In Memory of

Guy "Chuck" Amburgey MM2/c

DD -502 KIA APRIL 14, 1945

This beautiful glass design was a gift from my brother Richard and his wife Cheryl.

This tribute to Guy was sent to me by Mr. Wayne VanDerVoort, Sept. 28, 2008.  His father was a WW II Destroyerman who served on the USS Norman Scott.  Wayne enjoys producing  the photo/tributes and sending them to sailors and their families. Thanks Wayne.

Guy Vernon Amburgey was born February 7^th 1911 in Stanton, Kentucky, which is located in Powell County. His father was David Amburgey and his mother was Mary Smith Amburgey.  Guy’s sister Violet was born in 1908.  Mary died and David moved to New Castle, Indiana where he married Olive Wise in 1916. Guy then was blessed with a brother Herman (1918) and two more sisters, Viola (1926) & Alma (1928). 

Guy married Luna Margaret Sparks Ashley on April 21^st 1932.  The couple was divorced on April 4^th, 1934, they had no children.  He then moved to New Castle and married Clemma Racine Padgett in 1936. Guy worked at the Chrysler plant in New Castle and they resided in a small house on South 21st  Street. Guy and Clemma had no children.

Guy enlisted in the Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He took his boot training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center.  He was assigned to Trinidad but after awhile he became restless with that duty station.   According to several letters written to the home front Guy stated that he was eager to “get in the action the other boys were talking about.”  He got his chance when he traded duties with a sailor on a brand new destroyer that was visiting Trinidad , the DD-502).

Machinist Mate Second Class Amburgey sailed with the Sigsbee to the Pacific Ocean and saw action  on the Sigsbee in 1943, 1944, and into the spring of 1945.  On April 14^th 1945, he was manning his 20mm gun on the fantail of  502 when it was struck by a Kamikaze.  He was listed as MIA and later declared KIA.  In a letter to the family from the commanding officer, he wrote,  “Amburgey was at his station facing the enemy with courage that did himself , his ship, and his country honor.  His actions under fire will always stand as an example to his shipmates and his loss will be heavily felt by all hands.”  The letter continued by saying, “the officers and men of my ship join me in extending to you our sincere sympathy.”

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