Madison R. Stevens Awarded
By Robert Vanderbrugen/Democrat News Staff Writer
Oct 28, 2009 - 12:58:53 CDT
World War II Veteran Madison R. Stevens of Fredericktown was awarded a 60 membership pin (with hat) from the Fredericktown Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4320 on Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
The pin was presented to him at his home by VFW Post Commander Gary Lee, Chaplain Earl Bollinger and Chief Petty Officer (ret) Bill Hart. Stevens said he joined the VFW in July of 1946 and has maintained his membership ever since.
Stevens said he joined the U.S. Navy just after his 18th birthday. It was October 1943.
Stevens had served in the U.S. Navy during W.W.II. He attained the rank of Quartermaster, 2nd Class (navigation). He said two others from the area also joined at the same time, the late Junior Wells and Marvin Graham. All three men took basic at Farragut, Idaho.
After graduating from boot camp, Stevens was sent to an outgoing unit at Shoemaker, California. From there, it was on to Treasure Island where he boarded a troop transport for Hawaii. Stevens stayed at Pearl Harbor for three weeks before being assigned to a destroyer escort named the USS Dennis DE-405. (The Ozark Gazette-June 17, 1994)
The ship was deployed in the Leyte Gulf. The Dennis was part of the ships that fought off the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. He said “It was our job to protect the carriers.” He said the destroyers and destroyer escorts would encircle the carriers. Usually there were six carriers in the middle. “The Dennis’ job was to head off torpedoes.” Stevens said. The Dennis had one rack of 18 inch torpedoes. Stevens said the destroyer escorts were smaller than the destroyers and had a compliment of about 215 to 220 officers and crew. A destroyer had about 320. Earl Bollinger asked Stevens how fast the destroyer escorts could move. (Bollinger had fought in the Battle of the Bulge in WW II). Stevens said “A destroyer escort could reach about 28 knots (at full speed) and the destroyers could run as fast as 40 knots.”
Stevens said during the patrol in the Gulf, the escorts were running about 50 miles apart. They were know as Taffey I Taffey II and Taffey III, so called because of their radio voice radio call signs according to CE1 Robert A. Germinsky, U.S. Naval Reserve.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navycarriers/bljeepcarriers.htm
Stevens had been part of the Taffey III escort aboard the Dennis. He was a signalman in the Communications Division and remained there until April, 1946 when the ship was decommissioned in San Diego.
He had participated in the invasion of Moroati, Layte of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. On October 25, 1944 they had a large surface battle lasting nearly four hours in the Philippines. A large number of Japanese ships came upon the carriers and escorts. There were four battle ships, eight cruisers and 13 destroyers, so they seemed greatly outnumbered. We had only six small carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
Stevens said, “We had 13 ships and lost 5 in just a few hours.” Two carriers, two destroyers and one destroyer escort had been lost according to Stevens and the Ozark Gazette article (June 17, 1994). During the battle, The Dennis had been hit and had four large holes in her Stevens said. Repair parties keep the Dennis afloat.
At Iwo Jima, the battle started on February 19, 1945. American casualties numbered almost 26,000. (According to Stevens in the Democrat News article of February 23, 1995). Stevens said, “About 7000 died at Iwo Jima.” Many lives were lost on both sides. After three days in the area, Stevens said he saw the historic raising of the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi through his scope.
But it would be mid-March of 1945 before the area was nearly secure.
On April 1, 1945, they invaded Okinawa. Like Iwo Jima, this was also a bloody battle with many lives being lost on both sides. Okinawa was the last island before the main island of Japan; about two of three hundred miles away. All signs indicated that Japan’s mainland would be invaded around November 1945; but it was anyone’s guess. (Ozark Gazette-1994).
President Harry Truman put all doubts aside when on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945, he ordered the release of atom bombs on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fighting resumed after the bombings until about August 16, 1945. Japan finally signed an unconditional surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
After his honorable discharge, Stevens went to work for the National Lead Mine Company in the Engineering Department. With some studies from Washington University in St. Louis, he became a Geophysical Field Technician for the company. He continued this occupation with National Lead and later with several oil companies totaling 28 years in the field of mineral and petroleum exploration and mineral production. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
He retired in 1987 as the owner of the Flower Box in Fredericktown. He has since retired from the business.
Madison R. Stevens was married to Dorothy who passed away in 2004. They had three sons: Donald, DeWayne and David. As of October, 2009 - Donald lives in Hawaii, DeWayne is a teacher in Kuwait and David is a music teacher in Marquand, Missouri. Madison resides in Fredericktown.
October 27 is Navy Day.
For further reading about local veterans including Graham, Stevens and Wells, see the Madison County Veterans of WW II book available at the library or the Madison County Historical Society on North Main St. (John Paul Skaggs Memorial Street). Vetreran’s Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2009.
