Brooklyn (CL 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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Lieut. Robert J. WOODALL, Jr., USNR., Commissioned Ensign, 20 June 1940, then thru the Grades to Lieut. Commander, November 1944. Decorations include, Navy Commenda- tion with one star. American, European Theatre of Operations, Victory Medal WW II. Robert J. WOODALL, Jr., 103 North Oakland Dr., Mebane, North Carolina, was born 19 June 1919 in Atlanta, Georgla. He entered the Navy 20 June 1940 from the NROTC unit of the Class of 1940 from Georgia Tech with a B.S. 1n M.E. degree and a Commission as an Ensign, USNR. He married Janet Murray fformer Navy Nursel and they have 5 daughters: Mary 15 February 1945, Patricia 14 August 1946, Jane 19 September 1947, Virginia 14 March 1954, and Theresa 28 November 1955. Mr WOODALL reported to USS BROOKLYN at Mare Island, California, 14 November 1940 and was assigned as Assistant A D1v1s1on Officer He also served as an Assistant Division Officer to the 6th Division With the installation HESTER'S A true I think it was right after Casablanca A tug had biffed our bow and we were headed for repair at Brooklyn After the mldwatch I had just ot to sleep hoping to feel better by dawn G Q when Ra arman Gross gently woke me M WOODALL they ve got Hester in the brig Hester was the Radarman I d last seen peering into the scope as I left CIC Now as everyone knows peremptory incarceration in the brig seldom occurs around 0400 in mid-Atlantic This coupled with a slight malalse caused by too little recreatlon in Casablanca and perhaps some feeling of weariness at having to constantly exercise patience with Capt DENEBRINK s tendancy to ask a lot of questions about radar performance inclined me initially to think I was in another bad dream So B1ll Gross had to speak further about the matter before getting me fully awake But once awake my mind swung swiftly into a posture of offensive reactlon My radarman Hester m the brig? What the Wilkes off our Starboard bow Who put him in the br1g'7 Captain DENEBRINK Well as I said I was weary and not quite up to my usual patience so I said What the hell did he do that for'7 Hester IS a damn good radarman' There must be something wrong here So Bill Gross got radio electriciansmate Harbridge up to CIC about the time I got there and together we found some bad tubes in Hesters radar set It wouldnt have picked up the Massachusettes at 2000 yards Then I really got mad I resolved to remonstrate with Captain DENEBRINK about the injustice to Hester Accordingly I beat a heavy tattoo up the ladder from CIC to the bridge where Captain DENEBRINK s unmistakeable outline could just be discerned on the starboard wing No 'Why Our Navy The Pretty Nurse on our cover , DALL, J . Robert J r is Miss Janet Murray, Nurse, USN, Stationed at the new National Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington. She's wearing the new seagoing uniform recently authorized for Navy Nurses. The shoulder boards indicate her comparable rank to that of Ensign. of Radar in the Communications Department he was assigned as Radar and CIC Officer. This was the beginning of a new and as yet unproven device to give the Officers of the Deck an extra pair of eyes to see in the dark, through fog and inclement weather, and over the horizon for approaching ships of the enemy. fAn incident is included below on this page.J LCDR. WOODALL was detached in March 1944 for the Naval Training School fTactical Radarl, Hollywood, Fla. December 1945 he joined General Electric, Schenectady, New York, as a Design Engineer, Sales Engineer and Application Engineer in Industrial Control Systems. The job located him in Atlanta, Georgia, Salem, Virginia, and Mebane, North Carolina. IN THE BRIG Sea Story one was near him to hear our conversation. This was good, because I would not want everybody to hear this. I walked right up and told DENEBRINK in no uncertain terms that those old thermionic emission transmitter tubes made by G E always ran too hot, that this had a tendancy to change the capacitance of the tank circuit, and as a result the frequency would drift, and the receiver couldn't pick up the reflections And although a really wide-awake radarnian might sense a little