USS Mississinewa AO-59

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20Nov2023 = 79th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Mississinewa in WWII

May we always remember those brave men who served aboard the Miss and particularly show reverence for those 63 US sailors who lost their lives as a result of the sinking.

To honor all the Miss sailors, the images of the 150 sailors who have been identified in photos have been revised into two videos and posted on YouTube, Part 1 (Adkinson thru Guerriero) and Part 2 (Hammond thru Young) to allow more time to see each sailor.

PART 1 - Crewmen A thru G  (updated 23Feb2024)

PART 2 - Crewmen H thru Y

Thank you, all you veterans who have served this country unselfishly giving your all for family and country. May your sacrifices always be remembered and honored.


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It is with great sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Nancy Mair. Nancy, loving wife of Mike Mair, went home to the Lord on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 after a brief and unexpected illness.

For Information about a scholarship created in Nancy's memory, and a full obituary, please click on this posting link Nancy Mair.

Additionally, planned Celebration of Life and visitation can be found at this link for the Melby Funeral Home https://www.melbyfh.com/obituary/nancy-mair where you can also leave a message.

Mike Mair can be contacted directly at mikemair59 at Outlook.com (using the @ sign instead of " at ").

Nancy Mair

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Some recent items:

  • Many of the Mississinewa related photos have been colorized and can now be seen on the Gallery Link above
  • The Log Book Project - an interesting look at what two men are doing to bring post-war's shared understanding of mutal loss to the people of today

Navy Seabee Museum makes photos of Ulithi available to son of WWII Seabee

Ulithi WWII Cemetery
Cemetary on Asor Island at Ulithi

(Click here to see entire post/images)

20 November 2021 - The 77th anniversary of the loss of the USS Mississinewa AO-59 in WWII. May the crew, 63 men lost in that action, and those subsequently having passed through the years, always be remembered.

We want to thank all the USS Mississinewa AO-59 sailors for their service and sacrifices. Here is a brief video of 145 USS Mississinewa AO-59 veterans. If a Mississinewa sailor's picture is not on the website and you have one of them, please share it with the webmaster. Thank you for viewing this video and remembering these men. (Video last updated 5 August 2022)

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy honors AO-59 Navigator, Lt. Robert Rowe's memory. See related post.

Mass. Maritime Academy display for Lt. Robert RoweRobert Rowe, Lieut.

 

Mike Mair and a host of others visit the Veteran's Breakfast Club video chat in December to discuss his book, Kaiten, and the USS Mississinewa. Visit our blog post to see the actual videos. https://ussmississinewa.com/veteranbrkfstclbchats/

VBC FB video snapshot

AO-59's KIAs

Latest "Kaiten" book review:

review of book, Kaiten.

(Click article for larger version)

 

Due to recent losses of supporters who have kept the USS Mississinewa from slipping into the realm of forgotten history, and the recent discovery of photos identifying four sailors who passed away November 20, 1944, we've created a new Newsletter.  See Volume 9, Spring 2019 for details of these recent events/findings.

Kaiten by Mike Mair and Joy Waldron

Kaiten: Japan's Secret Manned Suicide Submarine And the First American Ship It Sank in WWII

by authors Michael Mair and Joy Waldron.

Click here to read recent review of Kaiten.

Kaiten Facebook Page

Memorial on Mangejang Island, at Ulithi, for those lost in the sinking of the Mississinewa. Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos courtesy of Lt. Cmdr. Carter, US Navy.*

(*2016-2018 - Capt. John A. Carter served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, retiring sometime after 2018.)

Actual 16mm film taken on 20 November 1944 of the Mississinewa as it burned not long after being hit by the Kaiten.  (Remember when you watch this that the entire 553 foot long 'Miss' is completely engulfed within the smoke.)


Margaret's Story

Left: Margaret Pence, now known as “Peggy” Howell, christening the USS Mississinewa on March 28, 1944. Click on Margaret’s photo to see the autographed picture of her christening the ship, and the photos she shared with us given to her by Captain Beck in 1945.

Read More

Click on photo to view crew pictures/ID's


Click on the picture above to view the Navy Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)'s presentation (here in the form of a .pdf) on the removal of the oil from the sunken USS Mississinewa in 2003.

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Battle ribbons won by AO-59The U.S.S. Mississinewa was a T3-S2-A3 Auxiliary Oiler, commissioned on May 18, 1944. The role of the U.S.S. Mississinewa was to refuel ships, while underway, in the South Pacific during WWII. She, along with the other Auxiliary Oilers, played a crucial role in keeping combat vessels supplied with fuel.

On the morning of November 20, 1944, the U.S.S. Mississinewa was struck by a Kaiten (Imperial Japanese Navy -IJN- manned suicide torpedo with a 3,418 lb. warhead, the very first use of this secret suicide submarine by the IJN), became totally engulfed in flames and subsequently sank with a loss of 63 U.S. Sailors and one Japanese Kaiten pilot. Besides the obvious significance of an American war ship being sunk. The sinking was captured in still photographs by Sid Harris, a sailor aboard nearby fleet tug, Munsee.  See our Newsletter, Vol. 2 for some of his pictures. It was also captured by 16mm film, which has been put into a YouTube video (see on YouTube).

We want to express our utmost gratitude to all those brave veterans who risked their lives to rescue the crew of the Mississinewa, as well as all those who sacrificed their time, safety, and lives to help ensure the freedom that we enjoy today.

 

(L-R) Mike Mair & Ray, Ron, and Bob Fulleman, USS Lackawanna, AO-40 Reunion - Seattle, WA - 2000
(L-R) Mike Mair & Ray, Ron, and Bob Fulleman, USS Lackawanna, AO-40 Reunion - Seattle, WA - 2000

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