It's been a while. Sorry. I've
not forgotten about getting the tapes to you that I made when I visited
Ken Scutt
in Sarasota, FL; he served on The Lexington with my brother, Gerald. I found
this recently on the web and thought you might like to read it. Ken Scutt
passed away last year. The second paragraph of this article mentions his
service on the Lexington. My brother and I met with him and Carol just the
day before they went on their trip around the world. We were blessed to have
the small window of opportunity to speak with him. Now the tapes are all the
more valuable to us.
Joe Ditchkus posted Message 787 in the USS
Lexington CV16
Dated : May 30, 2006 at 07:39:34
Subject: Joe Ditchkus Jr. AMM2 WW2
Posters email address: quadbox@aol.com
Do Not reply to this e-mail, the messge will not reach us!!!!!
My father Joe Ditchkus passed away on 26 May
2006.He served on the Lexington CV16 in WW2 .He recieved the Purple Heartwhen
ship came under Kamikazee attack.His best friend from his Naval days Bill Copple
also passed away earlier this year. They were lifelong friends and shipmates.I
not only lost a Father but a fellow sailor as I served in Navy aboard USS
Forrestal and PGM 613 in Vietnam as an Advisor to Vn. Navy. Thank You Joe
Ditchkus Jr. Lake Ariel,Penna.
John C. Tinker was a crew member of the USS
Lexington.
He was also an plank owner and a shellback. He proudly served his country during
Word War II.
Throughout my life I heard, learned and retold the stories of the Blue Ghost. To
those of you who knew him, it is with great sadness that I need to inform you
that he passed away on February 14, 2005.
The following is my grandfather George Vanneste's obituary. He
passed away December 2004.
bart@myinfmail.com
George W. Vanneste,
78, a lifelong resident of the Proctor area, passed
away peacefully at home Dec. 7, 2004. George was born August 13, 1926, in
Proctor to Maurice and Elsie Vanneste. He was a graduate of Denfeld High School.
*George went into the U.S. Navy and served during WWII, aboard the aircraft
carrier U.S.S Lexington*. On May 13, 1950 George married Audrey Bourgoyne. He
worked as a butcher at Vanneste's Grocery Store for several years before joining
Gerber Products as a salesman,
retiring in 1987. After retiring he worked part time for General Mills. George
was a member of V.F.W. Post #137, Proctor
American Legion, and served
33 years with the Proctor Fire Dept., seven years as Fire Chief. He was
extremely family orientated and had a great sense of humor. George will be
greatly missed by his family and many friends. George was preceded in death by
his wife in 1980; his parents; two grandsons, Brian & Ryan. He is survived by
his children, Kathy (Ray) Rotter of Hermantown, Dan (Jodi) Vanneste of Proctor,
Gary (Debbie) Vanneste of Proctor, Dave (Charine) Vanneste of Tenn., and Patti (
Porter) Porterfield of Proctor; ten grandchildren, Scott, Lisa,Tracy, Mike,
Allison, Nick, C.J., Davine, Tara, and Jen; four great-grandchildren, Mathew,
Nate, Justin, and Ben; a brother Bob (Blanche) Vanneste of Proctor; and other
relatives and many friends. Memorials preferred in
Lieu of Flowers to V.F.W. Post #137 or the American Lung Assoc. VISITATION:3
p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday evening in Bell Brothers Funeral Home. Visitation will
continue one hour prior to the 11 a.m. Funeral Service, Monday, Dec. 13, in
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Proctor. Burial in Oneota Cemetery, Duluth.
Published in the Duluth News Tribune from 12/9/2004 - 12/11/2004
Jewell (Joe) E. Lewis
Jewell (Joe) Everett Lewis passed away March 26, 2004 at Stevens Hospital in
Edmonds, WA, after a courageous eleven-year battle with three types of cancer.
Joe was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, on June 28, 1925 to Ray Franklin and
Nellie Adline Lewis. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy and
served his country aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington until 1946.
He married Madge Marie Langley on January 25, 1946 in Seattle, Washington. He
attended Burnley Art School and was then employed at the American Can Company
for 25 years. After retiring from the Can Company, he worked for the Edmonds
School District for 15 years. Joe served as Scout Master for Troop #123, Boy
Scouts of America in Seattle for several years, and was awarded the Order of the
Arrow. He then served as Scout Master for Troop #303 in Lynnwood. He taught
Sunday school at both Woodland Park Methodist Church and Edmonds Methodist
Church. He was a member of Lynnwood Elks Lodge No. 2171 and served as Chaplain
for three years. Joe loved to fish, bowl and golf and was an excellent
caricature artist.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Madge; his children, Diane
(Mark) Mueller, John Lewis, Julia (John) Wallace, and Tim (Debbie) Lewis; and
his grandchildren, Lisa (Marc) Alteio, Matthew Mueller, Blake Lewis, Kevin Past,
Jaclyn Wallace, Erica Wallace, Melissa Lewis, Amanda Lewis, and Michaela Lewis;
sisters-in-law Virginia Blain and Ernestine (Bob) Massey-Peel. He also leaves
behind two beloved aunts, many dear nieces, nephews and cousins, and numerous
close friends.
His wife and family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the caring
staff at the Puget Sound Cancer Center and Stevens Hospital, especially Dr.
Daniel Markowitz.
Funeral Services will be held at Evergreen Funeral Home, 4504 Broadway, Everett
WA, on Thursday, April 1, 2004 at 1:00pm with graveside service to follow.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 31st from 4:00 until 8:00pm.
