Memorial Day 2026

USS Indianapolis, CA-35

It's Memorial Day in the USA, and this year I am saluting the US Navy men of the Second World War.  The picture above is the USS Indianapolis monument in its namesake city.  In July of 1944, the Indianapolis was given the job delivering the components of the Little Boy atomic bomb to Tinian Island in the Marianas, and none of the men on board other than two "artillery officers" knew what was in those crates.  (My own father had served on Tinian in the 112th Seabees, one of several units that built the huge air base there.)  After delivering the cargo, the Indianapolis sailed to Guam and then into the Philippine Sea where she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine just after midnight on July 30, 1945.  The ship sank in 12 minutes without radioing her location.  Over 300 men went down with the ship, and 583 died in the water under horrific conditions over the next several days.  Only 316 were rescued.  Those 883 men were the worst loss at sea in the history of the US Navy.  Below is the reverse side of the monument with the names of the dead inscribed.

So while we enjoy our barbecues, excursions to the lake, or a trip to the beach, 

stop for just a moment and remember these men and all the others like them.  

They deserve our eternal respect.

A two part photo series follows.

 

Memorial Day Navy, Part 1 - Shirtless Sailors

For part one of our Navy photo series, we have some shirtless navy men.

These guys are said to be from the USS Texas, a battleship which fought

in both World Wars and in the Atlantic and Pacific in the second.

 

Buddies

We don't know who these three buddies were or what ship they served on,

but it's obvious that they had a stong bond of friendship.

 

USS Bunker Hill

This is the boxing team of the USS Bunker Hill aka CV-17, an escort aircraft carrier in the Pacific Theater.  The men are posing in front of the ship's scoreboard, showing all the Japanese ships and aircraft they had a significant part in destroying.  In something of a rarity, we have the names 

and ranks for all these brave and handsome men.  See below:

 

PT 305

Most of us think of PT boats as being part of the Pacific war,

but PT 305 saw duty in the Mediterranean Sea.

 

1942

Closing the shirtless sailors section of today's set with a picture for which I have only the year, 1942.

 

Memorial Day Navy - Intermission

For our first intermission picture, we have my all-time favorite WWII line crossing photo.

The guy on his knees is removing a grape (or olive) from the big guy's navel with his tongue.

 

Sailor and Dog

This sailor holding a happy looking dog is trying to grow beard,

and makes a perfect seque into part two of today's series.

 

USS Pensacola 1944

These hirsute fellows served on the USS Pensacola in 1944.

 

16 inch

This sailor's waxed mustache measured sixteen inches from tip to tip.  His beard ain't bad, either.

 

1944

All the info I have on this one is "American Sailors, 1944."

 

U.S.S. Scorpion

Ending our Memorial Day Navy series with the winners 

of the U.S.S. Scorpion beard growing contest.

To all who served and sacrificed for our freedom, thank you!

 

Glutes Galore!

Instead of putting my favorite of the day at the beginning or end of the set, I'm planting this one in the middle.  Friend and frequent contributor Dee Exx sent me this fabulous photo of Japanese sailors about to go for a swim in their fundoshi.  Just look at those fine bottoms!  Thanks, Dee!

 

Frog Man?

I think this handsome fellow may have been a Navy frog man.

 

Jack Pestell

Jack Pestell (1927-2007) was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran who apparently did a one-off with Bob Mizer of AMG.  Might he have done more work under another name?  Although I find the drapery distracting and obtrusive, it still can't take away from that magnificent physique.  Mr. Pestell used his navy experience to build a successful career operating and owning marinas and boat servicing companies.  His service photo is below.  Thank you, Jack, and Rest in Peace.

 

Navy Day

It's Navy Day, and we start with some sailors getting hosed off on deck.

 

Shore Party

This photo is from a group taken of a group of sailors 

at a Pacific island beach party during World War II.

 

Hide the Soap

I'm sure some creative sailor found a special place to hide the soap.

 

Candid Camera

I wonder where this sailor's friends took their snapshot to get it developed.

 

Shore Leave

These four sailors on shore leave saved money by sharing a hotel room.

They shoved the beds together so they could all fit nice and comfy.