Thanks to Paul Chastain, FCCS(SW) USN (ret) for sending this in.
For some American sailors, World War II began before December 7, 1941. During the latter part of 1941, U.S. Navy ships provided escorts for convoys bound for Great Britain carrying war materials from our “Arsenal of Democracy.” Because German U-boats considered all ships in the convoys fair game, it was only a matter of time before we became involved in a “shooting war.”
Disaster struck in the early morning hours of October 31, 1941. While escorting convoy HX-156, the USS Reuben James was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 115 of 160 crewmen, including all officers. Although not the first U.S. Navy ship torpedoed before the war, the Reuben James was the first one lost. After the news of the sinking reached America, many concerned people wrote letters to the Navy to find out the fate of friends or loved ones.
Sadly, most of the country ignored the sinking. One who did not was folk singer Woody Guthrie, who wrote his now-famous song immediately after the incident: Tell me, what were their names? Tell me, what were their names? Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James? — USS Reuben James DD-245, sunk by German Submarine U-552 on 31 October 1941.
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Slideshow of USS Reuben James DD-245 and German U-552, with photos of DE-153 and FFG-57, accompanied by Woody Guthrie’s song — 3 minutes
Slideshow of the USS Reuben James DD-245 and German U-552 includes photos of DE-153 and Guided Missile Frigate FFG-57. It is accompanied by Woody Guthrie’s song written shortly after the sinking of the USS Reuben James DD-245 on October 31, 1941 — five weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Boatswain’s Mate Reuben James, for whom the ship was named
Guided Missile Frigate USS Reuben James FFG-57 returning to Pearl Harbor after deployment. It was the last remaining guided-missile frigate homeported in Hawaii and was decommissioned July 18, 2013 after nearly thirty years of distinguished naval service.
USS Reuben James (FFG-57) — The officers and crew hosted nearly 100 friends, family, alumni, and honored guests during the decommissioning ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Among those who attended were 30 former crew members and their families, including five “plank-owners” and six former commanding officers. “This ceremony was an opportunity for us to say fair winds, farewell, and a job well done — not only to the crew today but also to the thousands of Sailors who served aboard Reuben James over the years,” said Capt. Chris Bushnell, Deputy Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 31. Guest speaker was retired Navy Captain Faris T. Farwell, former commanding officer of the ship, 1997–1999.
