USS SIGSBEE DD-502 

Just one small ship in one "Big War".........This WW II Fletcher Class Destroyer saw action in the Pacific Theatre of Operations 1943 to 1945.........This web site is a Memorial to the DD-502, her crew that sailed into harms way, and to those sailors that made the ultimate sacrifice.

United States Navy World War Two

My Search	Launch & Commissioning	History and Crew  List	S
Memorial	USS Sigsbee Photos	Crew Photos Webshots	I
Action Reports	USS Sigsbee Artifacts	Hollywood and the 502	G
DD-502 Model	A Sailors Testimony	Destroyer Squadron 25	S
Reunions 1988 1994 Linked from Billy Roberts Sigsbee site	502 Obituary Archives	DesRon25 Reunion 05'	B
DDG-93	DDG-93 Commissioning	DesRon 25 Reunion 07'	E
DDG-93 Web Site	My family that Served	Billy Roberts 502 site	E
Navy Links	Kamikaze attack painting	WW II Veteran Tribute	DD-502

This site last updated on Feb. 1, 2010

Gerard onboard the USS MIDWAY Oct. 2009

We just received word from Billy Roberts that Sigsbee veteran Gerard M. Marchand, RM passed away in San Diego Ca. I had the privilege of spending time with Gerry on two different occasions while visiting San Diego. The last time was in Oct. 2009 when a small group of Sigsbee vets and family members were welcomed onboard the USS CHUHG-HOON for a luncheon by Cmdr. Mike McCartney. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Marchand family. Click photo to view obituary on Billy Roberts Sigsbee site.

Painting of the SIGSBEE being attacked by the Kamikaze that struck the

ship on April 14, 1945. Click on "NEW" to view painting.

Sigsbee vets meet up with an old friend at the 2009 Virginia Beach Reunion.

Dave Kugler who is in possession of the DD-502's bell was a special guest at the annual East Coast Reunion. He brought the bell to the reunion so those in attendance could, see, touch, and ring the ship's bell. For those sailors in attendance it was the first time for them to see/hear the ship's bell in some sixty-three years. This event was made possible when Sigsbee veteran Billy Roberts, USS Harrison, "son and planner" John Chiquoine, and John Mastin, located the bell and its owner.

The following photos are courtesy of Dave Kugler and Billy Roberts. Visit Billy Roberts webshots page to view these and more Sigsbee related photos @ http://community.webshots.com/user/dd502

On  Dec.14, 2009 SIGSBEE Veteran A.J. Politz, TM3c passed away at the age of 84. He was truly one of the "Good Guys". Rest in peace SIGSBEE SAILOR. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Click on the sailor to view A.J.'s obituary linked to Billy Roberts site.

This site provides information on service members buried overseas.

Click on banner to access the ABMC site.

           Damaged Sigsbee in drydock Pearl Harbor June 1945.

                                  Photos donated by Rick E. Davis.

       View movie clip of the damaged DD-502 as it appeared in the 

                           1950 release of "Okinawa" starring Pat O'Brien

                                                                                      Click on the poster to view the movie clip

 SIGSBEE'S bell found! Click on "The Bell" to view photos. Linked from Billy Roberts webshots album. To read letter from bells owner click on the anchor......

        Locate a Sigsbee Sailors photograph

Step 1.	Looking  for a photograph of a Sigsbee Sailor?  Click on the anchor to see a list of names and the Webshots Album location of that sailor.
Step 2.	To view Sigsbee Sailor photographs on Webshots click on the sailor.
Step 3.	Can't find the name of the sailor you are looking? Search the sailors that have not been identified in Album #12. If you identify a sailor in Album #12 please email this webmaster by clicking on lighthouse.

 Tribute to the Minesweeper YMS-81 and her crew

Click on the 81's picture below

                            Please sign our Guest Book (click on the lighthouse). 

Read Guest Book entries: 

#165 to latest entry  #164 to #125     #124 to #85      #84 to #45     #44 to #1

Burial at sea on the Sigsbee April 15, 1945 following kamikaze attack the previous day. Linked from Billy Roberts Sigsbee site.

