Amos Chapman, “Plank Owner”
VFW, Post 8870 presented to our Comrade Amos Chapman a bound book giving tribute to the USS Killen and Amos as one of the Plank Owner’s from this Fletcher Class destroyer. (For you ground pounders out there, a “Plank Owner” in a member of a ship’s original commissioning crew.)
The Mighty K, the USS Killen lies in water off the coast of Puerto Rico and this tribute to the ship and her crew was prepared by Juan Vera, the Undersea Historian of Puerto Rico.
The USS Killen engaged in The Battles for Leyte Gulf during which time the ship was under constant attack by artillery, air and Kamikaze attack. During the battle of Surigao Strait the Killen sank the Japanese Battleship, Yamashiro with a surface launched torpedo. This was the last surface torpedo battle in US military history. While on patrol off the Gulf of Leyte the Killen came under attack by seven enemy aircraft and after downing five of the seven did herself take a hit from a Japanese skip bomb killing 17 sailors.
Amos, we thank you for being a member of VFW, Post 8870 and being our friend.