This letter was received from Neil Collins:
This is the Ship that I Served aboard. My two brothers Roderick and Paul were also on this ship. The Ship was the USS John W. Thomason DD 760. The Thomason was out of Des Base in San Diego, California. We were with the 7th Fleet operating in the South Pacific. The picture you see was taken in Hong Kong, China. Brother Roderick enlisted in 1945, I enlisted in 1948 and brother Paul in 1949.
We were all firemen. There were two fire rooms. I was in the after fire room with my brother Roderick. Paul was in the forward fire room. I can remember my brother always gave me the jobs that no one liked to do. I asked him why he did that and he said he didn’t want anyone to think he showed any favors to his brother. My brother Paul was glad he was in the forward fire room.
We were in China, Japan and lots of ports in the South Pacific. Our ship was one of four destroyers that escorted the aircraft carrier the USS Boxer. We were off the coast of Korea when the north came into Seoul. Then we returned to the states where my brothers and I were split up. I stayed in the states and Paul went to another ship. My brother Roderick stayed on the Thomason and then returned to Korea.
We were all firemen. There were two fire rooms. I was in the after fire room with my brother Roderick. Paul was in the forward fire room. I can remember my brother always gave me the jobs that no one liked to do. I asked him why he did that and he said he didn’t want anyone to think he showed any favors to his brother. My brother Paul was glad he was in the forward fire room.
We were in China, Japan and lots of ports in the South Pacific. Our ship was one of four destroyers that escorted the aircraft carrier the USS Boxer. We were off the coast of Korea when the north came into Seoul. Then we returned to the states where my brothers and I were split up. I stayed in the states and Paul went to another ship. My brother Roderick stayed on the Thomason and then returned to Korea.