Patriotic Videos

SIGSBEE west coast veterans and SIGSBEE family members attend a luncheon onboard the USS CHUNG-HOON Oct. 2008

Three great Sigsbee related photos 1. Twenty MM gun crews on Sigsbee's stern   2. Sailors on Empire State Building 1943       3. Close-up of crew preparing a tow line after the kamikaze hit of 4/14/1945

North Platte Canteen a must see video

World War II Navy Rank and Rate Abbreviations

January 23, 2009, marks the sixty sixth anniversary of the Commissioning of the USS Sigsbee DD-502 at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY. Click on the anchor to view the members of the Commissioning crew and officers copied from Administrative Logs. Linked from Billy Roberts 502 site.

Register your name at HULLNUMBER.COM and join other SIGSBEE veterans. HullNumber.com's mission is to provide a means for shipmates to keep in touch with one another.

"The Old Salts" Which sailors served on the 502 the longest? Click anchor for answer. Linked from Billy Roberts site.

"Recollections" THE WAR YEARS, BY ROBERT D. KARL, as told by Bill Branch March 2005.   Web Master's Note: Ensign Robert D. Karl, was ordered to report for duty to the New York Navy Yard, where he was to join the soon to be Commissioned USS SIGSBEE DD-502 as Assistant Gunnery Officer. The following excerpt from "Recollections" deals with Robert's time spent on the SIGSBEE.

New photos of the SIGSBEE taken from the cruiser USS MIAMI 4/14/1945. Photos were sent to me by my friend Dave Schroeder. The photos were found by his friend Joe Lewis.

1931 Naval Academy wire photo of Gordon P. Chung-Hoon

Photos donated in memory of  Sigsbee veteran Vincent Palmieri

SIGSBEE attempted to rescue a downed airman on July 16, 1944. Read the deck logs which describes the event. Linked to Billy Roberts SIGSBEE site.

SABINE PASS tows the 502 from Guam to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

Tribute to Lt. Thomas R.Weschler, Gunnery Officer  Aug. 15, 1943 to Mar. 9, 1945. Linked to Billy Roberts  web site.

Photo of  Sigsbee at the Philadelphia Navy Yard 1973. Photo taken by Ted Stone and courtesy of the Cote Collection.

Location in the Pacific Ocean off Okinawa where the Sigsbee was hit 4/14/1945. Courtesy off Billy Roberts.

Description and order form for "War Diary: USS Stevens 1941-1946"   This book is about the STEVENS, a sister ship to the 502       and member of DesRon 25 (see photos and info on DesRon 25 link)

   There are twenty-four (24) sailors honored on the Memorial Page on this web site, of these, seven (7) sailors do not have a  photo posted. It is our goal to obtain a photo of each Sigsbee sailor that made the ultimate sacrifice. During our research my good friend Billy Roberts and I have been unable to locate any family members of these seven sailors.  If anyone visiting this site can help, please contact us using the email link on this page. :         

Looking for surviving family members of these sailors lost on the SIGSBEE:

Name    &     Rate            Received onboard     Service #        Enlisted                     Family Info ******************************************************************************************

Cox, Carlton C. F1c                  2/9/45           975 57 79       no record *  Wife; Julia Berry Cox, Rt 4 Box 213Mobile, AL.

Freeman, Joseph W. Jr. BM2c  1/23/43          262 25 99      Norfolk , VA Wife: Charlotte Marie, 2105 Avondale, Dr. Durham, North Carolina 

Heflin, Joseph L. S1c                 8/8/44           756 16 63     Huntington , WV Father: Ralph B. Heflin, Salem W.V. married a Maggie Tierney, in West Union, WV. 1924.

Hudson, William O. S2c           12/2/44           736 14 31       no record*  Father; Archie S. Hudson, 2023 Holmby St. Los Angeles, CA.  

Mellum, Ernest P.M3c            12/20/43         886 62 28       SF, CA        Mother; Emma Josephine Mullem, 2118 Eye. St. Sacramento, CA

Mueller, Lawrence E. EM2c      11/25/44         853 43 28     Chicago , IL Wife; Mrs. Alice May Mueller, 5859 N. Mobile, Ave. Chicago, IL 

*****************************************************************************************

Missing (lost overboard) 7/25/43

Shapiro, Myer H. F1c              1/23/43          202 20 71      Boston , MA 1/15/42  Mother; Minnie G. Shapiro, Malden, Mass

Note: Information compiled by Billy Roberts using ships muster rolls, with research help from John Chiquoine. 

                                                                                      This web site established in 1998