co mpleted reading Gordon M cGowa n's wo nderful story and enjoyed it thorou ghly. I sail ed aboard Eagle from Portsmo uth, Virginia, to C harleston , South Carolina, in 1990. I discovered a copy in the W ard Room Library late in our voyage but was unable to co mpl ete it before reaching C harl esto n. I have sought a copy ever since so I could find o ut how the voyage ended. Arri vi ng in Bremerhaven in Jun e 1946 aboard the US A rmy transport Edmund B. Alexandria, I saw Eddie Didi o n, the orphan who was adopted by th e Eagle's refitting crew, aboard one of the tenders bringing port personn el to greet the Alexandria at th e mouth of the W ese r River. Later in 1949 when my fat her was an assistant Post Engineer in Bremerhave n, I met Eddie again . H e was an unofficial member of the American co mmuni ty. COL. ] AMESW. BRAD IN, US Army (Rer. ) Beaufort, South Carolin a
Our readers were introduced to Eddie Didion in the excerpt we printed from The Skipper and the Eagle in Sea History 86 {pp45-47). Despite the crews affection for the boy, Capt. McGowan had to leave him in Germany when Eagle departed Bremerhaven. - ED. The Call of the Sea In the summer of 1945, when I was a high school sopho more, my parents sent me to summer cam p aboard the Yankee, th en in the custody o f Admiral Billard Academy at New London, Co nnecticur. Later, after reading Irving Johnson's book, Westward Bound in the Schooner Yankee, I was hoo ked o n ships and th e sea . I graduated fro m the US Merchant M arin e Academ y at Kin gs Point, New York, in 1953 and laun ched a 40-year career in the merchant marin e, US Navy, US Naval Reserve, and positions as hore in stevedoring, marine termin al operations and port authoriti es. I retired as port d irector of the Port of Pascago ula, Mississippi, after eight yea rs of service. I agree that the NMHS sea ex perience p rogra m is a wonderful way to ge nerate interest in the sea. Keep up the good wo rk! CAPT. PAUL W. SMITH, USN R (Ret) Ocean Springs, Mississippi
history of WWI and WWII ve ry welldestroye rs, cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers. But in none of yo ur main stories have you ever covered that part of the US Navy I served in , th e part known as the "amphibs"-LCTs, LCls, and LSTs. The large vessels laid off shore and fired round afte r round. T hen the landing craft moved in , hoping the min e sweepers had done a good job and the large shells had knocked out the enem y. T he large USN vessels were well o ut of reach of German shore batteries, unlike th e amphibs. H AROLD L. SAGEN DORPH W end ell , North Carolina
Praise for Marine Artist Bill Gilkerson I read with fas cination the inner thoughts of a marin e artist so skillfully revealed by Stuart M. Frank in his interview with Bill G ilkerson in Sea History 84. The forthright hon esty of Gilkerson in respect to his objecti ves co mpl emented by examples of his art make an interesting presentation . The skills and balance of artistic express ion reveal ed demon strate why Bill Gilkerso n has established himself as a marine artist of international standin g. An outstanding exampl e of this is the frontispi ece for his novel Ultimate Voyage. "View of a M edi eval Seaport" embodies the skills and character of the man himself. No doubt the article has received a nod of approval fro m Gilkerso n's peers and patrons of the ans alike. It is a credit to all co ncerned and in keeping with Sea History's
Frontispiece for William Gilkerson s UIti mate Voyage: A Book of Five Marin ers
(Boston MA: Shambhala Press, 1998) contribut ion to international m a ritim e heritage-a spirit rapidly developin g here in Australia. GARY TONKIN, Scrimshaw Artist Albany, Western Australia
A Writer Responds M elbourne Smith 's remarks co ncernin g my book, Tidewater Triumph-The Devel-
opment and Worldwide Success ofthe Chesapeake Bay Pilot Schooner (revi ewed in SH 8 7, pp43-44), correctly point out th at the book is an hisrorical study of the social and
Join Us for a Voyage into History Our seafaring heritage comes ali ve in the pages of Sea History, from the ancient mariners of Greece to Portuguese navigators opening up the ocean world to the heroic efforts of seamen in thi s century 's conflicts. Each issue brings new insights and
new di scoveries. If yo u love the sea, the rivers, lakes and bays-if yo u love the legacy of those who sa il in deep water and their workaday craft, then you belong with us. Join today! Mail in the form below or phone
1-800-221-NMHS (6647)
Yes, I want to join the Society and receive Sea History quarterly. My contribution is enclosed. ($ 17 .SO is fo r Sea His1ory; any amount above that is tax dedu ctible.) Sign me on as: $35 Regul ar Member $50 Family Member $100 Friend $250 Patron $500 Donor Mr./Ms. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What About Landing Craft? Your sea sto ri es of the days of sailing vessels are very good, and you cover aspects of th e
SEA HISTORY 88 , SPRING 1999
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.Z IP_ _ _ _ _ _~
Return to National Maritime Historical Society, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566
3