Crew

George Francis Grady – 1938 to 1942 Pvt. 1c ( Private 1st class) 1st Marine Parachute Battalion

I am SGT Roxanne B. [Combat Veteran currently serving in the US Army] my great uncle was Francis Grady the gentleman that the ship was named after. If you want to read a great book about him and his unit read “Battalion of the Damned”.  The book goes into great detail about the Battle at Gavutu and Bloody Ridge and about the forming of his Battalion.  Well, I can add that he was a NY city native and he had enlisted on 11 October, 1938 and was born 28 April, 1920. He was part of the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion.  I thought I would say hello and talk to folks who served on this ship. Thank you, take care.

- SGT. Roxanne B. – great niece

George L. Aar – ? to ? SC1c (Ship’s Cook 1st Class)

My dad, George L. Aar, served on the Grady as well. He was “ship’s cook, first class”, and also was assigned to a 40 mm. gun.

Like so many others, he seldom mentioned the war or anything he did during. There was always a photo of the Grady hanging on our wall with dad’s ribbons on it, and also a credit for shooting down a plane. When I asked him about the plane – in a sort of childish exuberance – all he would say about it was “I helped”.

- George Aar, son

Everett Dickerson – 1944 to ?    WT2c (Water tender 2nd class)

He was born in 1925, enlisted June of 42. He first served aboard the USS George E Badgar then was transferred to the Grady in 44.  Served as a boilerman in the engine room.

-Kevin Garrett, Grandson

Arnold D. Foster – 1944 to 1945 S1c (Seaman 1st Class,) GM (Gunner’s Mate)

My father Arnold (Arnie) D. Foster served on the Grady from the commission date to the end of the war. My father passed away on May 26, 2009 Memorial Day. My father truly loved his time on the Grady and was very proud to serve.  All my life I heard the war stories of the Grady and at times I felt like I was a crew member. Long live the USS Grady and her brave crew.  In loving memory-

-James D. Foster, son

Cecil W. Hammond – 1944 to 1945  BMc2 (Boatswain [Bosun's Mate] 2nd class)

I am the son of Cecil W. Hammond who served on the USS Grady from October 1944 to November 1945.  He passed away last May 11th 2009.   He was the last WW2 Grady sailor to attend the annual DESA reunion.   An era has passed.

-Jack E. Hammond, son

John S. Hedges – 1944 to 1945  RdM2c (Radarman 2nd class)

I am John Hedges and was on the USS Grady during Sept 1944 through 1945 when it was decommissioned in San Diego. I am in the photograph that is mentioned earlier with the humorous sailor lying on his side with the crew around him. I am the second sailor from the left in the front row.  I was 18 years old, one of the youngest on board ship.  I appreciate reading the stories from others that shared my experience.
I remember the monkey, the typhoon and many of the other stories that were passed on.  We also had a dog on board for awhile and she even had puppies!

- John S. Hedges, crew member

John J. Holloman – 1944-1946  SC2c (Ship’s Cook 2nd class)

John J. Holloman was my step father and a Great guy as a young man he would talk about his time aboard. The Grady it must of been something, he pass in 1972 at 59 but O did he live for 59 years.  It is neat to see the pictures of Him and the Grady. 1944-46?

-Jerry DeJohn, stepson

Francis R. King -1944 to ?     Lieutenant Commander

My father in law Francis R. King was the Lieutenant Commander of the Grady. He passed on in 1985 but remained a “sailing man” his entire life.  He gave  the love of the sea to his son my husband a die hard sailor himself. Fran was supposedly the youngest serving escort destroyer commander at the time. He was 27 when he took command.

-Jane King, Daughter-in-law

John J. Smith - 1944 to 1946 MM2C (Machinist Mate 2nd Class)

My name is John J. Smith I was a plank owner on the Grady M/M 2nd
class. I put her in commission and was with her all through the war. I
left her after the war was over.

-John J. Smith, crew member

Malcolm D. Stearns – 1944-1946     F1c (Fireman 1st class), EM (electrician mate)

He was drafted in 1944. He went to the induction center where he was given a choice of which branch of service he wanted to be in. Imagine that! They actually gave him a choice. That doesn’t sound much like the military. Since his dad before him had served in the Navy, he chose to get into that line. (I think he said that there were three lines – the Army, the Navy, and the Marines.)

His dad had served on a submarine in WWI. He advised my dad not get into the submarine service. (It is hard to imagine the US having a fleet of subs in WWI.) Dad knew he made the right decision not to get into the submarine division after he had participated in ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare) training. (They may have called it something else back then.) They practiced on a real sub using dummy shells and ordinance. Dad said that when the sub sufaced it was full of dents and marks from the beating it took. I’m sure the sub had been used to train a lot of ships in ASW.

Dad was sent to Perdue University by the Navy to train in electronics. He learned about radios, but when he was assigned to duty on the USS Grady he was made a Fireman. The Fireman did not put out fires. He was in a secure room that operated the second switch for the turrets to fire their 5” guns (called 38 Specials because the shells were 38 inches long). The man in the turret and my dad had to close the switch at the same time to fire the guns. The fire control room, where he worked, was the safest part of the ship. The walls were about a foot thick of solid steel.

-David Stearns, son of M.D.S.

Camp Peary, Virginia , June 1944 – Camp Photographers

Malcolm Stearns is the one fourth from top left – date/location unknown

Deck photo of some crew of the Grady – date/location unknown

Malcolm Stearns on the right with unknown sailor – date/location unknown

Arthur Tisdale 1944 to ?  Lt.(jg) (Lieutenant Junior Grade)

My father was an ensign aboard the USS Grady during WWII, but I do not know the dates. He brought home a movie of the King Neptune celebration when the ship crossed the equator. He was one of the “90-day wonders” – those men who went straight from college, was trained in 90-days, and given assgnments.

- David Tisdale, son