Looking for Spruance staff who served with my father, John Tillotson, 1943-44

J Schuyler Tillotson · Newbie

Looking for Spruance staff who served with my father, John Tillotson, 1943-44

scottk61 · Member

My Uncle Chick ... Daris W Sackman was Admiral Spruance's personal launch pilot... served with Spruance continuously after Pearl Harbor... Uncle Chick served on Arizona til a few weeks before Pearl when his enlistment was up. He went home, married my Aunt Evelyn and almost immediately was recalled to Navy after Pearl Harbor. He was assigned to USS Indianapolis and served aboard her all through the island campaigns and when his current enlistment was over... during transit of "the bomb" to Pearl Harbor where Indy took on new crew to Tinnean where the bomb was delivered. He dis embarked with others who's enlistments were over at Guam.. a day or so before Indy was sunk by the Jap sub. I would like any info you have during that period as my Uncle never talked about it as he felt guilty about outliving two ships he was on.

J Schuyler Tillotson · Newbie

Scott

My father, Lieutenant John C. Tillotson, and your Uncle Chick no doubt knew each other on the Indianapolis as fellow members of Spruance's staff. My father joined up in March, 1942, and after six months of training, served as a gunnery officer on the Battleship North Carolina for one year. He then transferred to Spruance's staff, and from November of 1943 through April of 1945, he served as plotting officer for Spruance on the battleship New Jersey and on the Indianapolis. His basic job was to keep track of the location, etc., of every ship in the Fifth Fleet. He also helped with other duties in planning the various invasions, etc. He said that Spruance walked the decks for several miles each day and would usually pick a staff member to walk with him. My father was able to visit the island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll just one or two days after the Marines took it, and he was very moved by the incredible bravery of these Marines in conquering that island. He also told us about the excitement of the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot." He personally knew a lot of the men who died in the water when the Indianapolis was torpedoed.

John S. Tillotson

scottk61 · Member

Hello John,

Thank you very much for responding to my post, In my main posting on here I told pretty much the same story. I just updated the post asking for Spruance staff photos or any documents mentioning my uncle.. I also said it was kinda odd that no one had posted anything in the year that the post has been on here as he had served almost the entire Pacific campaign aboard Indy yet, nobody said they remembered or heard mention of him.

Again Thank You,

J.S. Kuyper

J Schuyler Tillotson · Newbie

Scott

The official Navy biography of Spruance was published in 1966. It's called "Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, USN; A Study in Command, by Vice-Admiral E.P. Forrestel, USN" On the back of the title page it says "L.C. Card No. 66-60052" I think the L.C. means Library of Congress. It also says "For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C., 20402" I'm sure it's out of print, but maybe you can get a copy online somewhere or from the Navy or the government. Anyway, page 82 has a group photograph of Spruance and his staff (about 30 men) taken on the deck of the Indianapolis in front of the forward guns. Maybe your uncle is in that picture. Spruance is standing in the back row and my father is sitting directly in front of him.

John