3/15/03 Update:             History Channel Program

    While WW2 History buffs wait in anticipation for the History Channel's upcoming TV cable program, "Fletcher Class Destroyers," here is the latest. On this date, camera crews board the Destroyer Memorial, the USS Kidd at Baton Rouge, Louisiana to try to capture what life would have been like on one of these vessels, some 60 years ago. They will be interviewing Jack Fitch who was on the bridge of the USS Nicholas and watched many of the great battles of WW2 unfold.

    Ten days earlier at Washington, DC other crew members of this type vessel were interview by the History Channel production crew. One of those sailors was John O-Neil of the USS NIcholas and Ernie Herr (me) of the USS O'Bannon. How it will all come out is anybody's guess at this time but the producers promised the story will be shown in the late summer season of 2003. When the time and date are available, we will post it here.

    History and WW2 destroyer buff, Dave McComb will be at the filming site today and will keep us informed of the action on the Kidd. Dave is an ardent fan of all destroyer activities in WW2 and is probably the most knowledgeable person in the country on that subject. He can be seen in the photo below where he arranged a dinner at the Army Navy Club in Washington to honor some of the old destroyer men of WW2 (me included). Dave has adopted the USS NIcholas as his own and his work can be seen at: http://www.ussnicholas.org/index.html      In recent conversations with old Nicholas crewmembers, it is obvious that they have adopted Dave as one of their crewmembers.


 How do they do that? Like make the program.

  If you watch the History Channel very much, you soon realize that much of a particular  program's authenticity is developed by showing interviews developed using the original participants in that operation.

To celebrate the History Channel's decision to produce a program honoring the Fletcher Class destroyers of WW2, history buff Dave McComb brought together this distinguished group of original Fletcher people at the Army - Navy Club at Washington, DC.

A note from Dave McComb identifying those at the dinner at Washington.

FRONT ROW: At left, Sloan Coleman, son of Jim Coleman (Nichols's second Exec), Pam Hackett (wife of Milt Hacket at right), Frances Grimes (widow of Al Grimes, Strong radar and sonal (CIC) officer and biographer extraordinary), Mae Coleman (wife of Jim Coleman), Milt Hackett (Strong's only Torpedo Officer and survivor of her sinking, 5 July 943);

BACK ROW: Peter Orvis, Capt. USN (Ret.)Nicholas  52-55; you, and me.

I head for Baton Rouge tonight.      

Thanks Dave, for a wonderful evening.
 
 

Here is what the great Fletcher Class destroyers looked like.

The famous Destroyer Squadron 21 moving into Japanese waters. Honored by Admiral Halsey as the first warships on victory day to enter Tokyo Harbor.
       First step in the production of the film is to check for the availability of good action film of the particular type of action you want to show. For the Fletcher Class destroyers, there were tons of good action pictures available for free. So far, so good.

       Next, are there any participants still alive and available for the action that you wish to cover. Easiest way to find the answer to that question is to search the Internet for Fletcher class destroyer sites. There were plenty.

       Then comes the job of finding a location convenient for those to be interviewed and for the crew who do the filming and interviews who happen to hail from London, England.

        More information to be added as work progresses.

        Also, a big thank you for the History Channel crew who made us all feel very comfortable and who did a remarkable job, at least from our viewpoint. Good luck for them on this project on all of the others that they have scheduled.