Wow, just got word of a dive on USS COOPER

[tits]

this was my mother's oldest brother's ship and was sunk on Dec 3, 1944 during the battle of Ormoc Bay of Samar Island PI. RM3 E.T. Guilford Jr.

www.dd-692.com/ormocbay.htm

The boat lies in 203 ft of water about 1 mile off shore. Bob Lalumiere says that it will cost about $30,000 for the deep dive gases alone.

Krypto, you may like to visit this site. I belong to the Battle of Ormoc Bay Association and contributed a writeup that I received from the Japense to Bill Griggs. There is also a reunion in Baltimore in October. I am planning on going with my cousin, my uncle's only child.

[Sailor]

Thank you for the link Tittus. Did your uncle manage to get off her before she went down?

Enjoy the reunion.

[tits]

My cousin was on leave on the 20th anniversary from his duty station in Thailand, USAF black ops (Air America) 1964. He caught a hop to Clark and then over to Samar and to Ormoc Bay. Rod said that he was sitting on the old Japanese pier on December 3 under a partially cloudy full moon. He was just sitting there starring out over the bay wondering what it was like when suddenly this small man startled him from behind. Without an introduction the man said: "I was here that night the American destroyer sank and pointed to an old warehouse. The ship exploded so loudly that it broke the windows on the warehouse.

I zapped a copy of the photo from the bottom of the page and sent it to my aunt. Rod said that his mother took one look and pointed to the young sailor in whites under the window toward the back and said: "Thats June." Like so many of the war brides, Aunt Veda was living with grandma and grandpa (June's folks). At the time of June's death, mom had four brothers and a brother-in-law and seven cousins in the Pacific war. By March two were dead. All of the men saw combat navy and marines all. I look at their stories and I feel like such a looser, I have done so very little to keep up their heritage.

If you will look at the ships report, the torpedo struck just aft of amidships and split the ship. It sank in seconds. As a RM I had always assumed that Uncle June was in CIC somewhere in that locale. I have a list of the casuality report and June is listed as MIA and not KIA. As long as I can remember, Grandma held out hope that he was alive even after the telegram arrived telling of his death.



"Battle of Ormoc Bay Discovery

Rob Lalumiere, a deep wreck diver from New Hampshire, does work in Ormoc Bay for Calenergy a geothermal Electric plant on the mountain behind Ormoc. For over a year now he has been diving and searching for the WWII wrecks there. Rob has found two Japanese destroyers completely salvaged in about 40' depth and another AKA attack ship partially salvaged in 85' depth. He found the "Kuwa" a Japanese Destroyer (Matsu class) in May of this year in 402' depth and from there located the site of the USS Cooper DD-695 in 720' depth.


Rob hasn't dived on the Cooper yet but plans to on the anniversary of the sinking, Dec. 3rd. this year. It is a very big and dangerous dive. He has some sponsorship as it will cost approx. $30,000.00 to do it. Lot's of helium, equipment and support divers. Rob will place a plaque on the wreck for the "Comrades still on duty" which will be supplied by the Allen M. Sumner Reunion Association. The dive is also a world record depth attempt to a sunken wreck.


The Bay is quite nasty as a dive site. Cold, dark (after 180') and very silty on the bottom due to the many surrounding streams that flow into the Bay. If any of members are interested in contributing towards this effort (every bit helps) then they could contact Rob by e-mail and get the particulars.

The Battle of Ormoc Bay was a real Destroyer battle. His plan is to advertise the results of the dive in many magazines including those of WWII interest and he will of course list all the sponsors. To contact Rob Lalumiere if you would like any more info, email him at [e-mail] or write to him c/o Tin Can Sailors and we will forward your letter to him"


Hey TinCan man, wouldn't this be neat?

[Sailor]

"Hey TinCan man, wouldn't this be neat?"

It sure would shipmate.

"If you will look at the ships report, the torpedo struck just aft of amidships and split the ship. It sank in seconds. As a RM I had always assumed that Uncle June was in CIC somewhere in that locale."

If so, it's likely he never really knew what happened. For him it was quick.

"I have a list of the casuality report and June is listed as MIA and not KIA. As long as I can remember, Grandma held out hope that he was alive even after the telegram arrived telling of his death."

"MIA" in this case means he's still with his ship and in good company.

If I may Tittus...

Rest in Peace Shipmate.

[tits]

concerning the dive and the documentary. They leave in two weeks and will begin diving in June. Dan as contacted me requesting my Japanese sources and information. Kind of neat!

David,

Thanks again for your time on the phone. Very much appreciate your help, and most especially a transcription of the document form the Japanese government if you can locate it. And anything else you unearth.

Again, I’ve added you to my master email list – so you’ll get an email sometime in early June after we wrap the dive shoots down to the U.S.S. Cooper. And will also keep you all informed of progress on the documentary.

