Tom Clifford
by Deirdre Curtin
by Deirdre Curtin
My grandfather, Tom Clifford is 87 years old. He was born on December 31, 1924. Grandpa had to register for the draft as did all young men when he turned 18. His number was a low one and he knew he would be drafted into the Army and sent overseas to fight in the battles in Europe. He said that he did not want to fight on land because he thought that his chances for survival would be better on water. He enlisted on April 13, 1942.
 Tom in his uniform. |
Enlisting Process Grandpa and his friend Tom Garvey drove from Fall River, Massachusetts to the Federal Building in Boston and enlisted in the US Navy. He said he always liked the open feeling of being at sea. Both he and his friend went to boot camp for 3 weeks in Newport, Rhode Island and then on to gunnery school and training in dark adaptation in Bath, Maine. They were assigned to different ships. Grandpa was assigned to the USS Stemble. Both he and his friend Tom survived the war in the Pacific arena and Tom Garvey not only remained a life-long friend but also became his brother in law, marrying his sister Kay. |
| The USS Stemble The USS Stemble was a destroyer ship and had several key roles. It escorted the carrier ships and served as protection. It also bombarded landing areas so that the Marines could then go ashore and fight on land. The USS Stemble served as a communication ship for the carriers and had sound gear to detect submarines. In a way it was the “protector” of the carriers. The USS Stemble was put into commission in the Boston Navy Yard and eventually decommissioned in San Diego. Grandpa was one of only 14 men given the title of “plank owner”. This term refers to men who were with the ship when it was commissioned through to the time it was decommissioned. |
 The crew of the USS Stemble were it was first commisioned.  The crew of the USS Stemble when it was decommisioned. |
 Tom on the deck of the USS Stemble
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Tom’s Role on the Ship My grandfather was a seaman first class whose role on the ship was a “site setter” as part of a gunnery station. A site setter locked the gun on the Japanese planes and other targets on land so that the gun would then follow the target until it was within range to fire. He also stood watch on the engine room. He described the sleeping quarters on the ship as being hot, at times 100-110 degrees and cramped. The ship was sectioned off with around 24 men to a compartment. The bunks were set up 3 beds high with a small locker for personal belongings. Grandpa said he always chose the top bunk and slept with his clothes on in case he needed to move in a hurry. He said the longest time he spent a sea was a stretch of 100 days without getting off the ship. |
| Battles Battle of Leyte Gulf: USS Johnson was a destroyer like the USS Stemble- however this ship had a very different fate. The Japanese Navy outsmarted the task force ships that were guarding the US fleet that was set to invade the Philippines which then left the smaller support ship vulnerable to attacks. Attacked by the Japanese Navy, this destroyer engaged in a 2 ½ hour battle and eventually was sunk. Destroyers were not built to withstand this type of assault; they functioned as escort ships for the larger battle ships and tank carrier ships. 141 men survived and were eventually rescued from the sea. This battle was referred to as “the last great sea battle”. |
 Picture taken from Tom's map of the USS Stemble and the battles that the ship had fought in. |
 The first flag raising of Iwo Jima  The second and famous raising of the flag on Iwo Jima |
Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima was the first battle to invade Japanese territory. Japan used Iwo Jima to warn the mainland Japan of incoming air strikes. The US wanted Iwo Jima for its airfields to set up a base from which to send their bomber planes into Japan. Iwo Jima is a small island, approximately 8 square miles, which is made up of rock and volcanic ash. The highest point is Mount Suribachi at 500 feet. This is actually the dormant cone of the volcano. Japan prepared for the US invasion by creating a labyrinth of tunnels and bunkers underground built from concrete and volcanic ash. They had a large force over over 22,000 heavily armed men on this small island. The US Navy bombed the island for 3 days to weaken their opponents. My grandfather was part of this action. On February 19, 1945 the Marines landed thinking it was safe to do so, they were sent in to secure the island so that he US Air Force could use the island as a landing site. They were not prepared for the month long battle that followed. the death toll on both sides was high: close to 20,000 Japanese fighters and over 7,000 US soldiers were killed. The famous photograph “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” was actually the second flag raised on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. My grandfather was on his ship just off the coast and witnessed the first flag raising on February 23rd. The story goes that the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, saw the initial flag raising and asked for the flag as a souvenir. A second larger flag was sent to replace it and this was the moment captured in the photograph that became a symbol of support for the war effort back in the United States. |
