| TYPHOON COBRA 1944 |
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| SLEEP,MY SONS,YOUR DUTY DONE...FOR FREEDOMS LIGHT HAS COME- SLEEP IN THE SILENT DEPTHS OF THE SEA,OR IN YOUR BED OR HALLOWED SOD-UNTIL AT DAWN YOU HEAR THE LOW CLEAR REVEILLE OF GOD |
| This Web Site has been established to describe the events of Typhoon Cobra which resulted in the loss of three destroyers; the USS Spence (DD 512),the USS Monaghan (DD 354),and the USS Hull (DD 350) on December 18,1944, and to list the names of the deceased,and surviving sailors who were on those ships,to be recorded on a memorial at Admiral Nimitz Foundation. Each ship is listed separately.Click on the appropriate navigation button above to arrive at a page you may choose. To become a sponsor for one of the deceased/survivor members of ships: Hull,Spence or Monaghan click the chosen ship name,choose a crew member,write down his name and return to index. Click :"services" and proceed with instructions to make your donation. This will support funding to place his name on a memorial plaque at Admiral Nimitz Foundation,Pacific War Memorial with you listed as a sponsor. |
| A memorial plaque will be displayed at Admiral Nimitz Foundation,Fredericksburgh Texas listing the names of all the crew members of the USS Spence,USS Monaghan, USS Hull,and USS Tabberer along with the names of their next of kin (NOK),friends,family and sponsor, and the names of the ships that rescued the survivors. The memorial plaque will be funded by donations to the previous names. The donations also provide for flowers at the memorial on special occasions. Crew members,families and friends of the USS Swearer. USS Gatling, USS Knapp,USS Cogswell, USS Brown, and USS Robert E. Keller who donate funds for the memorial will also be listed as sponsors (friends) of the deceased sailors of respective ships. The memorial plaque will be placed in the National Museum of the Pacific War by the Admiral Nimitz Foundation. Viewing the Memorial Wall is an impressive and poignant experience for museum visitors. Over 450 plaques line the 100 year old limestone wall surrounding the Memorial courtyard. Plaques are solid metal,photochemically etched and anodized with a dark bronze background and silver text and detail. The plaque will be purchased by donations. Donations should be by personal check,money order or by credit card to the web site using the Pay Pal instructions provided under "Services". Your donation will be recorded and credited to you by a Pay Pal Receipt ID or check/MO number, which you should save as you can use it to confirm your transaction with Pay Pal or bank service. A donation balance sheet will be posted on the web page "Services" to provide accountability of your funds. Look for your Receipt ID/check number to confirm accuracy and honesty.Until funds are disbursed by PayPal/ check to the memorials, they are returnable on proper request to: LCDR Archie G. DeRyckere,USN (Ret.) E-mail: archie.deryckere@sbcglobal.net DONATION APPEAL: The Spence,Monaghan,Hull and Tabberer are listed on this web site with the names of the deceased, survivors and crewmembers and the names of ships other than Taberrer who saved surviving sailors. All of the foregoing will be listed on the memorial at Fredericksburgh Texas along with the name of anyone who chooses to donate and become a sponsor for those heroes who put their lives on the line for their country and were willing to give their lives for the cause. To the survivors of "Typhoon Cobra". Now is the chance to donate to your shipmates both living and deceased.This web site gives you the opportunity to donate. As I typed the names of the deceased I was inspired by my previous association with them and proud to be attempting to have them memorialized. During my attempt to have the ships and crew members involved in Typhoon Cobra listed on a memorial and an award of the Medal of Honor to Captain Plage, I encountered the disillusion of having to appeal to the bureaucracy of the Administration, and the Navy Department, even with a letter of strong support from President Gerald R. Ford , only to be politely ignored except in one instance where the Secretary of Medals and Awards ,in the offices of the Secretary of the Navy, said "LCDR Plage cannot be considered for award of the Medal of Honor. This is due entirely to the fact that his heroic actions did not occur during combat. While his performance was clearly extraordinary, award of the Medal of Honor is reserved for actions occurring during conflict with an enemy". I countered this with proof that his heroic actions did occur in combat against the Japanese, as Commanding Officer, USS Tabberer (DE 418), a unit of the Third Fleet. President Gerald R. Ford served heroically on the USS Monterey ( CVL 29) in Typhoon Cobra and he stated in a letter to the Secretary of Medal and awards: " I offer my strong support for a favorable decision on behalf of LCDR Henry L. Plage for the award of the Medal of Honor.I requested Vice President R. Cheney to forward an endorsement to my letter to the Secretary of Medals and Awards and he stated that"We will see to it that this information is shared with the appropriate people on the President's staff". Your prayers are requested. |
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