February 5, 1943 - Friday - 80 years ago today

Status - John Skinner - USS Fullam: 

John was on duty at his new destroyer, the USS Fullam, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.  

John and Mary

 

In our last entry was Mary McLaughlin's recollection of meeting John Skinner.  Here she continues:

Mary:

One night I was reading a paper after one of our dances and a tall good-looking blond man came up and hit the paper.  This was my introduction to John Skinner.  I had noticed him watching me for some time.  I danced with him at the dance we had a couple of days later.  I remember that we talked about two movies -  Casablanca and Random Harvest. I liked the first and he liked the second.  After that we went to a movie and he came out to my house.  He was amazed as one after another my brothers and sisters appeared, but I think he enjoyed it because at the time he had left home, only he and his parents were there.

 Mary by this time had several siblings: Helen, 19; Dick, 17; Claire, 14; Bob, 11; Ray, 10; John, 9; Adrian, 7; and Tommy, just 18 months old.  Eight brothers and sisters in all.

More Information:

• Official Navy Chronology, pp. 304-306.
• The Struggle for Guadalcanal, Samuel Eliot Morison, pp. 316-337.

 

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