Our story is really two fold – the dive down to the Cooper to place the memorial plaque, and also a remembrance and honoring of events that transpired December 2 and 3, 1944. Our overall aim is to honor the men who yet reside in Ormoc Bay, honor the family of Navy veterans who served there - and finally to create a lasting document of that small corner of a very large and unimaginable war.

All the best,

Daniel Foster
[phone]

[Sailor]

I wish them fair weather and good fortune.

[Remey688]

Titus, you wrote the torpedo struck just aft of amidships and split the ship. It sank in seconds. That was the fate of too many of our WWII destroyers. The Japs had great torpedoes.

WWII The Pacific was a Navy War, as we are a Navy family as is yours. The Navy Family takes great pride in our heritage as well as our future. I have five 1st and 2nd cousins who graduated from the USNA--still active or retired. It was traditions like our Navy's and the British Royal Navy that made the difference in a full scale war like WWII.

[tits]

Krypto, here is the latest from the dive on the boats at the bottom of the Bay.

To all those close to the Ormoc Bay battles:

The Bigfoot Productions crew has returned from Leyte and Ormoc Bay, and time to give you a report on how the filming went, and overall progress on the documentary.

First, congratulations to Rob Lalumiere and his crew for pulling off a superb, safe and world record dive! If you have not read Rob’s account of the dive, you can access it at:

www.dd-692.com/lalumiere.htm

We were impressed with Rob and his crew’s considerable expertise, and our good thoughts and prayers of safety were with him, even through the intense process of filming.

We were able to capture/film all of Rob’s practice dives in Ormoc Bay, including to the Japanese ship, the Kuwa, sunk just a mile from where the U.S.S. Cooper rests. Some underwater shots of these dives were also taken. We also captured much interaction between Rob and his crew – and the indomitable Mr. Lee, from Korea, who turned out to be the crew’s “Mr. Gadget,” and was nothing short of delightful and engaging.

And then Hank Wagener showed up. Hank as most of you know is the sole survivor of the Cooper able to make the trip to Leyte and Ormoc Bay. Once eighty-one-year-old Hank arrived, the story deepened considerably. His sense of honor and gratitude for this experience was palpable. He truly represented all the men who made supreme sacrifices in Ormoc Bay, and all survivors of battles there who could not make the return trip. In his interviews, and in all his actions, he demonstrated great willingness in opening his heart, mind and memory for our film crews. His “sailor stories” are real keepers. You’ll hear several in the finished documentary. And Hank’s hearty laugh is infectious. I could not have been happier with our “survivor subject.”

We arranged for a “blessing” ceremony off the stern of our production yacht, over the spot where the Cooper now rests. Hank, Rob and a local priest stood on the stern for the ceremony. The words were stirring, and Hank also read a short speech, honoring men he knew well, and had lost so long ago. Hank and Rob placed a large wreath with a banner reading “U.S.S. Cooper DD-695” in the water, and seven men from the Philippines military fired off a gun salute. Followed by a minute of silence.

The dive day was postponed by a day, allowing for recalibration of Rob’s decompression schedule, since the Cooper’s depth, via sonar, was found to be slightly less than expected.

We captured the precise planning operation – both above and below water – during Rob’s dive. As Rob surfaced from the dive (after about 5.5 hours), Hank was there in a dingy to shake his hand – and also touch the rope that connected the “Rags” dive boat to the Cooper. It was Hank’s wish to do this, and the moment was indescribable.

The day after the dive, we traveled to Tacloban, on the other side of the island. Just south at Palo (Red Beach) is the “Leyte Landing Memorial” – statues showing Gen. MacArthur, Philippines President Sergio Osmena, and other military personnel returning to the Philippines. Hank and Rob had a great time visiting the Memorial, and had long talks overlooking the sea, in front of it.

There were various story lines and metaphors for the overall event we worked double-time to capture, and we are confident to do the story justice in the final product.

Our two film units, a two-man underwater unit and a behind-the-scenes cameraman caught all the action during the week – about forty hours of it, which within two weeks once it is captured and converted, I’ll begin to review, to assemble the story.

Kudos to the Bigfoot Productions Crew who even through exhaustion continued to show great creativity and inventiveness in our team effort.

In August, I’ll return to the U.S. to conduct several interviews with other survivors and relatives of men who died when the Cooper sank on December 3, 1944.

“When?” of course is the question of the day. The finished documentary will take a more final shape later in the year. We’ll keep you updated, and if there are others you want placed on this list, please let me know.

With gratitude,

Daniel Foster __ Director / Writer

[Sailor]

Dave, Thank You.

I'm sorry the diver had so many problems with his one and only desent to COOPER, it would have been good for him to have been able to make a few less hurried observations.

I'll be looking forward for the release of this documentary.

Bob