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PRELUDES TO VICTORY: THE
BATTLE OF ORMOC BAY IN WW II
AUTHOR William L. Griggs
As a retired teacher and WW II sailor, I went to a Navy reunion in
1986. Although I remembered the terror experienced on Dec. 7, 1944 in
the Battle of Ormoc Bay, I was unaware of another Battle of Ormoc Bay that
happened on the night of Dec. 2/3 that caused the sinking of USS COOPER by
the Japanese with 185 young American lives lost. I learned there were
more Battles of Ormoc Bay as survivors revealed their personal stories and
memories.
At each successive reunion, year after year, I listened to the flow of
more stories; some tragic, some of bravery in the highest tradition, and some
tinged in emotional poignancy. Hundreds of young men were killed,
missing in action, or wounded in the Battle of Ormoc Bay. As the 80's
advanced into the 90's, the men began to die off. I thought that
someone should write out a documentation of all the personal accounts, so
that what happened at Ormoc Bay in 1944 would never be forgotten. I
began collecting the stories from men who served on various Navy ships.
I tried to let each individual tell his story in a personal way.
Ship's logs were checked in detail. Official battle accounts were
researched at the Navy Archives. I coupled the war with my own
reminiscences of the war era to show what it was like to be young, go to
school and leave for war service at that time. It resulted in a book
which I wrote, entitled "Preludes to Victory: The Battle of Ormoc Bay in
WW II."
William L. Griggs enlisted in USNR in 1942 and served on USS KEPHART DE
207/APD 61 in Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Southwest Pacific including the
waters of China, Japan and Korea during World War II. Following the war
he graduated from STC Trenton, now The College of New Jersey. He
received a masters degree from Columbia University. As a teacher of
choral and instrumental music, he has 37 years extensive public school
experience and continues to teach piano privately. He is a member of
the American Legion, the Battle of Ormoc Bay Association, Destroyer Escort
Sailors Association, and life member of National Education Association,
NJREA, VFW, and U.S. Naval Institute.
Preludes to Victory:
The Battle of Ormoc Bay in WW II
ISBN 0 - 9659837 - 0 - 6 ppbk. 286 pp. Appendix-Bibli.-Index $25.00
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