MARCH 2013 SANDUSKY COUNTY, OHIO WORLD WAR II PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT SEAMAN 2/C NORMAN LEE COLE U. S. S. Gambier Bay Sandusky County War History Commission

The Ohio War History Commission was established in 1942 for the purpose of collectiing data on the state's service men and women for its historical record. Authorized by the governor of Ohio, the commission encouraged the formation of individual organizations throughout the state.

In November 1942, Sandusky County established its commission. Charged with gathering records, members began requesting newspaper articles, unofficial records, general information, awards, and photographs of service men and women. Because many official records were closed, the Sandusky County War History Commission was only partially successful in gathering and collecting data on area service men and women.

The commission created a number of questionnaires. The questionnaire designed for Purple Heart recipients asked for the name; address; date and place of birth; rank; serial number of the service member and the date, location, and circumstances of the award. In addition, the form requested the name, address, and relationship to the service member of the individual who provided the information.

While there is no complete list of service men and women who received the Purple Heart, records show that the commission collected data on 46 Sandusky County Purple Heart recipients. Most interesting are the 10 identified black-and-white war time photographs of Sandusky County Purple Heart recipients that were included with their questionnaires.

The questionnaire and photograph of U. S. Navy Seaman Second Class Norman Lee Cole of Fremont, Ohio serves as an example. Seaman Cole lost his life while serving aboard the aircraft carrier "U. S. S. Gambier Bay" in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Screened by four destroyer escorts, "Gambier Bay" and her sister ship "Kirkun Bay" escorted transports and amphibious landing ships safely to Leyte Gulf. In the absence of Halsey's carriers, "Gambier Bay," as part of "Taffy 3," moved off to Samar. During the night, Japanese cruisers and destroyers slipped undetected through San Bernadino Strait and down the fog-shrouded coast to Samar.

Surprised and outgunned, the "Gambier Bay" was severely damaged despite attacks by U.S. planes with torpedos, bombs, and strafing runs. Dead in the water and engulfed in flames, the "Gambier Bay" capsized and sank. Some 800 survivors were rescued two days later in shark infested waters by landing and patrol craft from Leyte Gulf. Seaman Norman Cole, only 17 years old, was one of more than 160 sailors who did not survive.

U. S. S. Gambier Bay under Attack

Courtesy of Wikimedia