something amiss when all his bllps disappeared it really was not Hester's fault about not providing the bridge with the requested range and bearing. UPOII hearlng this, as I recall, Captain DENEBRINK Said something to the effect that this all sounded like a bunch of euphemlsms, and why not just come right out and say the radar was out of commission again. By that time I was really indignant, so I told him, Capt- DENEBRINK, that if he respected justice at all he would her let Hester out of the bri or put me in. Well., Captain NEBRINK was really understanding. He quletly told the Master At-Arms to release Hester. ' Now some of you are going to doubt the details of the story? p icularly the part about how the radar gOt out Od Inmlssion You'll all remember how much we Clependeu it in those days? KO. But I can guarandamntee You ah Hester got put in the brig during the morning Watc ' 0 8 an also guarandamntee you I went UP to Szee aptam DENEBRINK on the bridge and talked to hlm out it I can further guarantee you that I did nqt S0 to brig and Hester got out of the brig. The IQS Wlu Sho? ster in the brig, and out of the brig so that IS the PTOO of this sea story. . . , ri . i n , r. for? He couldn't give the OOD a range and bearing on git ' if ' 27 . ' . ' . . . i . -H i art' . co ' ' , - , ' , . On' ' ' that ' 4 t . I c . C ' . ' . . . ab ' , - - the ' . . , ' He '

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..,. .,.,,,W-.sv h.,. N.. ....X W. ,N First car about 1947 wi vm. ' eq, , ,,, QL, ., . . ,.kk f V ,S ,i, ffgiix 2 ' 4 ' I .k. T . .i V 752 W o n 34' K lg 1 1 I 4 rv '- ,V , f A 1,5 4, f X V X . ' , 1 f g , . 1 fy, A K ' ' 1 ' 11 X5 f ,,4 j,'5 j 'ff , 11,54 f Q., A Q, , gf ' I 3 I W.. if-7-1. -ff , , ' Wickham and son Terry 6 ill ll Y V F12 v I , fl X, K , , It WW ' J M First home 1950 below, Present home from 6156, Haverford, Pa. H.S. Greene, Ray Washburn, Conrad Wickham The Greene's, The Washburn's, The Wickham's. The Wickham, Washburn and Greene Children. Below Mr. Sz Mrs. H.S. Greene with the Children. 'ffl ,K ff 'Q 'Af 2.

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Captain William T. GRONER, USN Captain William T. GRONER, USN Cretl, 2317 Washington Street, San Francisco, California, entered the Navy June 1932 and was graduated from the Naval Academy with the class of 1936. He was married to Enriqueta Yglesias in the fall of 1943, at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis. Mrs. GRONER is the sister of Admiral H. W. Ziroli's wife, Consuelo. They have no children. The Captain, then an Ensign, reported to USS BROOKLYN on 30 August 1937 as a part of the commissioning detail from the USS West Virginia QBB 481. He was assigned as Assistant to the 5th Division Officer. Captain W.T. GRONER, USN Cretj He spent 6 very pleasant and worthwhile years in BROOKLYN from her birth to well along in her fighting career. He says, She was a good ship in every sense of the word, and a proud one, it was a privilege to be a part of her. Advancing from Ensign to Lieutenant in BROOKLYN he was detached 23 February 1943 to commission the USS Belleau Wood QCV 241. After leaving BROOKLYN he had a typical Navy career, that is various Command and Staff jobs ashore and afloat, culminating -in Command of the Naval Torpedo Station, Keyport, Washington. He was retired from the Navy in 1961 and has been enjoying the retirement in San Francisco ever since. fwm 19' Captain Edson H. WHITEHURST, USN fretl, 30 Garden Street, Bath, Maine, was born 14 March 1908 in Troy, New York. He entered the Navy 21 June 1926 and was graduated with the class of 1930 and Commissioned an Ensign USN. He married Julia Main, born 25 September 1911. They had a son, Edson H. WHITEHURST, Jr., born 27 April 1937. Captain WHITEHURST reported in July 1945 in Brooklyn, New York, from duty as Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath, Maine, to be the Executive Officer and then to become Commanding Officer. His duties were very hard and confusing at times during the inactivation and decommis- sioning of BROOKLYN. He was detached November 1945 to duty as Executive Officer, USS Washington, QBBJ. Decorations: Various campaign ribbons and stars. Decorated by King George II of Greece, Royal Order of the Phoenix.