(Text Copyright (c) 2014 Cynthia Shenette) One of the things I love about blogging is when I take a single item or record and try to do a bit of research on the item before I write about it. I am fortunate in that I have so many letters, photos, and pieces of memorabilia as part of my family history collection, but sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Take this Christmas 1951 program from the United States Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa which I recently looked at for the very first time.
My uncle Robert Szerejko (1929-2012), my mother's brother, spent time in the Coast Guard. I don't know too much about his time in the Coast Guard, other than he spent some time in Greenland and stayed in touch with his Coast Guard skipper, "Skipper Gray" for decades. My Uncle Bob was like that. He was the kind of guy who made an impression on people, who people wanted to stay in touch with, whether it was an old friend from his Coast Guard days or someone he built a post and beam house for as part of his house building business. When I asked my cousin if her dad ever mentioned the Tamaroa, she didn't remember the Tamaroa specifically, but since he is listed in the program as one of the men who present for Christmas in 1951 we can probably assume he spent some time on the Tamaroa.
What did I learn about the C.G.C. Tamaroa? The Tamaroa was launched on 9 October 1943 and saw action in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, including being involved in Marianas, the Philippines, and Iwo Jima operations. She was the first cutter on sight after the sinking of the Andrea Doria, and most surprisingly was the Coast Guard cutter made famous in Sebastian Junger's book, The Perfect Storm! The crew of the Tamaroa saved the crew of the Satori, a sailing vessel in distress 75 miles off the island of Nantucket, during the 1991 No Name Storm. You can read an excellent article, The Perfect Storm, 20 Years Later, on the Coast Guard Compass: The Official Blog of U.S. Coast Guard. You can also read more about the Tamaroa here, here and here.
I love this program! It's amazing how one little thing can say so much. Now I know where my uncle was, who he was with, and what he ate on Christmas day in 1951! Even the menu takes us back in time. How many people still put peanut butter on their holiday table!
If you served on the Tamaroa in the 1950s, recognize any of the names listed in this program, or remember my uncle Bob Szerejko I would love to hear from you!
Menu
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TOMATO JUICE SHRIMP COCKTAIL
TURKEY RICE SOUP
CRACKERS BUTTER ROLLS
ASSORTED PICKLES STUFFED OLIVES
PEANUT BUTTER CELERY HEARTS
CRANBERRY SAUCE
ROAST TOM TURKEY
OYSTER DRESSING GIBLET GRAVY
MASHED TURNIPS
VIRGINIA BAKED HAM
PINEAPPLE GRAVY MASHED POTATOES
COLE SLAW
CIDER COFFEE MILK
FRUIT CAKE PLUM PUDDING
MINCE MEAT PIE PUMPKIN PIE
ASSORTED CANDY ASSORTED NUTS
CIGARS & CIGARETTES
Officers
Thompson, Warner K., Jr., CDR, USCG Lutzi, Philip C., ENS, USCG
Hinkleman, George C., LT, USCGR Bassett, Raymond C., Jr. ENS, USCG
Krause, Herbert, LT, USCG Beach, John W., BOSN, USCG
Treib, Seymour L., LTJG, USCG Mears, Grayson J., MACH, USCG
Gendler, Irvin, ENS, USCG
Enlisted Men
Emery, Otis W., CSC Dunhour, Joseph W., ENC
Frey, Leo (n), ENC Kirkman, George R., EMCA (P)
Tarr, Howard R., Jr., BMC (P) Lucey, Christopher J., QMC
Aery, Walter H., EN1 (P) Anderson, Gilbert C., SN
Avedisia, Harry (n), SN Berry, Leo D., SN
Berni, Albert J., FN (EM) Bledsoe, Marvin R., EN2 (P)
Casale, Robert (n), RM1 (HF) Cleavenger, Jack R., EN3 (P)
Colegrove, Howard C., FN Colford, Sidney J., Jr., SN
Cooper, Grady (n), FN Cotton, Paul S., SD3 (P)
Czapski, Alexander (n), SN Fallo, Charles C., Jr. FN
Fasano, Lun A., RM2 Feierabend, Richard F., SA
Gaines, Eugene C., SD3 (P) Fulton, William D. QM1 (P)
Grinage, James R., EM2 Gilmore, Marshall C., QM2
Harris, James (n), TN Grogan, John J., EN3 (P)
Hildebrand, Richard E., SA Hendricks, Robert N., SN
Jones, Russell W., DC3 (P) Hymers, Douglas J., YN1
Kerbel, Stanley E., SN Keister, Gerald J., EN3 (P)
Lake, Henry E., RM3 Lopez, Jose L., EN3 (P)
Lewis, Alfred F., FN (EN) McDermontt, William G., HM2
Masker, Raymond E., CS1 Mendicino, Vincent T., SN
McDevitt, Joseph j., SN Moran, James F., DC1
Menge, Fred W. , EN1 Noorman, Jack M., SA
Nicolaus, James E., SA Owen, Urel P., Jr., YN3
Oreck, Marshall B., SA Paul H., SK1 (P)
Palicia, Leo (n) EM3 (P) Pospisil, George H., RM3
Petkovich, Charles R., SA Rossi, Ralmonde (n), ET2
Rappaport, Isaac I., SA Sciarrino, John F., SA
Sanders, Luther (n), CS2 Sensenig, John H., Jr., FN
Seibel, Herman (n), GM3 (P) Smith, Clifford E., BM3 (P)
Shortt, Harry R., SN Spahr, John E., BM3 (P)
Smith, Norman C., SN Steindler, "H" K., ET3
Standaert., Richard E., SN Sward, Gordan A., SA
Stroud, Myrel E., BM3 Szerejko, Robert A., SN
Switzer, Dean W., SA Theriault, Joseph L. P., SN
Thomas, Sydney W., YN3 (P) Travis, Charles W., SA
Walker, Clifton B., Jr., QM1 Watson, John T. EN2
Wilson, Sidney A., F N Wood, Alvin C. RD3 (P)
Yost, James C., FN (EN)
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Christmas in Poland, 1929 - Wordless Wednesday
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