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USS Fair (DE-35)
Encyclopedia
USS Fair (DE-35) was a ship named by the United States Navy
for Lieutenant, junior grade
Victor Norman Fair, Jr., who was born on 15 August 1921 in Lincoln County, North Carolina
, enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 15 August 1940, and was commissioned ensign
on 14 March 1941. Serving in , Fair was wounded when his ship was sunk by Japanese gunfire in the Solomon Islands
on 5 September 1942, and he died four days later.
Fair was launched on 27 July 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. V. N. Fair, Jr., widow of Lieutenant Fair; and commissioned on 23 October 1943, Lieutenant
D. S. Crocker in command.
from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor
, where she arrived on 9 January 1944. She put to sea nine days later to conduct an antisubmarine patrol off Tarawa, and late on 4 February, joined to develop a contact previously made by the destroyer
. Attacks by both ships led to the sinking of the next morning. Fair returned to Pearl Harbor on 17 February, and sailed on 25 February for Majuro
, where from 5 March-12 June, she patrolled the entrance to the lagoon, and escorted ships to and from ocean rendezvous and Roi Namur. On 14 June, she arrived at Eniwetok with three oilers, and for the next 2 weeks, screened them in the fueling area off the Mariana Islands
as they fueled ships serving in the assault and capture of Saipan
.
The escort vessel served on patrol out of Eniwetok from 1-14 July, then returned to screen the logistics group during the assaults on Tinian
and Guam
. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 31 August for a brief overhaul and to take part in training operations. On 13 October, Fair was back at Eniwetok for duty escorting convoys to Ulithi
until 19 January 1945. She continued her escort duty from Eniwetok to Manus
, Guam, and Guadalcanal
until 24 March, when she arrived at Ulithi to stage for the assault on Okinawa.
Guarding a convoy composed primarily of LSTs, Fair put out from Ulithi on 27 March, and after the initial assault on 1 April, put into Kerama Retto
. On 6 April, before getting underway for Saipan with unladen transports, she fired on the massive wave of kamikaze
s which attacked shipping off the island, splashing one. After her voyage to Saipan, Fair patrolled off Chimu Wan, Okinawa until 12 May, then screened the transport area, firing on attacking aircraft and suicide boats for 10 days. Her next assignment was a convoy escort voyage to Saipan and Guam, returning to Okinawa on 10 June for local escort duty and patrol.
Fair cleared Okinawa on 5 July 1945 for a West Coast overhaul. She was decommissioned at Portland, Oregon
on 17 November, and transferred to the United States Army
on 20 May 1947.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
for Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
Victor Norman Fair, Jr., who was born on 15 August 1921 in Lincoln County, North Carolina
Lincoln County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 71,498 people, 24,041 households, and 18,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 people per square mile . There were 25,717 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
, enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 15 August 1940, and was commissioned ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
on 14 March 1941. Serving in , Fair was wounded when his ship was sunk by Japanese gunfire in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
on 5 September 1942, and he died four days later.
Fair was launched on 27 July 1943 by Mare Island Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. V. N. Fair, Jr., widow of Lieutenant Fair; and commissioned on 23 October 1943, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
D. S. Crocker in command.
World War II
Fair escorted a convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, where she arrived on 9 January 1944. She put to sea nine days later to conduct an antisubmarine patrol off Tarawa, and late on 4 February, joined to develop a contact previously made by the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. Attacks by both ships led to the sinking of the next morning. Fair returned to Pearl Harbor on 17 February, and sailed on 25 February for Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
, where from 5 March-12 June, she patrolled the entrance to the lagoon, and escorted ships to and from ocean rendezvous and Roi Namur. On 14 June, she arrived at Eniwetok with three oilers, and for the next 2 weeks, screened them in the fueling area off the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
as they fueled ships serving in the assault and capture of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
.
The escort vessel served on patrol out of Eniwetok from 1-14 July, then returned to screen the logistics group during the assaults on Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 31 August for a brief overhaul and to take part in training operations. On 13 October, Fair was back at Eniwetok for duty escorting convoys to Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
until 19 January 1945. She continued her escort duty from Eniwetok to Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, Guam, and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
until 24 March, when she arrived at Ulithi to stage for the assault on Okinawa.
Guarding a convoy composed primarily of LSTs, Fair put out from Ulithi on 27 March, and after the initial assault on 1 April, put into Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
. On 6 April, before getting underway for Saipan with unladen transports, she fired on the massive wave of kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
s which attacked shipping off the island, splashing one. After her voyage to Saipan, Fair patrolled off Chimu Wan, Okinawa until 12 May, then screened the transport area, firing on attacking aircraft and suicide boats for 10 days. Her next assignment was a convoy escort voyage to Saipan and Guam, returning to Okinawa on 10 June for local escort duty and patrol.
Fair cleared Okinawa on 5 July 1945 for a West Coast overhaul. She was decommissioned at Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on 17 November, and transferred to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on 20 May 1947.
Awards
 |
Combat Action Ribbon Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or... (retroactive) |
 |
American Campaign Medal American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt... |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was... (with five service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... s) |
|
 |
World War II Victory Medal |
External links
- NavSource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive - USS Fair (DE-35)
- Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940-1945 DE-35 USS Fair
- Combat Chronology of the US Navy Forces in operations against and from the Marshall Islands
- uboat.net - Allied Warships - Evarts class Destroyer Escorts
- DE Action And Damage Timeline of World War II
- Destroyers OnLine - The Destroyer Escorts