Skip Navigation LinksHome > Browse ServiceHeroes
Login  

"History is one of the most important topics that can be studied
because as it repeats, history will help foretell the future." Milo
  Destroyer Taking a Dip Korean War 1952  
My War History Navigation My War History ProfileWar ChatBrowse Service HeroesService Hero PhotosService Hero VideosResearch Service HeroesContact MyWarHistory

Help

Browse Service Heroes

Click here to sign up so you can start posting your service heroes before their stories are lost

John Cowell Navy

Print My Service Hero
View MyWarBuff Page
Add WarBuff Friend
Share with Friends
John Jack Cowell (Jack) - 4481 Views
honored by MWH


Recommend John's Story to Digg it | del.icio.us | Reddit

Assigned: USS Damon M. Cummings (DE-643)
Location of Service: Pacific
Gender: male
Basic Training: Great Lakes, IL
Military Position: Signal Corp
My War Stories
  
  1943 Jack was in his Senior of High School and thought he would join the service. He came to Columbus, Ohio for his exam and they asked him what he wanted and he said the Navy. Had basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois then to Green Bay, Wisconsin then off to Shoemaker, California.
  1944 The Navy was building six destroyer escorts so Jack was assigned to one. After 30 days in San Diego, he sailed to Honolulu, Hawaii. Jack then went to Saipan and Guam. In Guadalcanal Jack had an encounter with a Japanese submarine. Jack’s combat station was on a 20 mm gun as the site setter. The destroyer was escorting ships to the Solomon Islands from Guam and Saipan. After that Jack went to Leyte, Philippines. Jack went to Iwo Jima where he lost his hearing in his left ear then off to Okinawa to support the invasion fleet. Jack’s ship saw a lot of combat and he shot down quite a few Japanese planes. Jack experienced a few typhoons but he remembers distinctly the worst one where his ship was taking an admiral and the destroyer was rocking 70 degrees.

My War Awards
  • Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal - WWII
  • World War II Victory Medal
My War Videos
Click play button near the bottom left of image to watch the video.
Jack experienced a few typhoons but he remembers distinctly the worst one where his ship was taking an admiral and the destroyer was rocking 70 degrees.