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Henry Paul Dittmer, PhM2c(T), 1944-1945, Atomic War Veteran

Henry Dittmer enlisted in the US Navy on July 24, 1943 in Portland, Oregon. He reported aboard the USS Calvert on August 29, 1944 while the ship was in the Hawaiian Islands.

As a Pharmacist Mate he was a member of the ship’s medical crew and was involved in landing operations in the Pacific, including the landings at Leyte, Philippines.

Occupation of Japan – Atomic War Veteran

Henry was also aboard the Calvert during the occupation of Japan, Hiroshima area, in October and November 1945. He took leave of the ship in San Francisco on November 30, 1945, following the crew’s return from the occupation of Japan.

Appreciation to his son David for providing photographs, documents from his father’s collection: “My father was a corpsman in the navy during World War II, although the navy term for his classification was pharmacist’s mate.  He served on a troop transport ship and was stationed in the waters around the Philippines. I asked him if he was drafted and he said he was afraid of being stuck in the infantry, so he enlisted in the navy. If you saw ‘Saving Private Ryan’, you saw the Higgins boats that brought the troops ashore. Dad said he was on the 7th wave, although it was in the South Pacific, not Normandy. He was at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and saw kamikaze attacks, Towards the end of the war after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, his ship was sent to Japan. He and a pilot were dispatched on a small boat with a couple of officers to Hiroshima.”

Below are five photographs, and interview notes, from his time ashore in Hiroshima Japan in October and November 1945. These photographs and pages were originally posted, around 2007, on a web site dedicated to sharing the stories of Atomic War Veterans, but which is no longer available online. The interview and photographs were introduced as follows on that web site: “Henry went ashore at Hiroshima in October 1945, as a Medic and tells what he saw there. He also sent five photographs taken while he toured the ruins of the 1st city blasted by the atomic bomb.”

Additional information on the Calvert’s and crew’s experiences during the Occupation of Japan, Hiroshima, in October and November 1945 are available on this page: https://www.usscalvert.com/2021/01/16/occupation-of-central-japan-hiro-wan-bay-hiroshima-area-october-1945/

Emery Edward Thompson, Motor Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class – 1943-44

Emery Thompson enlisted in the Navy on October 16, 1942 and reported aboard the Calvert on April 23, 1943 following graduation from the US Navy’s Wentworth Institute service school, Boston MA on April 10, 1943 where he had completed Machinist Mate training and certification.

He transferred off the Calvert sometime during late 1943 or early 1944.

Appreciation to Emery’s son, NCCS Bruce E. Thompson, USN, Retired for the personal items shown below.

USS Calvert – Chronological Research Notes – 1941.11.15 to 1942.12.31

The document below contains detailed chronological research notes for the period November 15, 1941 to December 31, 1942. During this period the USS Calvert:

  • Was built, launched, trialed and placed into commission.
  • Converted to transport by the U.S. Navy and underwent her shakedown cruise.
  • Exchanged boat crews and officers with the USS Harry Lee and readied for emergency departure to participate in the Invasion of North Africa.
  • Sailed to Safi, French Morocco and participated in the landings and unloading at Safi, French Morocco as part of Operation Torch.
    • The details for November 8th are relatively complicated given a series of contingent plans for landing plan at Safi and the Calvert’s specific role in the invasion.
    • The story line is not as clear as I would have liked them to be in a published document, however I have decided to publish this section as-is.
  • Returned to Norfolk, VA and underwent repair, upkeep, and yard work.

View and download the 49 page document here: USS Calvert – Chronological Research Notes – 1941.11.15 to 1942.12.31

Additional documents covering other periods of WWII are available here: https://www.usscalvert.com/history/apa32-1942-1947/

Notes:

  • The document was last updated and uploaded on September 2, 2022.
  • Please contact me with any questions, additions, or corrections.

As always, thank you for visiting the website and anything you are wiling or able to share regarding the history of the USS Calvert.