4-3-16
I received an email from Diane Balsam this morning. She told me that her father, Joe Pulaski, aged 91, died earlier in the day.
I live on the “other coast’ from Diane, and, as such, I haven’t met her face to face. Nor did I get the chance to meet her dad, Joseph, either. A few years back, Diane bought a set of Baked Beans and gave them to her dad. When he read the memories a couple of his shipmates recounted about surviving the infamous Typhoon Cobra, Joe told her about his encounter with the massive storm. Later, she emailed me this:
I was alone on watch at night on Quad 7 standing on the back part of the after stack as protection from the 100 foot high waves and wind. I was above the water at least 100 feet when I saw a destroyer off the port side in the distance. We made a maneuver and did a 40 plus degree roll. I fell face down and was holding onto the catwalk steel mesh and was actually able to see the water as we rolled. I started to pray that we would be safe. The ship rolled back to the starboard side and I called Fire Control and asked where the destroyer was. I was told, ‘Joe, it sank.’
I thought we were done and our ship would be next as I continued to pray. The ship was watertight in integrity so all the hatches were closed. I was one of the few guys above deck. I continued my watch – four hours total. I remember some survivors were picked up by our ship. – Joseph Pulaski.
Joseph was a CA-69 Plankowner, having mustered aboard the ship on Commissioning Day (June 30, 1943). He came to the Boston after enlisting in the Navy in Syracuse, NY.
Diane tells me that his obituary will published in Syracuse later this week.
Sadly,
Steve
Thanks for sharing your memories with us, Bob! Always great to read your comments.
I remember it vividly. I was at the bottom of the ladder leading up to the radio shack in the forward superstructure on my way from radio two to repair a receiver that was breaking loose in radio one due to the heavy rolling we were taking when we did that 40 deg + (I think is was 43 deg.) and was hanging on to a rail on the bulkhead when we took that roll, and I saw the ocean from there. I, too, wasn’t sue we would make it, but we did.