Howard S. Taylor
USS ASTORIA 1941-1942
Savo Survivor, Wounded in Action
-photo courtesy of grandson Bryan Larson
In November 1942, this article ran in the Eastern Colorado Plainsman:
Howard S. Taylor, who was one of the survivors of the U.S. cruiser Astoria, which the Navy announced was sunk early in August in the first battle of the Solomons, visited his father, Oscar Taylor, at Karval, while on a 30-day furlough.
While here he was reluctant to tell of the details of the sinking and never mentioned how he managed to be one of the survivors, only that he was a pretty good swimmer.
He enlisted in the Navy January 4th, 1941 at Pueblo. From there he was sent to San Diego, Calif. for the six weeks' initial training. At Treasure Island he was assigned to the Astoria, which has seen plenty of action. He was in the beautiful city of Manila before war was declared. The Astoria was two days at sea from Pearl Harbor during the fateful December 7th.
Howard was a Second-Class Gunner's Mate and according to reports his ship had been a wonderful help in this war until the day she was sunk by a Jap torpedo [sic] in the Guadalcanal zone.
He plans on being back to a new assignment after his furlough. October 27th was Navy Day when all heads bowed in honor of shipmates who now sleep in the deep sea and it was a day in which we saluted Navy men everywhere who will carry us on to glory and victory.
ASTORIA Sailor GM2/c Howard S. Taylor receives a cake while hospitalized from wounds received during the Battle of Savo Island in a photo circa September 1942.
-photo courtesy of Bryan Larson
Sources
Larson, Bryan. Private photo and document collection.
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