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The pin was presented to him at his home by VFW Post Commander Gary Lee, Chaplain Earl Bollinger and Chief Petty Officer (ret) Bill Hart. Stevens said he joined the VFW in July of 1946 and has maintained his membership ever since.
Stevens said he joined the U.S. Navy just after his 18th birthday. It was October 1943.
Stevens had served in the U.S. Navy during W.W.II. He attained the rank of Quartermaster, 2nd Class (navigation). He said two others from the area also joined at the same time, the late Junior Wells and Marvin Graham. All three men took basic at Farragut, Idaho.
After graduating from boot camp, Stevens was sent to an outgoing unit at Shoemaker, California. From there, it was on to Treasure Island where he boarded a troop transport for Hawaii. Stevens stayed at Pearl Harbor for three weeks before being assigned to a destroyer escort named the USS Dennis DE-405. (The Ozark Gazette-June 17, 1994)
The ship was deployed in the Leyte Gulf. The Dennis was part of the ships that fought off the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. He said “It was our job to protect the carriers.” He said the destroyers and destroyer escorts would encircle the carriers. Usually there were six carriers in the middle. “The Dennis’ job was to head off torpedoes.” Stevens said. The Dennis had one rack of 18 inch torpedoes. Stevens said the destroyer escorts were smaller than the destroyers and had a compliment of about 215 to 220 officers and crew. A destroyer had about 320. Earl Bollinger asked Stevens how fast the destroyer escorts could move. (Bollinger had fought in the Battle of the Bulge in WW II). Stevens said “A destroyer escort could reach about 28 knots (at full speed) and the destroyers could run as fast as 40 knots.”
Stevens said during the patrol in the Gulf, the escorts were running about 50 miles apart. They were know as Taffey I Taffey II and Taffey III, so called because of their radio voice radio call signs according to CE1 Robert A. Germinsky, U.S. Naval Reserve.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navycarriers/bljeepcarriers.htm
Stevens had been part of the Taffey III escort aboard the Dennis. He was a signalman in the Communications Division and remained there until April, 1946 when the ship was decommissioned in San Diego.
He had participated in the invasion of Moroati, Layte of the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. On October 25, 1944 they had a large surface battle lasting nearly four hours in the Philippines. A large number of Japanese ships came upon the carriers and escorts. There were four battle ships, eight cruisers and 13 destroyers, so they seemed greatly outnumbered. We had only six small carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
Stevens said, “We had 13 ships and lost 5 in just a few hours.” Two carriers, two destroyers and one destroyer escort had been lost according to Stevens and the Ozark Gazette article (June 17, 1994). During the battle, The Dennis had been hit and had four large holes in her Stevens said. Repair parties keep the Dennis afloat.
At Iwo Jima, the battle started on February 19, 1945. American casualties numbered almost 26,000. (According to Stevens in the Democrat News article of February 23, 1995). Stevens said, “About 7000 died at Iwo Jima.” Many lives were lost on both sides. After three days in the area, Stevens said he saw the historic raising of the Stars and Stripes atop Mount Suribachi through his scope.
But it would be mid-March of 1945 before the area was nearly secure.
On April 1, 1945, they invaded Okinawa. Like Iwo Jima, this was also a bloody battle with many lives being lost on both sides. Okinawa was the last island before the main island of Japan; about two of three hundred miles away. All signs indicated that Japan’s mainland would be invaded around November 1945; but it was anyone’s guess. (Ozark Gazette-1994).
President Harry Truman put all doubts aside when on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945, he ordered the release of atom bombs on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fighting resumed after the bombings until about August 16, 1945. Japan finally signed an unconditional surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
After his honorable discharge, Stevens went to work for the National Lead Mine Company in the Engineering Department. With some studies from Washington University in St. Louis, he became a Geophysical Field Technician for the company. He continued this occupation with National Lead and later with several oil companies totaling 28 years in the field of mineral and petroleum exploration and mineral production. (Ozark Gazette-1994)
He retired in 1987 as the owner of the Flower Box in Fredericktown. He has since retired from the business.
Madison R. Stevens was married to Dorothy who passed away in 2004. They had three sons: Donald, DeWayne and David. As of October, 2009 - Donald lives in Hawaii, DeWayne is a teacher in Kuwait and David is a music teacher in Marquand, Missouri. Madison resides in Fredericktown.
October 27 is Navy Day.
For further reading about local veterans including Graham, Stevens and Wells, see the Madison County Veterans of WW II book available at the library or the Madison County Historical Society on North Main St. (John Paul Skaggs Memorial Street). Vetreran’s Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2009.