USS Atherton DE 169

DESTROYER ESCORT - CANNON CLASS

"October 5, 1945

Today we had a bit of unusual experience - a dead sailor. It so happened that the bow sentry of our ship notice a body floating in the water alongside of our ship and reported same to the quarterdeck. Our supply officer - Mr. Stevens - dove into the water thinking that he was going to save a life. As he found soon enough the body was lifeless. The body was brought aboard ship and our doctor's examination showed that he had a fractured skull and his face was all beaten in beyond recognition, also had wounds on the body. It was found later after finding his ship the the A.P.D.118 that while being hoisted aboard ship the boom and cable broke sending him into the water, which also may have been the cause of the fractured skull. The rest of the face must've been beaten against coral reefs since we had a very rugged storm today. The doc says he's been dead 2 days and if it wasn't for the storm bringing the body up it wouldn't have been found for a week since a body doesn't come to the surface in sale water until after a week. Dogtags were found in his pockets identifying as Duding. Later on the message from his ship told us that he was from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia. Between 2030 and 2045 the Harbour Police boat came alongside our ship and took the body away. I happened to see the face - it was the most gruesome sight that I've ever seen in all my life."