Tag Archives: Samar

The Battle Off Samar – Taffy III at Leyte Gulf book (5th Edition) available

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Friend Bob Cox, creator of the bosamar.com website, announces that the 5th edition of his “The Battle Off Samar – Taffy III at Leyte Gulf book is available for purchase.  The book is available in both soft and hardcover, xviii + 268 (292 total pages) and electronic PDF format.

Bob’s website:

is dedicated to the men of RADM C.A.F. Sprague’s U.S. Seventh Fleet Task Unit 77.4.3, Taffy III, for action against VADM Takeo Kurita’s Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force on October 25, 1944. Task Unit 77.4.3 consisted of six escort carriers (CVEs) FANSHAW BAY, ST LO, WHITE PLAINS, KALININ BAY, KITKUN BAY, & GAMBIER BAY, three destroyers (DDs) HOEL, HEERMANN, & JOHNSTON, and four smaller destroyer escorts (DEs) JOHN C. BUTLER, DENNIS, RAYMOND, & SAMUEL B. ROBERTS. They fought the vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force at Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944, sustaining losses of five warships sunk and nearly all remaining warships heavily damaged; with the high cost of nearly 900 American lives.

Bob indicates that his website

is here to educate the world about the Battle Off Samar and what Taffy III did at Leyte Gulf. I could not have chosen a better topic or a better group of veterans to honor and pay tribute to. Thanks for stopping by, God Bless, and happy web surfing!

Building named after RADM Copeland

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[Dick Rohde received the following email on April 25, 1999 from Van Badzik, Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Center in Tacoma, Washington.]

Dear Mr. Rohde,

I am Lieutenant Commander D. Van Badzik, USNR, the Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Center in Tacoma, Washington. I offer my greatest apologies for the lateness of this message, but I have some news for you and the other survivors of the DE-413.

As I’m sure you’re aware, your skipper, the late Rear Admiral R. W. Copeland, was a native and life-long resident of Tacoma, Washington. We’ve recently completed a new building at our Naval Reserve Center, and after a several month bureaucratic delay, I’ve received official permission to name the new building after RADM Copeland.

We will be holding a dedication ceremony next week, on Saturday, May 1, at 3:00 p.m. RADM Copeland’s widow, Mrs. Harriet Copeland, will be our honored guest and will cut the ribbon marking the opening of the new facility.

Again, I’m sorry for the short notice on this, but I got a late start on the request, and the Navy’s upper brass took a long time to approve the request.

And unfortunately, I was unable to inform the public of the naming until after I had received official approval, which wasn’t until yesterday.

Anyway, I am inviting you and any other interested individuals to attend the ceremony. I would understand the difficulty of arranging transportation, but if any survivors live in the Northwest, or can somehow arrange to be here, we would be honored.

If anyone is interested, please have them call us at (253) 383-[xxxx], and ask for myself (LCDR Badzik) or for Petty Officer Williams or for Chief Church.

We will be happy to give directions on how to get here, or hotel recommendations, or whatever else they may need. Following the dedication, I will send you photos and other information about the event, that you may wish to place on your web-site.

Thanks again, and smooth sailing.

Van Badzik