 David D. Hawkins Commander USS Salt Lake City CA25 1941-1944 |
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David D. Hawkins Commander USS Salt Lake City CA25 1941-1944 |
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USS SLC...Officer...David D. Hawkins, Commander
David's deceased date unknown
Nov. 1st, 1943 Restricted Records of Officers: Administrative Duty: navigator & Tact. Edu. & Ship's Censor & Intelligence Battle Station: Conn. Newspaper Article found in Memorabilia- Dec. 18, 1944 - Berkeley, CA. Returns from Pacific- Cruiser Salt Lake City Officer Speaks Back home after three years of action in almost every major sea battle of the Pacific war, Cmdr. D. D. Hawkins, USN, of Berkeley, CA., Navigating officer of the cruiser USS SLC, praised the morale and fighting efficiency of his shipmates as he recounted his experiences. "Our ship had the honor of being a member of the task force that struck the Navy's first offensive blow of the war -- the hit and run raid on the Marshal Islands in Feb. of '42," Commander Hawkins said. "We've had a lot of scraps since then, some of them against odds, but she's always brought us home safely." Since her baptism of fire the Salt Lake City's career has been an eventful one, highlighted by the midnight slugging match of surface ships at Kula Gulf and the "Battle of the Komandorski Islands in the Aleutians -- an engagement from which she emerged damaged but victorious after she and other navy surface vessels turned back the last serious Jap threat to our campaign in the far north. "Those among us who were aboard when we hurriedly bombarded Wotje Island in the Marshall and later Wake Island in those early sneak attacks in 1942, got a kick out of returning to those same targets this year and being able to take our own sweet time blasting the Jap shore installations to smithereens." Commander Hawkins joined the SLC as the first assistant engineering officer in Sept. of 1941 and has been navigating officer of the ship for the past two years. He was graduated from the Naval Academy with the class of 1930. After a month's leave he will return to duty at Hunter's Point Navy Yard. Mentioned in article about Battle of Cape Esperance & Lt. Lyle Ramsey #4 in picture of Officers "after" the Komandorski Battle Close Call in the Aleutians #5 in Officers, Mare Island Navy Yard, April 1943 #8 in Officers, 1943-44 Received Bronze Star for part played in Battle of Cape Esperance Picture found in Memorabilia Savo Island Victory & Rescue of the BOISE by Joseph Driscoll Information from SLC Cruise Book Miracle on board the SLC History of United States Naval Operations in World War II Christmas Carol from the Pacific Epic of the USS SLC SLC Deck Log Officer's List SLC Deck Log June, 1942 Awards Check Off List, 1947 |
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