INPARKE-L Archives

Archiver > INPARKE > 2002-11 > 1036643381


From: "Tamara S. Carney" <>
Subject: Re: [INPARKE] COLLEEN'S NOVEMBER CHALLENGE
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2002 23:26:28 -0600
References: <3DC8DB47.4060605@earthlink.net>


James G. Carmichael was the great-grandson of Hiram and Minerva [Spurgeon]
Carmichael who resided in Union Twp. of Parke County; the grandson of Alfred
Thomas and Alice Annie [Harlan] Carmichael (Alice died at Ferndale, Park
Co., both Alfred and Alice are buried in Clinton Falls Cemetery, Putnam
Co.); son of James Alva and Lelia F. [Nelson] Carmichael.

James G. fought in WWII and died in service. The following information and
obituary attest to this. The Arlington Cemetery website has some very good
photos of the memorial for these brave men who are buried there:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/casualties_uss_serpe
ns.html

>From Greencastle paper, dated Friday, February 5, 1943:

Photo with title: EIGHT YOUNG MEN TAKE UP MILITARY SERVICE

Caption under photo reads: These eight young men from Putnam County went to
Fort Harrison Thursday morning to begin their active military training.
They were in charge of Paul F. Cook, Jr. acting corporal. Others were
Gerald E. Skelton, Ray A. Hinkle, Lawrence B. Northern, Leonard M. Saylor,
James W. Porter, James G. Carmichael and Harold W. Powell.

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Newspaper article announcing James' burial at Arlington Cemetery, Ft. Meyer,
VA at 1 pm on June 15, ? reads as follows:

Burial for T/5 James G. Carmichael, 25 years old, will be held Jun 15 at
Arlington National Cemetery, Ft. Meyer, Virginia, at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight
time.
James was born and reared in Greencastle, at the time he entered service
he was living and working in Indianapolis. After going overseas his father
signed him up with the Jesse M. Lee Post No. 1550 Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He received his training in Camp Lee, Virginia and Camp Stoneman,
California. He went overseas in January of 1944 and was killed January 29,
1945, aboard the U.S.S. Serpens three miles off Guadalcanal in the Southwest
Pacific.
Survivors are two sisters, Mrs. Olive Andrews and Mrs. Mildred Bailey of
Indianapolis; two uncles [should be brothers], Robert and Nelson Carmichael
of Greencastle. His father died July 16, 1945 and his mother April 23,
1946.
Anyone wishing to send flowers, address them to: James Carmichael,
Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Meyer, Va.

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>From http://history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-s/ak97.htm:

USS Serpens (AK-97), 1943-1945

USS Serpens, a "Liberty"-type cargo ship built at Wilmington, California,
was converted for Navy service while under construction. Commissioned in
May 1943 with a Coast Guard crew, she served in the South Pacific and was
modified in late 1944 for the transportation of ammunition. On 29 January
1945, while loading a cargo of depth charges in Lunga Roads, off
Guadalcanal, Serpens was destroyed by a massive explosion. All but two of
the 255 crewmembers and Army stevedores on board her at the time were killed
in the accident.

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>From http://www.uscg.mil/reserve/magazine/mag1996/may1996/monuments.html:

USS Serpens Memorial

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
When the Coast Guard-manned USS Serpens (AKA-97) exploded and sank Jan. 29,
1945 at Lunga Beach, Guadalcanal, Soloman Islands, it marked the largest
single disaster suffered by the Coast Guard in World War II. Only two
survived the blast, while 250, including 193 Coast Guardsmen, were lost.
The Serpens Memorial in Section 34 at Arlington is octagon-shaped and has
inscribed upon it an alphabetical listing of the deceased servicemen's
names, rank and branch of service. It marks the second largest mass grave
at Arlington. At the monument dedication Nov. 16, 1950, VADM Merlin
O'Neill, then-USCG Commandant remarked, "we cannot undo the past...but we
can ensure...that these men shall be respected and honored forever."

- CG Historian

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>From http:// :

The service kept accidents in ammunition handling to a minimum during the
war. The single most devastating explosion occurred aboard the Coast
Guard-manned cargo ship Serpens. The Serpens exploded and sank while
loading depth charges at Lunga Roads, Guadalcanal, in January, 1945. Only
two men of the 198 Coast Guardsmen aboard survived. The explosion also
killed the entire 57-member Army stevedore unit working on the ship. This
is the largest single loss of life in the history of the Coast Guard.

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www.uscg.mic/hq/g-cp/comrel/calendar.html

11/16/50 - Dedication of monument @ Arlington Nat'l Cemetery in honor of
those lost when USS Serpens was destroyed @ Guadalcanal in what was the
largest single disaster by USCG in WW II (29 Jan 45).

01/29/1945 - CG manned USS SERPENS exploded and sank @ Guadalcanal with the
greatest single loss of life in Coast Guard history. 196 Coast Guard crew
plus 57 Army Personnel. Two CG crew survived. (The CO and seven others
were ashore at the time of the explosion.)

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>From http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-1.html:

USS SERPENS. (Jan.29, 1945) While loading depth charges at her berth in
Linga Roads in the Solomon Islands, the American Coast Guard manned
destroyer 'Serpens' blew up and sank. On board were 198 crewmen and 57 men
of an army stevedore unit. Only 2 men survived the explosion. The ships
captain and 7 others were ashore at the time. This was the greatest loss
suffered by the US Coast Guard during WW11.

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>From http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/news/navywire/nwsa95/nwsa0120.txt:

NWSA161. 50th anniversary of WWII Serpens disaster
WASHINGTON (NWSA) -- One of the greatest single ship
casualties suffered by the U.S. during World War II will be
commemorated at a memorial and wreath laying ceremony Sunday, Jan.
29, 2 p.m., at Arlington National Cemetery's USS Serpens Monument.
The ammunition ship USS Serpens (AK 97) lay anchored a mile
off the coast of Lunga Beach, Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands
the night of Jan. 29, 1945, when it exploded, killing all but two
of the 252 American service men on board. Of those lost, 193 were
Coast Guardsmen, 56 were Army and one was with the U.S. Pubic
Health Service. It was the Coast Guard's single worst disaster
during World War II.
RADM Richard M. Larrabee, Chief, Office of Readiness and
Reserve, Coast Guard Headquarters, will deliver the keynote
address. A reception will follow at Fort Myer's Community Center
Ballroom.
The ceremony is sponsored by the Capital Chiefs Chapter of the
Coast Guard Petty Officers Association and is open to the public.
Those attending are asked to use the cemetery's main gate (on
Memorial Drive) and will be directed to the USS Serpens Monument in
Section 34. For more information contact Master Chief Tim Lackey at
Coast Guard Headquarters at (202) 267-6287.

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>From http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-m03.htm:

The largest group burial at Arlington National Cemetery took place on June
15, 1949, when 250 men from the USS Serpens were interred in 52 caskets.
These men were killed on the night of Jan. 29, 1945, when the U.S. Coast
Guard ammunition ship exploded and sank at Laguna Beach, Guadalcanal,
Solomon Islands.




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