This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Carpenter, Donald Marshall (Doc), LCDR USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Hopbottom, PA
Last Address Coronado, Ca
Date of Passing Apr 04, 1940
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Donald Marshall Carpenter was an early naval aviator in the United States Navy flying from the USS Langley (CV-1) and USS Lexington (CV-2). These were the first two aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy.
He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in the Class of 1916, representing Pennsylvania. He is the namesake of the USS Carpenter (DD-825).
Medically retired in October 1936.
Other Comments:
On 18 June 1945, Mrs. Edward S. Shaw, sister of Carpenter’s widow Clara, wrote to Admiral King, then Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (who had commanded Lexington when Carpenter had commanded VS-3B) suggesting that a ship be named for the late leader of VP-5F’s historic flight in 1933, citing the "sincere respect" her brother-in-law had felt for King. "I sincerely hope you will not consider me presumptuous," she wrote, "but if you could lend your approval to such an honor for ‘Doc’ as we all knew him, I would appreciate it very much."
"Please do this if you can," King wrote to the Chief of Naval Personnel, who recommended the name assignment on 10 July 1945; consequently, on 14 July 1945, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal assigned the name Carpenter to DD-825.
In writing to Secretary Forrestal upon being informed of the naming of the ship, Carpenter’s widow wrote on 9 August 1945 of her “deep appreciation of the honor bestowed on my two sons and me in the naming of this ship for my late husband and I hope her record will be one of which to be proud...".
On Dec 7th she was docked at Pearl Harbor: Battleship Row; forward of the Maryland and Oklahoma
Fate: The California was struck by two torpedoes and one bomb. The first torpedo hit at 8:05 a.m.; the second came moments later. With a gaping hole in the ship, it started capsizing. Despite efforts to bail water from the ship, it sank to the harbor bottom after three days of progressive flooding.
Crew: 2,200
Deceased: 105
The ship was raised via cofferdams, moved to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on April, 1942, with repairs to her cage mainmast and all six 14" forward guns were removed to facilitate her refloating. It took until January, 1944 for the ship's total reconstruction but it was a match for most of the newer US battleships in all but it's main guns (still 14").
An after view of the USS California.
January, 1945, the USS California was hit by a Japanese kamikaze where 44 of her crew died and 155 injured. Battle repairs were made to keep her battle-worthy and on station. She stayed on station until the end of the month and returned to Puget Sound for repairs. She was back on station for the landings at Okinawa and from there until the Japanese surrender in mid-August.
Of historical interest is that after the official end of WWII, the USS California was still on duty and after different assignments in Philippines and other areas in SE Asia, she returned to the US on Dec 7, 1945 - exactly 4 years to the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
