USS Missoula posts: 10.22.2007 | 11.09.2007 | 06.30.2008 |

22 Oct 2007
Subject: Info on USS Missoula (IWO JIMA)

My Dad (William A. Wilson) was a Hospital Corpsman on board the MISSOULA at IWO JIMA. He was in the 2nd wave to hit the beach and transport wounded back to the ship. I am looking for a muster list and the original ships patch. This would mean a lot to him. I hope you can help me. Thanks.
V/R:
William M. Wilson

William M. Wilson
Bill Wilson, SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, SC
Submarine Communications Branch, Code: 5532WW
Voice: 843-218-4928, DSN: 588-4928
Cell: 843-860-5146, Fax: 843-218-5439
E-Mail: william.m.wilson@navy.mil
Msg Pla: SPAWARSYSCEN CHARLESTON SC//532WW

9 Nov 2007
Subject: USS MISSOULA PICTURES

Attached are pictures and documents from the MISSOULA that my Dad brought home.
Bill

Editor: This link leads to the collection of images provided by Bill Wilson.

Reply to Bill: william.m.wilson@navy.mil
or Tate Jones, comment@fortmissoula.org

30 Jun 2008
Subject: USS Missoula ( More Detailed Itinerary During WW2 )

Mr. Jones,
last time I was home, my Dad gave me a more detailed copy of the MISSOULA's Itinerary. It starts from the Keel being layed, to the end of the war when they arrived in San Francisco. This was sent to him by the the former Yeoman on the MISSOULA ( Harry M. Fox ). Also attached is a letter from Mr. Fox trying to put together a reunion. The letter contains some names of former crew members.

USS_MISS.pdf
[456 KB]

V/R:
William M. Wilson (Bill):
Bill Wilson, SPAWARSYSCEN Charleston, SC:
Submarine Communications Branch, Code: 5532WW:
Voice: 843-218-4928, DSN: 588-4928:
Cell: 843-860-5146, Fax: 843-218-5439:
Msg Pla: SPAWARSYSCEN CHARLESTON SC//532WW

Reply to Bill: william.m.wilson@navy.mil
or Tate Jones, comment@fortmissoula.org

25 Sep 2007
Subject: John Graviano at a tent camp in Montana in April of 1939

I'm hoping you can help me solve a mystery pertaining to my father, John Graviano.

My father joined the CCC in 10/38 and was assigned to Hayden Creek camp in Couer D' Alene, Idaho (Co. 3265 F-68). He completed his 6 month tenure thru the end of March of 1939. I have a photo which is then dated April, 1939, Montana. In the background you can clearly see my father and another man standing in front of a large tent that is sitting in the middle of the forest. He clearly re-upped for another 6 months and was sent to some tent camp in Montana. My father often spoke of the hardship of living in this tent arrangement and at some point (as the story goes) before this 6 month tenure ended he could not take the cold any longer and so he walked off AWOL. From there he hitched rides with trucks and rode the rails (very dangerous) until he made his way to Chicago and eventually back to NYC.

I am trying to find out which camp location he was at in Montana. It was definitely a tent camp. I looked up the list of all CCC camps in Montana and I have two interesting possibilities:

• Co. 3281, F-76 in Phillipsburg started in 4/13/1939
• Co. 4382, F-60 in Dillon started in 4/13/1939

These were both "forest project" camps, appear to have started at the same time as when my father went to Montana and either one could have been a tent camp.

Ultimately, I am trying to gain some insight as to why he walked off and went AWOL. He talked about being in the CCC's for about a year, so it is hard to figure why he would walk off and not just wait the last month or two until he got a free train ticket back home.

Any info that you could provide would be helpful. I am also going to submit my father's paperwork to the government and maybe get some info that way. You can call me at my cell on 908-500-4199.

Regards.

Anthony Graviano
QA Manager
RathGibson (NB)
908-218-1400, ext. 138
TonyGraviano @ rathgibson.com
[remove the spaces in the email address - inserted to deter spammers]

27 Sep 2007
Subject: Re: John Graviano at a tent camp in Montana in April of 1939

Attached is the photo of my father at the CCC "tent camp" in Montana in April of 1939. My father is the one without the hat with the curly hair. This had to have been taken right after he arrived from Missoula. In March 1939 he was still at the camp in Couer d' Alene in Idaho. You can see two large tents in the background. It looks like they are high up in elevation. This is what I know:

• My father never spoke about the men building any sort of permanent barracks so it sounds like this is where they lived. It may have been one of those camps such that the location would have made it impossible to build any permanent barracks.
• There was one story he told more than once of having trouble sleeping one night and then he realized that some wolf had come right into the tent. He started checking everyone out and at one point the wolf started to smell my father's feet! My father didn't move an inch, but clenched his knife. Then the wolf left. When my father told the story the next morning everybody jumped out of their socks and yelled at him for not saying anything.
• Eventually he said he couldn't take the cold any longer at night so he simply walked off of the camp.

I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts as far as where he may have been. My own thoughts/questions:

• Would the background in the photo be typical of Dillon or Phillipsburg? Again the records show that both of these camps started in 4/39 so I'm trying to narrow it down. Either one of these may be a good possibility because both were doing "forest projects" which was the same work my father was doing (Co. 3265 F-68) in Idaho.
• The records from the Co. 3265 camp in Idaho show that there was a major snow storm in that area which is clearly seen in the background of photos taken in 1/39 and 2/39. It sounds like this impeded some of the work that they were doing. So I'm also wondering if that camp was sent to Montana when it came time to re-enroll in April where the men could be put to work?
• Is there any info on "tent camps" in Montana during the 1939 period?

Regards,
Tony