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Billy Williams, MM1
to remember
Barnhart, Donald, GM2c.
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Last Address Torrance, California
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Donald Ray Barnhart was born in Long Beach, CA on 29Mar13
Donald Ray Barnhart was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, CA on 31Jan31.
From 02Jun33 to 08Aug33, Don was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps employed in the War Department as a Painter at March Field, Camp F-23 at Hilt, California. His service number was CC-9-72091 and the place was run by the Army Corp of Engineers, Charles S. Pope 1st LT, Engineers Reservist Commanding.
Donald Ray Barnhart entered the Navy through RTC San Diego, CA on 16Aug33. Don's Navy Service number was 380-79-97. He was transferred on Monday, 04Dec33 to the USS Chester as an AS, USN to San Pedro, CA. He served on board the USS Chester, the USS Oglala, Back to the USS CHester, and was Honorably Discharged after 4 years from the Receiving Ship, San Diego, CA on 16Jul37.
After his initial Naval service, Don was employed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation as a wing & tail assembler "C" and Electro-Plater. Don was employed from 21Jan42 to 28Aug42. He left he company voluntarily to reenlist in the Navy on 27Aug42.
Don was recalled to the US Naval Reserves as a GM2 to train gunnery crews in World War II. The Letter from the Navy Department Bureau of Naval Personel dated 18Jun42 reads as follows:
Dear Sir,
Your country is in urgent need of the experience you gained during your service in the Navy, the tremendous expansion of the shore establishments, the over-seas bases, and the sea-going forces have created a shortage of experienced personnel.
The records of the Bureau indicate that you were discharged during the past ten years. If you are found to be physically and otherwise qualified, and were discharged between 01Jul32 and 06Dec41 with an honorable discharge, recommended for reenlistment, the Navy will welcome your return provided you are not over 501/2 years of age, and urges you to call at your nearest Navy Recruiting Station where the Officer-in-Charge has the authority to effect your reenlistment in class V-6, US Naval Reserve.
If you were paid off as a Petty Officer, you will be shipped over in a rating one grade higher than that you held at discharge, not to exceed Chief Petty Officer (AA). If you were discharged as a non-rated man - messman branch excepted - you will be reenlisted as a Petty Officer, Third Class; if you were in the messman branch you will be reenlisted in a rating one grade higher than that held at discharge not to exceed Officer's Cheif Steward (AA) or Officer's Cheif Cook (AA).
Pay is better now than it was when you were paid off by virtue of the new pay bill signed by the President on 17Jun42 and in addition there is legislation pending (approved by the Navy Department) which on enactment will provide an additional allowance for dependents
THINK THIS OVER - YOUR NAVY NEEDS YOU NOW!
Signed Randall Jacobs, Cheif of Naval Personnel
Donald Barnhart reenlisted into the Navy Reserve on 27Aug42. He served 3 years, 2 months, and 2 days. He served on the followong ships: USS California (in which he advanced to GM2 on 01Apr43), USS Pittsburgh, and the USS Chicago. Donald Barnhart attended the refresher course Fleet Electric Hydraulic School in San Diego, Ca and graduated on 13Nov42 as a GM3. He was Honorably Discharged as a GM2 on 28Oct45 from the US Naval Personnel Separation Center in Shoemaker, CA.
Other Comments:
Donald Barnhart is my EX-wife's grandfather on her mother's side.
1945-1946, GM-0000, USS Chicago (CA-29)
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Other Memories The USS Chicago (CA-136) was a heavy cruiser laid down on 28 July 1943 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, by the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Launched on 20 August 1944 she was sponsored by Mrs. Edward J. Kelly, wife of the Mayor of Chicago, Illinois, and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 10 January 1945, Captain Richard R. Hartung, USN, in command.
Chicago spent her first six weeks preparing for sea duty before departing on 26 February for Norfolk. After conducting training exercises, and calibrated her compasses in Chesapeake Bay, the cruiser got underway 12 March for the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad. Arriving on 18 March the cruiser conducted shakedown training and shore bombardment exercises off Culebra, Puerto Rico, before returning to Norfolk on 11 April. Following inspections and battle problem training the cruiser sailed to Philadelphia for post-shakedown repair availability on 16 April.
