LCdr "Mush" Morton quote

General Discussion FSM Ready Room
1

I had a plaque made up with his famous quote on the “Destroyer gunning-Wahoo running”.

I have now seen two versions of it, one from the NacSource page for Wahoo, and the other from the Mare Island site for her.

NavSource gives it as “Another running gunfight…destroyer gunning…Wahoo running” Text from a Navy picture.

Mare Island gives it as “Another running gun battle today. Destroyer gunning, Wahoo running”. In the quote from the day before on wiping out the convoy, it gives the same wording of “running gun and torpedo battle” on the report sent for that confrontation. These supposedly from messages/reports sent.

My question is which is the correct one. I tend to think the Mare Island version is the correct one as I had seen it bofore and it tend to stay in the same verbage as the prior message. Opinions or other ideas?

2

“Another running gun battle today. Destroyer gunning, Wahoo running”

is how it’s listed at:

USS Wahoo (SS-238), 1942–1943 – Third War Patrol, January–February 1943, Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center

Obviously there’s no hard transcript of a radio message.

3

I knew I had seen it that way in a Navy report somewhere in the past. Thanks.

Actually there should be a “flimsy” of messages recieved, but very doubtful they have survived time…but you never know with the USN.

4

Doh…of course you are correct.

I am very fond of all things Mare Island. Back in the 50’s my Godparents lived there for a while, he was an SSBN XO and later a skipper. Spent many happy days there, as we lived within a days drive.

More recently I’ve pulled off the Highway a few times to just look around in there.

Thinking about all the MI boats on Eternal Patrol makes me get tears.

5

You aren’t the only one. Of the 23 MI built that conducted combat operations…7 are still out there.

6

USS Pompano SS-181

USS Swordfish SS-193

Uss Gudgeon SS-211

USS Trigger SS-237

USS Wahoo SS-238

USS Tullibee SS-284

USS Tang SS-306

"There is a port of no return,where ships

May ride at anchor for a little space

And then, some starless night, the cable slips,

Leaving an eddy at the mooring place…

Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar.

No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore".

-Jennings

Here’s Wahoo headed east into the Carquinez Channel. August 14, 1943.

Those big transmission towers in the far background carry the half mile long power cables over the strait, from Vallejo to the town of Crockett, site of the big C & H sugar factory.

This was my frankly incomparable Godfather, a family companion and personal friend.

http://www.ssbn630.org/id166.html

7

check out WARFISH by George Grider. he was on WAHOO during that time.

8

Wayne- Thanks, going to have to get that one, along with Wahoo by O’Kane and Wake of the Wahoo.

The 3 of those should give a pretty good history and storyline of her life and stories behind some of her crew.

9

I’ve also got On Eternal Patrol, The Lost Boats of Mare island. it’s a small locally published book that lists Grider and O’Kanes books in it’s biblio. There’s a chapter on each of the seven who remain on patrol. It’s on Amazon, a pretty good book with a lot of photos.

10

Thanks G- looks like my amazon order is going to be a little bigger-----