Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:48 | Launching out of Seneca, Illinois on the U.S.S. Crook County's maiden voyage, Lammie Spivey and his company set out on their first ocean trek to Hawaii. After settling in Leyte Gulf, Philippines, they prepared for an invasion at Manila. There, they encountered enemy fire and were sunk right along the coast.
Keywords : sunk battleship Manila Philippines Leyte Gulf supplies resources tow carried New Guinea
Growing up on a farm in rural Georgia, Lammie Spivey was raised working hard for a living. Having 6 brothers all in the military, he eventually joined the Navy in late 1943.
Departing on the U.S.S. New York to Pearl Harbor, where he transferred to Guam. While heading back to the U.S. on discharge, he had an incident on deck that led to him taking a big fall which he miraculously survived. He decided to start Army Air Corps training, where he stayed for the rest of his service.
Serving in the Air Force, Lammie Spivey served on multiple ships during his time on the water. After being discharged and sent to shore, he stayed on in the Army Air Corps to serve in the air instead of the sea. 6 years in Japan and 3 years in France was good to him, as he got to have family with him while serving.
