Memorial Service

Things went from bad to worse,
Our Peace of mind began to swoon,
We were jumps and trigger happy,
We fired even at the moon.

On the 27th of April,
about nine o'clock at night,
A "Tojo" splashed just off out stern,
we nearly died of freight.

It was early morning the 28th,
When suddenly upon radar
A plane was heading in,
It looked like a flying boxcar.

We let him come, we were all set,
The boys on the guns were ready,
They blasted away, a cheer went up,
For we had splashed a "betty."

Now two more flag grace our sides,
One is solid red,
That's for the Suicide boy,
Who thought we should be dead.

We're still here and on the job,
Through the strain has been terrific,
Thanks to God, we're still listed,
As the "ace" of the pacific.

Bernard J. Rau Rd3c

THIS MAY STILL BE CONTINUED

(Unfortunately this was never finished. RdM3c was killed in action on May 9, 1945 when the England was struck by a Japanese suicide plane.)

Click the thumbnail image at left to view the original Memorial Services program. The text of this document can be read below.

MEMORIAL SERVICES
USS ENGLAND ( DE-635 )
NAVY YARD, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
l5 July 1945


 CHURCH CALL

 COMMANDING OFFICER'S ADDRESS
   LT. COMDR. - J.A. WILLIAMSON, USNR

 BAND

 CATH0LIC PRAYERS
   CAPT. F.W. MEEHLING, ChC, USN

 PROTESTANT PRAYERS
   LT(JG) H.G. PFLEUGER, cCc, USNR

 TAPS

 KILLED IN ACTION

 KNIGHT, Harold G., Jr., Lt., USNR
 MOSER, Dix Vinson, Ensign, USNR
 STULER, Myrl R., Ensign, USNR

 AVERY, Wayne T., RM3c, USN
 BALDERSTON, Jack L., EM2c, USNR
 CHERNOFF, Albert, S1c, USNR
 DAVIS, Billy C., S1c, USNR
 HUFFMAN, Raymond M., S1c, USNR
 HURST, James Earl, EM3c, USNR
 JACOBS, Paul, EM3c, USNR
 KUEHNERT, Billy H., Cox, USNR
 LADEMANN, Edward E., S1c, USNR
 LEIPRANT, William J., MM3c, USNR
 MACIBOBA, Steve, GM2c, USNR
 MANLOVE, Frank S., CBM, USNR
 NAPPER, William A., S1c, USNR
 POWELL, Howard S., Jr., S1c, USNR
 RASMUSSEN, Roland G., SF1c, USNR
 RAU, Bernard J., RdM2c, USNR

KILLED IN ACTION (continued)

SARTWELLE, George T., Jr., S1c, USNR
SCHINDLER, Milton H., CRM, USN
SONANSTINE, Ralph E., RM3c, USN
LARSON, Stanley A., S2c, USNR
BRICKER, Carl H., SSML3c, USNR
MC CLAIN, Daniel P., S1c, USN
RHODES, Wylie S., RM2c, USNR

MISSING IN ACTION

AUTREY, David, F2c, USNR
BALL, Ralh N., F1c, USNR
BARBER, William J., S1c, USNR
BEGGS, Harry W., RM3c, USNR
BELL, John R., S1c, USNR
CANTRELL, Lee D., S1c, USNR
FACCILO, Francis J., S2c, USNR
GOODLOE, Wyman T., StM1c, USNR
SHIELDS, James H., F1c, USNR
SQUIRE, Julius A., Jr., S2c, USNR