1944-1952

My Grandpa Tripp was on an LDS mission when World War II broke out.  He knew when he finished his mission he would be drafted, so he started to look for the best place to be in the Military.  He enlisted to be in the US Merchant Marine academy at pass Christian, Mississippi, and was sent to a school that would train about steam, diesel and electricity.  After his fourth class training they were sent to the Shell Beach Armed Guard Gunnery School.  That school was located near New Orleans.  After they went to the school  they were third class men.

He was put on a Merchant Marine ship, and sent to sea.  The ship he was assigned to was, the Meteor,  a Delta Steamship.  He was assigned by the chief engineer of the ship to watch over the engine room.  They sailed from San Francisco to Hawaii, from Hawaii they sailed to the Marshall Islands.  They then sailed east of Yap to a place called Uiithia in the Western Caroline Islands. Before they were able to get to the Yap, they were ordered to go to the Philippine Islands and unload all of the troops that were on board.  They then sailed over to another island in the Philippines there they picked up troops and then sailed back to Honolulu and on to San Francisco.  They then went right back to Honolulu.  Then they went back to San Francisco.  In San Francisco he was ordered to go back to the Academy at Kings Point as a second class man.  After completing First class At Kings point,  Where he was graduated with 3 different Commissions: Ensign, USNR, U.S. Maritime Service and a licensed third class Engineer to serve on any sized ship in any sea in the world.  He choose to serve in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to serve as Electrical officer on the Heavy cruiser in Shanghai, China.  When they reached Shanghai they found that the Bremerton was no longer there.  She was in the In Manila, Philippine islands.  They were celebrating the independence Day.  From Manila they sailed to Saipan.  For six months they sailed from Saipan to Guam,  then from Guam they sailed back to Sapian.  He was discharged in Guam.

One story that my grandpa has told me is that when they were sailing through a Typhoon in December 1944.  It was the largest typhoon ever recorded.  There were three Destroyers lost that were sailing in the same area that he was.  They went down when they rolled over and water went in their stakes and put out their boilers.