16, 2008

My Father was in the Marines and on the USS Arkansas BB-33 from 1942 to Dec. 1944. If any one has any pictures of Harold J. Bennett please let me know. I am the oldest of his four son's. We were all Marines and in Vietnam. My Son was a Marine and was in the first war in the gulf. Our nephew just got back from the war and is a Marine. If any one is still out there send me your email.

Corkie Bennett

6.
Oct. 22, 2007

My father was Robert Chambers Grace. He was called "Bud". He served on the USS Arkansas for sure in 1921. I have the certificate for when he crossed the Equator. I don't know the inclusive dates of his service or if the Arkansas was the only ship he served on. Did the Arkansas at that time have a bear as a mascot? I know that he
used to wrestle the bear on that ship or another. He was also in the Merchant Marine.

Robert Grace
(Also called "Bud")

5.
Sept. 26, 2007

My father was a gun captain on the port-side of the USS Arkansas during WWII, and my father-in law was on the same gun at the end of WWI. In reading a little of the history posted of the Arkansas during WWII, it just does not jive with the history I heard from my father's mouth. The Arkansas was not just a transport ship but was involved in the North African campaign, the invasion of Italy and then on D-Day. The battleship then moved up the French coast to Cherbourg, where my Dad told a story of standing off a hundred yards from shore and having a garrison of German soldiers surrender! The Arkansas then went to the Pacific where the ship and sailors participated in the clean up after Iwo Jima. As any history, facts can become embellished, but I can still see my dear sweet Daddy talking about D-Day in San Francisco in June of 1994, the 50th anniversary of that day!

He was upset that his ship had not softened up the beach enough for the landing at Omaha beach due to faulty intelligence, He had never spoken of this before. He spoke of the body bags lined up to the ceiling, and he cried! Never before! He is gone now as many of his age and ilk, but we his children and grandchildren will always remember what he gave us in love and sacrifice. One of his grandsons followed him into the Navy and was a
submariner, and was in the first Gulf War, and still supports this country as a Reservist. We who are children and grandchildren of the many brave men and yes, women, owe them all a heartfelt thank you and honor for years to come!

Trish

4.
July 8, 2007

I'm working on a family genealogy project, and am told by my father that his father, Merriman Houston Hudgins, served on the USS Arkansas while in the Navy, but he's unaware of the time period of this service, only able to offer that it was sometime between WWI and WWII. Any assistance at locating his name on a crew roster would be most appreciated. Many thanks.

Karen Hudgins Gorman
York, Pennsylvania

3.
June 20, 2007

My father served on the USS Arkansas during World War I. I have an entire photo album he put together, most of the photos are his, labeled "Photo by Holcomb" and some by Muller. The album is entitled Pictorial Log, USS Arkansas. It is mostly of the crew and various locations, including Cuba and France. I enjoyed reading the information on this site.

Thank you,
Karen Holcomb Cloherty
(Gilbert F. Holcomb USN Collection)

2.
Apr. 12, 2007

My father was stationed aboard the Arkansas during WWII. I would like to find a model of his ship that I could present to him on his 86th birthday. Any help would be appreciated.

Charles Brown
Dothan, Alabama

1.
Mar. 13, 2007

1st time touring your site. This is indeed a great adventure. My dad, rest his soul, was on the USS Arkansas in 1938 and I'm presently doing research on the championship football team he left in Baltimore to join the Navy at the ripe old age of 21. He later transferred to the Flattop Yorktown which was severely damaged in a fight then later sunk in the Battle of Midway. We've an 8X10 photo of the Arkansas sailing through the Kiel Canal, Germany before the war broke out with Britain and France. I was trying to see if this could possibly be the last allied military ship to leave Germany making the photo valuable to our family's collection. The Arkansas was one of the ships destroyed later in the 1948 Bikini Atoll blast. If anyone has info on this subject, kindly enlighten me.

Thanks.
Paul Rauser, V