Message from Daughter Patty Ogden
He was very proud to have served on the U.S.S. Salt Lake City and to be a member of the Salt Lake City Association. He loved attending the reunions and was looking forward to going to Laughlin in September. He was a great Dad from an amazing generation and will be deeply missed.

My name is Patty Ogden. My Dad, Gerald L. Maxwell, is a WW II Veteran that served on the USS Salt Lake City. I attended the reunion with him in Reno this past September. We had a great time and were very sorry you were not able to attend as we were looking forward to meeting you. I finally got my dad to write a short biography so I could send it to you along with a picture of him in uniform so you can add it to the website. He doesn't have Internet access but I have shown him the website on my computer and he really enjoyed it. His biography is below. He wants you to know he thinks you are doing a wonderful job of keeping the legacy of the great SLC going.

Thank you,

Patty Ogden

I joined the Navy December 9, 1940. I was sworn in in Omaha, NE. From there I went to the U.S. Navel training station in Great Lakes, Illinois. After boot camp we all shipped out to a number of different places. I went to Mare Island, CA. and aboard the U.S.S. Salt Lake City that was in dry dock there. I was in Division 2. I was a deck hand for about 2 years. Did the usual work, scrub decks, holy stone, chip paint, re-paint and mess cook.

I transferred into the V Division and made third class Aviation Machinist Mate. I left the ship about July, 1943.

H. H. "Jake" Jaekel and I were transferred together. We left the Salt Lake City in Alaska and went to CASU 31 in Hawaii. We served 3 different places together. We both made AMM 1st Class while we were in Hawaii. We came back to the states and was stationed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Irene and I got married in 1944 in Fort Lauderdale. We had two children, Richard and Patricia. Richard and his wife, Linda live in Upland, CA. Patricia and her husband, Tom Ogden live in Highland, CA.

Irene and I had 50 good years together.

May she rest in peace.
Gerald Maxwell
November, 2001