Dear Shipmate, Ken Stilson

I just received a letter from Dan Wisner, and he asked me to send you some history of the USS DeHaven DD-469. Commissioned 9/21//42, sunk by "VAL" dive bombers at Guadalcanal 2/1/43. The 1^st of the famous Fletcher class to go down. 133 day in commission.

Enclosed please find the official ship’s history. There is a better version out-US Navy During WWII by Smith. It gives an eyewitness from the USS Nicholas, and is pretty well told the story.

The only thing not in either history is there was a dispute between the bridge (Captain) and the Gunnery Officer as to the ID of the aircraft. Friend or foe?

I was a 17 year-old Seaman 2^nd Class and a 5-inch gun trainer. We could see the aircraft in the gun scopes and we tracked them till they started making runs. We, the pointer and myself, all the time were telling the gun captain they were Japs! The lead plane rolled over and I saw the bomb separate from the plane. I told the gun captain to stand by for a bomb. The bomb hit the bridge. We (the gun crew) then started firing in self-defense. My gun #5 on the fantail fired four rounds. They were the new experimental AA shell with a variable timed fuse. There VALS were downed. As near as I recall, we are the only 5-inch to fire. Two other bombs hit forward, one between the stacks, the other on 5-inch #1 gun. It also got the forward 5-inch magazine.

When I climbed out of gun 5, there wasn’t much left forward of the after stack. She sank very rapidly. The rest is history.

I went on and became an Air Crewman. I flew in TBM’s (torpedo bombers) as a gunner. Did OK. I enlisted in July 1942 and retired Sept 1963. Made Chief in 1957. Hope I’ve helped you guys a little bit. I don’t think I’ll make the reunion this year I’m supposed to meet a shipmate from the 469 at Baker, OR. I did make the one last year and four other old shipmates also were there. We had a nice get together. Thanks for including us with the 727 Reunion.

Sincerely,

Tom Bogard