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USS SAMUEL N. MOORE (DD-747)
June 5, 1945
By: Lt. T. A. Kerns, MC, USNR
Twas a quiet night and the Sammy's right to make a
steady roll;
And every Mack had hit his sack, his share of sleep to toll.
We had heard the warn of a coming storm and had turned to miss the blow.
That another was soon to break our boom was something we didn't know.
With a crash it came, the spray and the rain, and a
gale 90 per.
The Sammy pitched and seamen bitched, but each man had faith in her.
The director crew looked out at the blue and a mighty wave appeared.
The torpedo deck became a wreck, and the motor whaleboat sheared.
In a moment another, the first wave's brother, hammered at 43,
A bulkhead gave and the mighty wave filled staterooms with the sea.
Two men were penned in a darkened den twixt the head
and 105.
They heard a shout from someone without, "Charlie, are you alive?"
He picked from the deck amidst the wreck a rod with which to pry:
And then he heaved and the men were freed, no longer trapped in to die.
The word was passed and the Captain asked Repair 2
to bear a hand.
They worked like mad with the gear they had and every station was manned.
The Lieutenant steeled from the splinter shield the metal to breech the gap.
The mattress supply whether wet or dry was stuffed in the leaking crack.
With a mighty lunge the Sammy plunged and "Chips" had smashed his leg.
A Pharmacist Mate heard of his fate and set about splinting the peg.;
The storm raged on. The skipper conned. A quiet man
was he.
With calm resource the Captain's course was always into the sea.
The radio whined. A floating mine was adrift in those mountains of green.
An explosion was heard and a shudder occurred that startled even he.
In his usual tone he took the phone and asked his men to report.
"A valve has blown and there is shown, no damage" was the retort.
While down in gloom of the engine room the blowers
had gone to pot.
Amidst sweat and heat and blistered feet brave men kept boilers hot.
Not one, but some of the men succumbed to the heat of one eight five.
They were carried above by shipmate's love for fresh air to keep them alive.
But through it all, by sweat and gall, the turbines continued to go.
An engineer's hand was sought by each man to show how much we owe.
It was fate of the Bo's'ns Mate while working the
pumps,
To smash his head on the overhead. Got.a three inch gash, not a lump.
Two jackets for friends of his, I guess, but almost permanent leave.
A wave attacked the depth charge rack and an ashcan went for a ride.
Three men on a line braved the foamy brine to throw it over the side.
The howlin storm outlived the morn and then began to die.
Each tired man disclosed his hand. He knew the reason why.
It was not Fate nor Fear that brought the Sammy through,
But guts and work and the Will of God and. each man knew.
No one spoke the speaker broke the silence of the night.
"Attention all hands" the Captain said. His voice was strong with might.
"The storm today was no child's play and each man did his part.
I'm proud to say, that in every way you had the ship at heart.
Brave deeds were done and these are some." And then he named a few.
"But I can see, and you'll agree, God's help has brought us thru.
Now join me men and we will send our thanks to Him up There.
So each man
bowed and said aloud the words of the Lord's Prayer.
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