Andrew L Foreman (DE 633) - Naval Cruise Book

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For months, men were being gathered together from throughout the Naval establishment, from ships of the Fleets, from training centers, from shore stations, and some were fresh from civilian life, many wore hash marks and service ribbons, most were but recently graduated from boot camps, yet they were all forming what was soon to be the crew of the Destroyer Escort 633, and all were pointing to the day she was to be placed into commission. From widespread corners they were assembled at two places, Norfolk, Virginia, and Miami, Florida. A few veteran specialists formed a nucleus crew at the building yard at San Francisco. They were preparing, each and everyone, for their tasks aboard their new ship, when she would finally take her place in the already mighty and fast-growing Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. As the days of October 1943 began, plans were quickened and the two bodies of men were moved to the great North barracks of the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, there to be hold in readiness togo aboard their fighting home. The morning of 22 October 1943 saw great activity on the dock where the sparkling new escort was smugly tied-up. Sea-bags came aboard. Stores and provisions, necessary to the operation of the ship in war waters, and to the health and comfort of her men, were hoisted to the decks by giant overhead cranks. The black gang was giving its machinery its last tune-up, the radio gang was breaking in it receivers and transmitters, the deck gang was swabbing, mopping, stowing, and squaring-way for sea. All hands were busy with many activities of commissioning day. And thru all the hustle and bustle, preparations were going fonivard for the commissioning ceremony, the proudest day in the life of any vessel. At last, on the afternoon of 22 October 1943, all hands were mustered on the fantail, and Hull 5399 became United States Ship Foreman, Destroyer Escort 633. At long last, all the months of construction, of planning, of manning came to their focus, and the warship Foreman was born to her task. After days of bay trials in the great San Francisco harbor, and loading of ammunition at the Mare Island yard, the Foreman made her first venture into the Pacific, and though the coastal waters of the western United States, plied her way to another great Navy anchorage, San Diego harbor. As had so many other proud navy ships, she rode her anchor and cut the waters of that harbor thru 5 weeks of shakedown and training. Following Admiral's inspection by the Commander, Operational Training Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, she was declared ready for the duties of her class and type in the Naval battles of her Pacific waters, even then resounding to the glory of the U.S. Navy. Already the great battles of Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Shangri-La carrier strike against Tokyo were history, and the move against the Jap enemy was increasing. It was the right time for the birth of still another fighting ship to add its strength to that fight.

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AND NOVV... To the story Of Destroyer escort 633

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After a brief two-week post-shakedown availability, and final fitting-out, DE633, the Foreman, on 2 January 1944, was away to the wars, bound for Pearl Harbor and the then embroiled South Pacific war fronts. The Foreman's first realization of perils of the war came when on January 7, while enroute to the Hawaiian Islands, she made sight contact on a surfaced submarine. All hands manned their battle stations for the first time, and prepared to repel the suspected craft. The undenlvater craft proved to be of American identity. Already the ship's crew had discovered the lurking dangers, which could lie beneath apparently calm Pacific waters. At first sight of Diamond Head and Waikiki beach, all the dreams of South Pacific islands were renewed in the minds of the crew and, as the youngsters lined the rails, the veterans smiled indulgently, remembering their first sight of Hawaiian beaches. The Foreman moored to the DE dock at the great Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, and, if acute, many of its crew saw reminders of a certain bleak December 7th, For many days, the Foreman undenivent still more training and shakedown under the guidance of the Commander, Destroyers, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Operating with submarines, with heavy surface craft, and with ships her own size, the Foreman was becoming increasingly adept at her war tasks. On the lighter side, the crew enjoyed liberties in the city of Honolulu, swam at the beach of Waikiki, toured the world-famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel, now a submariners' rest and recreation center, and the equally-famous Aloha Tower. One or two even achieved a steak dinner at Pi Huy Chung's famous eating establishment in the islands. Their brief respite over, the ship and its crew were ordered on 20 January to make way for South Pacific waters and for Funa Futi, in the Ellice Islands. Enroute, she crossed the Equator, and all hands on 26 January 1944, were duly proclaimed Shellbacks. On January 28, the Foreman anchored in her first South Pacific Harbor. Before she was to see American shores again, she was to anchor in many just like it. On February 3, the crew was given it first sight of the bloody shores of Guadalcanal. Here, the little ship was assigned its initial war task, and for dreary day upon day, it sailed back and forth before the bastions of the war-labored island, a barrier against enemy submarines. Shortly thereafter, the new arrival in the South Pacific was undenivay again, to the New Hebrides Islands, and at Espiritu Santo was assigned her first tender availability with the