Status - John Skinner - USS O'Brien:
On January 2, 1942, O'Brien was still in port, undergoing a refit and awaiting its transit to the Pacific which was to begin on January 15.
Background - Entering Service - John Skinner
The reader will have noticed that in our entry for yesterday, John had determined to join the Army and see the world; and also, over two years later, was on a Navy ship. This, in fact, is no mistake.
As John himself told it, he had gone off to see the Army recruiter and had arrived at mid-day, only to find a sign on the door - "Out To Lunch". The Navy recruiter was right next door, and was of course willing to chat while John was waiting for the Army recruiter. When our Army man returned from his lunch, he found himself down one prospective soldier, and the Navy had a newly minted Apprentice Seaman, John Floyd Skinner, Jr. with a salary of 21 dollars a month.
A few months later, December 14, 1939, John started Navy basic training in Newport, Rhode Island. Here he is leaving for the Navy, and in a training photo:
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