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Contact Info
Home Town Roper, NC
Last Address Santa Rosa Sonoma County California
Date of Passing Jan 08, 2009
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
LCDR Cecil Edward "Red" Blount C. E. Blount, USN, designated Naval Aviator (LTA) #6751 in 1940
Cecil ("Red") received his congressional appointment to the U.S.Naval Academy from North Carolina. He graduated with the Class of 1935. Upon graduation, he served on the USS RANGER (CV-4) and then went to ComAirBatFor. In '38 he served on the FARRAGUT and then to NAS Lakehurst, NJ, for his LTA wings. In '40 he served on the TEXAS. In '42 blimp duty took him to Elizabeth City, Santa Ana, South Weymouth, and Trinidad. In '43 he went to the Naval War College. He then went to Brisbane Australia on Com 7th Fleet Staff and then CO of the CARTER HALL (LSD-3) for the Leyte Landing. He was in Pearl Harbor on Com14's staff - Exec of the OBERON and the WRANGELL. In '53 he went to San Juan on ComCarib staff.
LCDR Blount retired in '55 while stationed in Panama. In 1955 he relocated with his family to Corvallis, OR, to pursue a geology degree at Oregon State University. In the '60s and '70s he lived in Rhodesia, Congo, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada returning to Virginia in 1977. In 2006 he relocated to California to be closer to family, and passed away at the age of 97.
Hull number: BB-35
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Va.
Keel laid: April 17, 1911
Launched: May 18, 1912
Commissioned: March 12, 1914
Length overall: 573’
Max. beam: 106’ 0.75” (width)
Height: 131’ 7.5” (approx. waterline to radar on top of foremast)
Normal freeboard: 25’ 4” at bow, 22’ at stern (approx. waterline to main deck)
Normal draft: 28’ 6” (waterline to keel)
Rated displacement: 32,000 tons unload
Rated displacement: 34,000 tons, full load
Speed: 20.4 knots (about 24 mph)
Crew Complement: - 1,580 sailors; Officers – 101; Marines – 80; Total – 1,766
Decommissioned: April 21, 1948, when she was transferred to the State of Texas serving as an active museum to this very day and monument to those who served and sacrificed their lives for freedom and liberty.
Ship’s Weapons
Main battery: 10 14-inch/45-caliber guns in 5 turrets
12" torpedo blast belt
Range: Projectiles: 13 miles
Full broadside: 1,500 pounds each (armor piercing) 1,275 pounds each (high explosive) 15,000 pounds (armor piercing)
Rate of fire: 1 round every 45 seconds
Turret crew: 70–110 men
Secondary battery: 6 5-inch/51-caliber guns
10 3-inch/50-caliber guns
Anti-aircraft: 10 40mm four-gun (quad) mounts 44 20mm guns