In company with Alfred A. Cunningham, the cruiser departed for the Caribbean on 7 May, en route to the Pacific. Designed to operate offensively with strike and amphibious forces, Chicago spent her transit time conducting various anti-air drills, gunnery exercises, and radar tracking training. After refueling at San Juan, Puerto Rico on 11 May the ships spent three days conducting gunnery practice before departing for Colon, Canal Zone, on 15 May. With transit complete the next day the ships arrived at Pearl Harbor on 31 May.
Following another period of gunnery, day battle, anti-aircraft exercises, and shore bombardment exercises off Kahoolawe Island, the cruiser departed for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, on 28 June. In company with the battleship North Carolina, Chicago arrived at the atoll on 5 July and immediately refueled from oiler SS Pan American. Underway that same day, with the destroyer Stockham, added for anti-submarine screen, the ships joined Rear Admiral Radford's Task Group 38.4 north of the Marianas on 8 July.
Added to the anti-aircraft screen, Chicago guarded the Task Group's carriers as they conducted air strikes against the Tokyo Plains area, Honshū, Japan, on 10 July. After refueling on 12 July the Task Group returned to the Japanese coast and launched air strikes against airfields, shipping, and railways in the northern Honshū and Hokkaidō areas the next day.
On 14 July, in company with fast battleships South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, the cruiser Quincy acting as the command ship, and nine destroyers of Rear Admiral Shafroth's bombardment unit, Chicago closed northern Honshū to bombard the Kamaishi industrial area. At 12:12 the cruiser joined the battleships in firing on the iron works and warehouses. Although heavy smoke obscured the target from the cruiser's spotting planes, the combination of pre-plotting the target through photo reconnaissance and radar positioning data allowed Chicago's guns to start fires in numerous buildings, several large warehouses, and among nearby oil tanks. At 12:51 the cruiser's secondary battery guns began firing on a Japanese destroyer-escort type vessel. The escort was straddled and hit by 5" shell fire, began smoking, and retired into the harbor. The Task Force retired at 14:26, leaving the port under a pall of black smoke.
The following day Chicago operated as "a temporary seaplane carrier" when the battleship Iowa transferred her SC-1 Seahawk floatplanes to the cruiser. By hanging one plane over the side with the crane the crew was still able to launch an SC-1 from the catapult for spotting services. After replenishment operations on 16 July, the cruiser resumed screening the carriers as they launched air strikes over the Tokyo Plains, northern Honshū and Hokkaidō, and the Kure-Kobe area over the next two weeks.
On 29 July, in company with the British battleship King George V and several American battleships, Chicago participated in a night shore bombardment mission against the port of Hamamatsu. Using radar, and assisted by spotting planes dropping flares and rockets, the ships fired at bridges, factories and the rail yard for about an hour. Rejoining the Task Group five hours later Chicago once again screened the carriers as they launched air strikes against the Tokyo-Nagoya area.
Operations with the carriers, including a diversion to the south to avoid a typhoon, continued until 9 August when Rear Admiral Shafroth's bombardment unit returned to Kamaishi. The battleships, joined by Chicago, three more heavy cruisers and a Royal Navy light cruiser detachment, delivered another two-hour bombardment of the town before returning to the carrier task forces.
For the next six days the cruiser screened the carriers as they launched continuous strikes against the Japanese Home Islands until 15 August and the Japanese armistice. Chicago remained with the carriers until 23 August when she departed for Japan. Anchoring in Sagami Wan on 27 August, and then moving to Tokyo Bay on 3 September, the cruiser supported the unloading of supplies and equipment for Third Fleet occupation forces.
Post World War II
After transferring 47 men and the Marine Detachment for duty at Yokosuka Naval Base, the cruiser remained in port until 23 October when she got underway for the demilitarization of the Izu Islands. Over the next twelve days inspection teams helped the Japanese garrison on O Shima and Nii Shima demolish gun emplacements, artillery, ammunition and other military equipment on the islands. Three days later, on 7 November, the cruiser got underway for San Pedro, California.
After arrival on 23 November Chicago received an overhaul at the San Pedro Naval Shipyard, before returning to the Far East. Underway on 24 January 1946 the cruiser arrived in Shanghai on 18 February for occupation duty. She remained there until 28 March as flagship of the Yangtze Patrol Force and then sailed to Sasebo, Japan, where she became flagship of Naval Support Force, Japanese Empire Waters. The cruiser visited several other ports in Japan before clearing for the west coast on 14 January 1947. Moved to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard the heavy cruiser was placed out of commission in reserve on 6 June 1947.
