This Was A Tough But Proud Day

From: Bill Decker [mailto:bdecker@shentel.net]
Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 6:02 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Fw: This Was A Tough But Proud Day!

This message is from TM3(SS) Roy Christensen, 1944-1945, and I wanted to share it with you. Bill Decker

In a message dated 11/11/2005 8:00:54 PM Mountain Standard Time, w.whelan@worldnet.att.net writes:

Roy: Thanks for your message. I'm glad my Veterans Day message got you in tune with where you were (and what happened to you) back in 1944 aboard RATON. Our country owes you and countless others like you.

Regards. Bill

Bill, this has been a bad day for me. Your message this morning about where the Brill was in Subic Bay opened up memories on this day in 1945.

I looked in my illegal dairy as yours was, and found that we had gone to battle stations on this day, in 1944 and on the 12th of November we fired the six torpedoes into a Japanese Cruiser, hitting her with three. I only made one run on the Brill, did four on the Raton, but all of us were shipmates in this sub service that in those days not many knew about and its perils. We were severely depth charged, all of us never thought we would see another day.

They pounded us for many hours, we were ordered to lay in our bunks, air was scarce, CO'2 absorbent was sprinkled along the deck plates to absorb the fumes from the batteries, none of us in the after torpedo room thought we would ever surface for another day. Our batteries were very low, battle lanterns were on, amazing how many Bibles appeared.

My best buddy was 2/C Cook, Freddie was so scared from this attack, that he told me that he was going to resign from the Navy if we ever made it through this night...He did, later became a Lutheran Minister.

He died many years ago, I never knew his wife Jeanette, but really did from our conversations, he knew her from High School in Colorado, etc. The closeness of buddies for 3 + years, you know all about each other. To this day Jeanette and I exchange very special Christmas Cards each year. We have a special love and bond for each other, yet I have never spoken to her or seen her. I couldn't help but think of Freddie this day, then something else happened.

We take care of a very special lady, we look after her, etc. One of our sons called while we were at her home and asked it we were going out to dinner. Ruth, replied yes, he wanted to know where. The waitress who knows who I am, came over and said, Roy, your son called and gave us his credit card number, but we cannot put it through the machine. He was honoring his Dad on this very special day that not many people today even knows what it stands for other than a day off.

I completely lost it in this restaurant that we are well known in, my tears were flowing in remembrance to the shipmates that are eternally resting their oars, that gave their lives to keep us free in the best country of the world. No, Bill, this was not a good day for me, when I got home this evening, told my wife how lucky I was to still be here, how much I loved her, and how proud I was of our two sons, four grandkids, and one great grandchild.

How many countries today could I be so lucky to state this. Not many. Every person I see in uniform today, I thank them for their service and protecting us.

Quite a few will make a remark like, "thank you, you are the first person that ever said anything to me like that," several have stopped and turned around and shook my hand. What a great feeling I had received from them.