The Greatest Generation

[Canoerebel]

The magazine I work for is preparing an article: "Vanishing Georgia: The Greatest Generation" that will include a number of photos of Georgians involved in World War II - both on the front lines and on the home front. The following is a sequence of some of the photos from this story. You guys get an advanced look. [:)]

[Canoerebel]

Rear Admiral Richard E. Hawes talks with an old friend on Jackson Street in Thompson soon after returning home from service in the Pacific Theater (circa 1946). Hawes was a Thomson native and had attended both the University of Georgia and Mercer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1917. During his time in the service, he received the Navy Cross twice and held various commands including the USS Pigeon (minesweeper), USS Chanticleer (submarine tender), and USS Antheadon (submarine tender). He passed away in Thomson in 1968 at age 74.

[Canoerebel]

The folks at home didn’t forget that all the work and sacrifice and worry was for the troops and sailors and airmen at the front. One such was Jack Kirksey of Reynolds, Taylor County, Georgia, photographed here circa 1940. Kirksey served with John F. Kennedy aboard PT-109. He was killed in action August 1, 1943, when PT-109 was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amigiri in the Solomon Islands.

[Canoerebel]

Gus Boaz took this photograph on July 17, 1942, when residents of Calhoun and Gordon County gathered for the departure of 57 men who had enlisted in (or possibility been drafted into) military service.

[Canoerebel]

Train carrying scrap iron in Stone Mountain, circa 1941. The sign near the front of the engine says “More Coal to Burn Hitler and Japs.”

[Canoerebel]

Large quantities of materials and parts used in the manufacture of Liberty Ships at the J.I. Jones Shipyard in Brunswick, Georgia. This facility turned out 99 LIberty Ships between 1943 and 1945. The record for construction of a ship was 37 days.

[Canoerebel]

With the “V for Victory” sign prominently displayed on the ship’s prow, the USS Samalness is launched in 1943, one of 99 Liberty Ships built at Brunswick’s J.I. Jones shipyard.

[Canoerebel]

Victory Flag winners at Avondale Estates Elementary School, near Atlanta, in 1945 display a variety of scrap items including a license plate, motion picture film reels, tires, and inner tubes.

[Canoerebel]

Lest We Forget: Members of different branches of the service gather in Union Point to salute the flag-draped casket of David S. Pearson, described as the “first casualty from Greene County” in the war.

[Canoerebel]

That's all (at least for now).

[Kubel]

Thanks Canoerebel for the advance showing. I love these stories and photo's from the First and Second World Wars.

[USSAmerica]

Thanks for the sneak peek, Dan. Just one thing I wanted to point out.... that is not a Rear Admiral in the first picture, it's a LCDR.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Rear Admiral Richard E. Hawes talks with an old friend on Jackson Street in Thompson soon after returning home from service in the Pacific Theater (circa 1946). Hawes was a Thomson native and had attended both the University of Georgia and Mercer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1917. During his time in the service, he received the Navy Cross twice and held various commands including the USS Pigeon (minesweeper), USS Chanticleer (submarine tender), and USS Antheadon (submarine tender). He passed away in Thomson in 1968 at age 74.

[jeffk3510]

Nice sneak peek Dan.

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: USS America
Thanks for the sneak peek, Dan. Just one thing I wanted to point out.... that is not a Rear Admiral in the first picture, it's a LCDR.

Thanks, USS America. Thzt's one of the things I had on my list to check on. I think he retired as a Rear Admiral (I'm checking), but I was pretty doggone sure a Rear Admiral wasn't in command of a sub tender.

[Canoerebel]

Here's some Wiki information about Hawes.  The guy did his duty in exemplary fashion - note in particular his conduct at Cavite on December 10, 1941:

