Military Officer - February 2008 - (Page 59) Surviving crewmembers of the USS Mason gathered to receive letters of commendation during a ceremony at Washington’s Naval Memorial Feb. 16, 1995. which called for four destroyer escorts to accompany a convoy of Army tugs, barges, and other small craft from New York to Portsmouth, England. The convoy left New York Harbor Sept. 24, 1944, and the trip quickly tested the mettle of all involved. The barges, which were to be used as temporary piers in France, were large, unwieldy, and difficult to tow, and there was the constant threat of German U-boats. But it was the weather that proved to be the mission’s greatest peril. The temperatures in the North Atlantic were bitterly cold, so any water that hit the steel deck immediately turned to ice, making traversing the ship a risky endeavor. “After getting off duty one night, I was walking down the starboard side of the ship, and I kept reaching for the life line [but couldn’t find it],” Graham says. “I finally reached the hatch, went down, and went to bed. The next morning it was reported over the public address system that we shouldn’t use the starboard side of the ship because the lifeline had been washed away. I realized then that I could have gone over the side and that would have been it. That memory always stands out.” In October, the convoy encountered a storm that attacked the ships with high winds and massive waves, one of which tilted the Mason an amazing 70 degrees before it miraculously righted itself. Smaller craft unable to keep up because of mechanical or other problems were left behind. In total, the convoy lost 19 men during the transatlantic crossing. The storm took a physical toll on the Mason, the crewmen recall. A crack in a seam on the deck threat- ened to break the ship in half — so a damage-control team had to go up under storm conditions to weld it. The Mason also had to replace a communications antenna that was blown over by the wind. The ship successfully delivered its flock of 20 small craft, then immediately returned to sea to help round up stragglers from the main convoy. Two British naval sloops were dispatched to assist but returned to port almost immediately because of the high seas. The Mason went on without them, intent on guiding to safety as many of the remaining tugs, barges, and other ships as it could. Although both Blackford and the convoy’s commander, Alfred Lind, requested letters of commendation for the crew following the events of Convoy NY-119, none was issued. After the war, the USS Mason briefly was used as a school ship for new officers before being decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1947. In 1994, President Clinton awarded a long-overdue commendation to the 67 surviving crew members, thanking them for their sacrifices and contribution during World War II. Four years later, an Arleigh Burke Destroyer was christened USS Mason (DDG-87) in their honor, the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the A Second Opportunity The USS Mason might have been the first U.S. Navy ship to carry a predominantly black crew during World War II, but it wasn’t the only one. The USS PC-1264, a 280-ton Navy submarine chaser commissioned in April 1944, also claims such a distinction. The PC-1264 also is notable for being the first sailing assignment of Samuel Gravely, the first black American to attain the rank of admiral. The PC-1264 was decommissioned in 1948. name. And in 2004, the Mason’s story was made into the film “Proud.” Today, the surviving crewmembers of the USS Mason look back on their service with pride. For many, it was a life-changing experience. “Serving on the Mason made a man out of me,” Graham says. “I’ve always loved the Navy, and it’s something that will always be with me. Whenever I see a sailor in uniform, I light up like a Christmas tree. It always brings back fond memories.” MO FEBRUARY 2008 PHOTOS: LEFT, FROM MOVIE "PROUD"/CASTLE HILLS PRODUCTIONS INC.; ABOVE, ERNIE COX JR./NEWSCOM MILITARY OFFICER 59
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