Cousin Harold John Mack, Gone But Not Forgotten
Harold John Mack is my dad's first cousin and my second. He was Gunner's Mate Second Class on the USS Vincennes (CA44) which was stationed at Pearl Harbor. In WW2 the ship was involved in such battles as Midway and the Battle of Savo Island. The Battle of Savo Island was the last for the Vincennes. On August 9th/10th, 1942, at 01:55, a Japanese enemy force of six cruisers and one destroyer battled the Vincennes and her two sister ships, the Astoria and the Quincy. The Vincennes and her two sister ships were mortally wounded in the battle from the bombardment of shelling and torpedoes . The Quincy was said to have sunk at 02:38. The Vincennes followed at around 03:00. Shortly after the Quincy and the Vincennes sank, the Astoria followed. All were sunk 2 1/2 - 3 miles east of Savo Island in the waters now known as Ironbottom Sound, and now the resting place Harold John Mack.