STORIES OF THE MEN

Jack William Wintle

>
> The USS Wintle was named for Lt. Commander Jack William Wintle
> <http://www.uss-salem.org/danfs/escorts/de25.htm> who was killed on
 the
> Cruiser Scout, USS San Francisco (CA-38) in a melee off Savo Island
> <http://www.commpro.com/navy/navy8.html> (also
> <http://www.flash.net/~hfwright/1stbatt.htm>) with the Japanese
> battleships Hiei and Kirishima. The "melee" was part of the Battle of
 
> Guadalcanal. Jack Wintle's widow, Mary Clyde Newman Wintle,
 christened
> the "original" USS Wintle. She died January 11, 1997 at age 85, and
> attended a few USS Wintle reunions. Their daughters, Jackie
> <mailto:jwintle@aya.yale.edu>, lives in Maryland, and Judy (Reynolds)
 in
> Texas. There is a National Geographic video called The Lost Fleet of
> Guadalcanal
> <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304475284/wintlecom> that
 tells
> the story of the Battle of Guadalcanal. It shows pictures of Jack
> Wintle, and his wife reads the devoted love-letters that he wrote her
 
> (which she continued to receive after being notified of his death),
> while she and her daughter look down at the water where he was
 killed.
> They were visiting Guadalcanal for the 50th anniversary of the
 battle.
> According to Jackie, no one but her mother had read the remarkable
> letters prior to the National Geographic special. Mary Wintle never
> remarried. At least two other DE's, the USS Slater
> <http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/slater/index.html> and the USS Dempsey
 were
> also named for officers killed at this same melee off Savo Island.
> (Letter from Jackie Wintle <http://www.wintle.com/de25/jackie.htm>)"
> 
> Under the *Stories of the Men* section of the website, you will read
 of
> the new *Stories of the Women* section at,
> http://www.usssanfrancisco.org/Stories%20Of%20The%20Men.htm   The
> Foundation would love to not only include information about your
> father's service, but images of your mother and her biography and
 copies
> of the love letters mentioned above.   Please scan these letters to a
 
> CD, and images of Jack, Mary and family and mail to:
> 
> John Garvey
> 601 Rheem Blvd
> Moraga, CA  94556
 

USS Wintle DE-25 Note from Jackie Wintle regarding her father

My father was aide to Admiral Callaghan, and he and all the senior officers on the San Francisco were killed when the bridge took a direct hit. There is a memorial in San Francisco with the remains of that bridge. There were several naval battles during the Guadalcanal campaign. The one my father was killed in was November 12-13, 1942, and was called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (vs. the earlier Battle of Savo Bay, etc). We were told that this particular battle was the major turning point (because it kept the Japanese from resupplying their troops at a critical point) in the Guadalcanal campaign which was a major turning point in the Pacific War (i.e. first time we pushed the Japanese off an island rather than vice-versa).

With financial support from the family, my mother, Mary Clyde Newman Wintle, was able to travel to Boston to christen a USS Wintle at the Boston Navy Yard. For the rest of her life she kept the lovely mahogany souvenir box which contained the metal casing that surrounded the champagne bottle. That first ship went to Great Britain under the lend-lease program. My mother was not financially able to travel to California for the christening of the second ship though she would have loved to have participated in that event, too. She died January 11, 1997, at age 85. She and I attended three USS Wintle reunions: 1993, Reno; 1994, LaGrange, and 1995, Lancaster -- at which she got around in a wheelchair that I pushed. My sister and her husband attended the Gracemont, OK, reunion, and I am planning to be in Norfolk this year.

Side note: My mother never remarried. When questioned why, she would explain that she had met the man of her dreams and married him; no one else could ever come close.

My mother and I were photographed for the National Geographic video while we were attending the 50th anniversary celebration and dedication of the memorial on Guadalcanal back in August 1992. We traveled there at our own expense, though National Geographic did pay my mother an honorarium for her role in the video.

We were looking down at the waters of "Iron Bottom Sound" where – by the best current figuring available -- the USS San Francisco took the hit to the bridge. My father and the others killed on the USS San Francisco during that Battle were buried at sea the next day off San Cristobal, an island just south of Guadalcanal.

The letters were received by my mother and kept in a large wood box along with other treasured mementos. My sister and I recognized the box as "sacred" and never opened it nor touched the letters until after my mother's death. In fact, the first time anyone except her had seen or heard what my father wrote was when the National Geographic staff talked with her about participating in the video. Thus, the letters had nothing to do with the naming of the ship. Per information we were given, the Navy decided to name a ship after my father based on his naval record and because of his bravery. Similarly, he received the Navy Cross which I understand is the highest honor given by the Navy.

I live in University Park, Maryland. My sister, Judith Anne (Judy) Wintle Reynolds, lives in Richardson, Texas

I read your email with great interest.  I regret I cannot make the
dinner September 18; perhaps next year, if you do it again.

Until last August, I was living in University Park, Maryland, just south of the University of Maryland campus.  My first husband, James W.
Longest, was a professor of rural sociology at the University.  He died in 1992 of cancer.  I remarried in 2004.  My second husband and I have
moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina ... about 15 miles directly
 east ofAsheville in the mountains of western NC.  Beautiful area!

I was the daughter who accompanied my mother to Guadalcanal for the
dedication of the memorial on the 50th anniversary of the Campaign and
for the filming of The Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal ... and later to the
three USS Wintle reunions she was able to attend.  Many years earlier,
I also accompanied her to the USS San Francisco memorial inSan
 Francisco.
  I've continued attending USS Wintle reunions when possible.

My sister has the originals of the letters and pictures.  By copy of
this email I will ask her to send copies to you.  I'm afraid your email
 
hits both of us at stressful times.  My house in Maryland has been rented the past few months and is now being sold.  Closing is later
 this month, and I've got to clear out my 33 years of accumulation; that's a
major challenge for a pack-rat like me.  Naturally, my focus is on that.
  Meanwhile, my sister and her husband are negotiating on a new house
and are in a purchase-new-house, sell-old-house mode.  We would both
like to help you, but you'll understand if we don't respond as quickly
as you might like.

Another ship you didn't mention, the USS LeHardy, also came out of that
 
battle.  Lt. Cdr LeHardy was a good friend of my father's and was killed on the bridge of the USS San Francisco at the same time.  His son and daughter both live in Virginia.  My sister may have their email addresses and can send them to you.  I thought I did, but don't find
them in my address book.

Best wishes on your project.  Please keep my sister and me on your email
distribution list.  Thanks!
Jackie Wintle

 

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