Dawna H. Pearson
LCDR, USCGR
ISC Kodiak
It is hard to believe that the officers and crew of the STORIS will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the vessel. When I graduated from the Coast Guard Academy on 19 December 1941 (Class of 42) I was assigned to the NORTH STAR, a wood hull vessel that had been used by Admiral Byrd in his South Pole expedition. We were employed carrying supplies on the Greenland Patrol.
In the summer of 1942, I was detached from the NORTH STAR and assigned to commissioning detail of the STORIS that was being built at Toledo, Ohio. I was a deck watch officer. After being commissioned in September 1942 the STORIS proceeded out of the Great Lakes and to Boston, our new home port. There we made preparations for the Greenland Patrol as an escort vessel for convoys from Boston to Newfoundland to Greenland.
Among our complement when we began the Greenland Patrol was Victor Mature, a famous movie star, and a Chief, Bosn Mate. He was an excellent Chief when we were not in Boston and well liked by all hands. But when in port in Boston he was useless to us as the press and the public relations people took over and we didn't see much of him.
I have lost track of the dates, but on one of our convoys from Greenland to Newfoundland, the Cutter ESCANABA was lost. The STORIS was the closest vessel to the ESCANABA and our task was to screen for the rescue vessel, a 110' Coast Guard tug that was part of our convoy. I recall seeing several crew members in the water, including the XO Prause who had been a first classman on my first year at the Academy. He was not a survivor.
One clear recollection I have of the STORIS during our convoy duties was the dropping of depth charges. Our top speed as 13 knots at the most, and each time we dropped the depth charges I thought we might sink ourselves. Again, hard to believe this was 59 and 60 years ago.
Hope you have a great celebration.
William F. Rea, III, VADM, USCG (RET)
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