Hawes was born in Thomson, Georgia, on February 12, 1894. He attended the University of Georgia on a baseball scholarship before transferring to Mercer University. There he won recognition in both baseball and American football. He earned a law degree along the way, but passed up the bar exam to coach and play professional baseball.
When America entered World War I in 1917, Hawes enlisted in the Navy as a Fireman Second Class. Fifteen months later he accepted a temporary appointment as an Ensign, but reverted to Boatswain (Warrant Officer) in 1920.
Interwar service
In March 1926 Hawes joined Falcon as Executive Officer. While aboard Falcon he played a key role in the salvage of S-51 off Block Island, R.I. in September 1925. For his part in that difficult and dangerous operation Boatswain Hawes received his first Navy Cross. He also assisted in the salvaging of the submarine S-4, which sank off Provincetown, Massachusetts in December 1927.
On February 18, 1929, Hawes was commissioned an Ensign by a special act of the U.S. Congress in recognition of his services in salvaging the S-51 and S-4.
In January 1940 Lieutenant Hawes assumed command of USS Pigeon and was serving in that role when the United States entered World War II.
World War II
Japanese attack on Cavite Navy Yard, the Philippines, December 10, 1941
On December 10, 1941 the Pigeon was docked at the Cavite Navy Yard on Manila Bay for repairs to her steering gear when Japanese warplanes attacked. Since Pearl Harbor three days before, Hawes had main steam pressure up and the full crew aboard, ready to get underway at an instant. Lashed to the minesweeper Quail, which provided steering for both, Pigeon cleared the docks and headed for the relative safety of the bay to dodge the enemy bombs.
By this time Cavite had become a hellish inferno. After separating from Quail Hawes could see that the submarine Seadragon was about to be engulfed by bombs and fire in her berth. Through heavy bombing and strafing, Lieutenant Hawes maneuvered the 187-foot Pigeon back to the flaming dock to haul the helpless submarine stern first from her berth. Another submarine and a minesweeper had just been sunk there by direct hits. The heat and flames were so intense that they blistered the ship's paint, singed off body hair, and melted the brim of Hawes' cap. But Pigeon's crew managed to rig a line on the Seadragon and tow her to safety.
For this heroic action, Hawes received his second Navy Cross and Pigeon was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the first warship to receive the award in World War II. Seadragon went on to distinguished service, earning eleven battle stars before the war ended.Immediately after the attack Hawes found and mounted on his ship two 3-inch guns and twelve .50 caliber machine guns from the wrecked Navy Yard. By the end of December the new "gunboat" had received her second Presidential Unit Citation for shooting down several enemy planes and bombarding enemy troops. She was the only surface warship to win two Presidential Unit Citations in World War II.
Later service
Except for the brief periods when he was in transit or putting Chanticleer and Anthedon into commission, Hawes spent virtually all of World War II at sea in the Pacific in command of his three ships. Like Hawes himself, his ships always had a reputation for efficiency and readiness. When he put Chanticleer into commission, he had depth-charge racks installed so he could prosecute Japanese submarines. When he put Anthedon into commission, 92% of his crew were inductees and had never been to sea, but he sailed directly from commissioning to the Pacific war and within two hours of his arrival was servicing submarines. He received the Bronze Star for "undaunted courage and professional skill" for his command of that ship.
As he left the Western Pacific theater in January 1945, the Commander, Submarines, Philippine Sea Frontier sent Anthedon a message of thanks and good wishes, describing Commander Hawes and his men as "ever ready, ever fearless."
Hawes was promoted to Captain on March 25, 1945.
Retirement and later years
On December 1, 1952 he was transferred to the retired list and promoted to Rear Admiral.
Rear Admiral Hawes died at his home in Thomson, Georgia, on December 30, 1968.
Namesake
In 1984, the guided missile frigate USS Hawes was named in honor of RAdm Hawes.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Here's some Wiki information about Hawes.  The guy did his duty in exemplary fashion - note in particular his conduct at Cavite on December 10, 1941:

Somewhere in the years not mentioned in Wiki he managed to become qualified in submairnes. In that era this was generally not possible without being attached PCS to a submarine.

[USSAmerica]

That is a fine navy man! [&o]

Looks like you just need to adjust the time frame in the caption for your pic. One promotion after Jan, 1940 and 2 promotions before March, 1945. [:)]

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Here's some Wiki information about Hawes.  The guy did his duty in exemplary fashion - note in particular his conduct at Cavite on December 10, 1941:

Somewhere in the years not mentioned in Wiki he managed to become qualified in submairnes. In that era this was generally not possible without being attached PCS to a submarine.

Moose, he did spend many years on Sub Tenders, so he likely had more opportunity than most surface warfare guys.

[Lokasenna]

This is slightly tangential, and not at all related to Georgia, but the Atlantic did a series last year. Here is the link in case anyone missed it:
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/pages/ww2/

Also, that guy is awesome.

[Canoerebel]

Just to verify then - Hawes is in the uniform of a Lieutenant-Commander in that photo?