My dad was a second-class seaman. Wait. That doesn’t sound right.

My dad spent several years working with seaman. No. That’s not right either.

My dad was in the Navy in World War II. That’s much better. He sailed on the pastry-puff sounding USS Botetourt, an Eddie Haskell-class attack transport. Appropriately enough, given the name of the ship, my father was a cook. SC2. Ship’s Cook 2nd Class.

The USS Botetourt

Fortunately, my dad didn’t see much action during his time in the war. Nor did he get much action. But he was in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945 when the Japanese surrendered. Knowing my dad, he was most likely in the kitchen baking cookies for the first ever VJ-Day celebration.

My dad is most likely somewhere in this batch of seaman. Wait. That doesn’t sound right.

I was able to find the route the USS Botetourt took during the war. By standards of today, it sounds like a lovely cruise.

“Joining the Pacific Fleet, Botetourt left San Francisco 8 April 1945 for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, arriving on the 22nd. She operated out of Espiritu Santo, and Manus, Admiralty Islands, until 25 August, carrying Army troops and cargo to Noumea, New Caledonia; Guadalcanal; Tulagl; Leyte, Luzon, and Samar in the Philippines; and Milne Bay, Hollandia, and Lae in New Guinea. The transport departed Manila Bay, Luzon, 25 August and joined IF 33 for the occupation of Japan, landing troops at Yokohama, Japan, 3 September. Botetourt made another voyage from the Philippines to Japan (22 September-6 October) and then (16-30 October) steamed to San Francisco with returning servicemen.”

The last photograph of me and my dad together.

On this Veterans Day, I want to say thank you to all of the veterans who have served our country. I’d especially like to say a prayer for the entire crew of the USS Botetourt who was forced to eat my father’s cooking.

Miss you, dad.