Remembrances may be made to the Washington Elks Therapy Program for Children,
Inc., PO Box 110760, Tacoma, WA 98411, or to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center Foundation, PO Box 19024, Seattle WA 98109.
4 August 2003
My father,
Albert M. 'Red' Trajanowski,
served on the Lex during WWII in the Pacific. He passed away on 30 Oct.
1999. If anyone out there remembers my dad, a machinist, you can contact me
at: A83shuvle@aol.com.
Great site....I wish he could have seen it!
I serviced this group on the island of Maui in 1944. Also
had a boyfriend who
was a fighter pilot in the group. I ran into him on Maui and his name was
Ensign John Bartol. He was the wing man for Ernst Snowden. John just died
about 2 months ago.He and I were in the Boy Scouts in Port Washington Wis
when we were kids.
LeRoy Paulin
The following is my Dad's obituary. He was extremely
proud of his time aboard the Lex.
Fortunately, he left a lot of information and
memorabilia about the Lex for us to treasure.
Thanks,
Ben Humphrey
Shreveport, La.
HUMPHREY, JR. LOUIE ORBEN "HEY HEY"
A retired welder and pipe fitter and a member of Local 237, he died
Thursday, April 11, 2002, in Prairieville. He was 76, a resident of
Prairieville and a native of Cass County, Texas. He was a U.S.
Navy veteran
who served aboard the USS Lexington during World War II. Visiting
at Ourso
Funeral Home, Gonzales, from 9 a.m. Monday until religious services at 2
p.m. Interment in Hope Haven Cemetery, Prairieville. Survived by his wife,
Opal Collins Humphrey, Prairieville; two daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy
Marie and Jean Jacques Bellemare, Prairieville, and Susan Leigh McLaughlin
and Tom Wistrand, Zachary; three sons and two daughters-in-law, David and
JoAnn Humphrey, Maud, Texas, Ben Humphrey, Shreveport, and Jack and Peggy
Humphrey, Barboursville, W.Va.; three sisters and a son-in-law, Pauline
McBee, Linden, Texas, Ressie Nix, Hughes Springs, Texas, and Patsy and
Delton Washington, Atlanta, Texas; nine grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents, Louie and Flora
Hobbs
Humphrey; a son, Jim Humphrey; a sister, Louise Crofton; and four
brothers,
Melvin Lyles, Edmond Humphrey, J.R. Humphrey and Bobby Gene Humphrey.
Pallbearers will be his grandsons. He was a life member of Gonzales VFW
Post
3693 and Gautreau-Williams American Legion Post 81.
April 2002
Hi, I'm sorry to report that my good buddy of almost 60
years Lowell R.(Bob)Capps, passed away on Saturday. We met at a base in Seattle
in 1943, went on the Lex together, was in the same Division and visited
all these years. Bob was a "Blue Ghost" member so maybe John can let Lloyd
know as I don't have his address here in Calif. I am getting my e-mail on
my Daughter's computor if you want to mail me anything.
Thank You, Joe Lewis
Craig C. Van Etten posted Message 73 in the USS Lexington CV-16
Dated : July 19, 2002 at 16:58:46
Subject: My father, Robert L. Van Etten
To all who might have known or served with him, my dear father
Robert L. Van Etten passed away at eighty years old on February 15, 2002. He served on the
Lex during the 1943-1944 campaigns as a rear seat Dauntless gunner in
Bombing 16. He spoke well of his shipmates and enjoyed attending reunions.
He was buried in New Jersey with Military Honors. He will be missed.
During WWII he was a rear seat gunner in Bombing 16 on the Lexington and was a
member of the Lexington Society, attending many reunions. He was in
combat from July 1943 until late June 1944 and was awarded the DFC at
the Phillipine Sea batttle. His pilot was Hank Moyers. He often spoke of
the times then, and the gallant crew of men that he fought with. These
were my heroes as I grew up. I was lucky enough to attend an AG 16
reunion at the Queen Mary in California with him in 2000. I got to meet
many of the flyers that I had read about in Mission Beyond Darkness, a
book that told of the Philippine Sea exploits of AG 16. I hope you will
post this as he would be happy to know that he was mentioned on this
site.
Thank You
Craig C. Van Etten
Paul T. Bonilla posted Message 75 in the USS Lexington CV-16
Dated : July 24, 2002 at 01:34:33
Subject: Re: My father, Robert L. Van Etten
I was a shipmate and friend of Bob's during WWII serving as a gunner in VB-16.
Bob was always a gentleman and served his country well. He was missed at our
last reunion this past Spring. I have no recollection of him every missing a
chance to visit with his friends and shipmates even in ill health. I understand
that he made a gallant effort to attend the last reunion but his heart failed
him.
To Peggy, his wife and family, I miss him very much, but because he shared
music, with me, that he taped while playing stand-up bass, in a musical group,
he lives when I enjoy these tapes. God bless you Bob and rest in peace.
Your old squadron buddie...Paul
Posted by Karen Bourgois on August
28, 2002 at 00:25:01:
Hello to all, My Grandfather
Albert Granquist was on the lex when it
went down. He passed away last thursday August 22,2002. He was a truly great
man and will be missed. I always wanted to learn more from him about serving
on the lex, but he wouldn't talk about it much. He did tell me not long ago
of a day when he was on the deck and a Jap plane shot at him. Luckily he
missed. Well I'm looking forward to reading more on this site.