 The USS Stemble DD644 |
A Close Call One of my grandfather’s most vivid memories of his experience on the ship was the “close call” he had witnessed. A member from the mess crew was throwing garbage over the side of the ship. The mess crew was primarily made up of black men because at that time the navy was segregated. The mess crew worked on cleaning the ship and working in the kitchen as well as serving the captains and officers of the ship. This man was a “young kid about 20” as my grandfather said. At around one in the morning the mess boy saw a Japanese fighter plane 5 miles out from the USS Stemble. He told me about another ship the USS Johnson that was a destroyer just like his and had been sunk by a Japanese navy ship that wasn’t picked up on the radar. This Japanese fighter plane wasn’t picked up on the radar either. My grandfather told me that he saw the mess boy drop the garbage onto the deck and grabbed a magazine of ammunition, put it on the 20 mm gun and “shot the plane out of the sky.” He was always grateful for what the mess boy had done that night because he had saved all of their lives. |
| Looking Back The World War II National Memorial in Washington, D.C. was opened to the public on April 29, 2004. It honors the 16 million who served in World War Two and the more than 400,000 who died. My grandpa never talked about the war or what he saw. However when the plans for the National WWII Memorial were announced, he said that he hoped he was “still around” when it was finished so he could see it. In September 2005, my family bought him and my grandma a trip down to Washington to see the memorial. My Auntie Rosie went onto the official site and listed him as a WWII Honoree. During his tour of the memorial he wore his USS Stemble cap with the insignia patch. Most of the people on the bus tour he was on were war veterans as well. My grandma said that grandpa talked to everyone about his experience and he was telling stories she had never heard in their over 50 years of marriage. |
 Tom's WWII Memorial Honoree certificate. |
 My hero Tom Clifford present day. |
A Thank You Tom Will Never Forget At the memorial he said there were many “young people” there too, not only veterans. He told me a story of an encounter with a young couple. He said that they spotted his cap that read “USS Stemble” and came up to him. The couple came up to him and asked if he had fought in the war. When grandpa told him yes they thanked him for everything he had done and shook his hand. They also asked to have their picture taken with “one of America’s Heroes.” Tom had always been a humble man and never bragged about anything. The word “hero” moved him in a powerful way. When he came back from his trip and retold this story, tears welled up in his eyes proving that this thank you had meant so much to him. |
This was the insignia for the USS Stemble
Bibliography
"Dead In the Water; In an excerpt from 'Sea of Thunder,' a new book about Leyte Gulf, the largest naval engagement in history, men pay the human price of war. A true sea story." Newsweek 13 Nov. 2006: 70. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.
"Battle of Iwo Jima." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. Detroit: Gale, 2009.Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.
"The War Against Japan." World War II Reference Library. Ed. Barbara C. Bigelow, et al. Vol. 2: Almanac. Detroit: UXL, 2000. 305-321. Gale World History In Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.
"The War Effort." Newsweek 22 May 2000: 6. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.
George, Philip Brandt. "American places: the National World War II Memorial: so America will never forget." American History 39.3 (2004): 16+. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 Apr. 2012.
"National WWII Memorial." National WWII Memorial. National Park Service, 2003.
Web. 1 Apr. 2012. <http://www.wwiimemorial.com/>.
Clifford, Thomas T. Personal interview. 29 Dec. 2011.
Clifford, Margaret M. Personal interview. 29 Dec. 2011.
Curtin, Nancy E. Personal interview. 8 Mar. 2012.