My father, Charles Ray Swaim, was an Engineman (3rd class, I think) on the maiden voyage of the USS Nantahala. He didn't talk too much about his Navy days in WWII, but I remember a few things. He said he worked "down in the very bottom of the ship". The thing I remember most is his description of the Japanese mini sub attack in the Ulithi Lagoon. He said he was up on the main deck smoking a cigarette when he saw a torpedo headed for what looked like a direct hit on the Nantahala. He said it barely missed the ship and struck her sister ship, USS Mississinewa AO-59. He said for many hours the crew of the Nantahala helped to rescue sailors from this ship, before it went down. He also mentioned how terrible and awesome the typhoon (Typhoon Cobra) was and the ship was "tossed around like some child's toy". Many times over the years he said he had always wanted to go back and visit the ship, he heard it was still in service (this in the 60's, I think) but he never got to do it. He died of cancer in 1977 at age 64. Not too long ago, my older brother found my Dad's diary from the war. His handwriting was never very good but it gave me cold chills to read his entries....most were entered during the heat of battle or afterwards. He talked about Adm. Halsey "wanting six of the fastest tankers to go with him into the Sea of Japan to help stick it to the Japs."Submitted by Richard Swaim |