Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
0604101	10k	Bruce Godfrey Brackett, the son of George Godfrey Brackett and Ellen Kellogg Hill Brackett was born on 16 October 1915 in Seattle, Wash. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps in 1936 and served on board USS New York (BB 34), Colorado (BB 45), and Hopkins (DD 249). He was appointed an aviation cadet on 05 September 1939 and, following training as a naval aviator (heavier than air) at Pensacola, Fla., received a commission as an ensign on 15 April 1940. Brackett's first assignment was to Cruiser Scouting Squadron (VCS) 9 on board USS Honolulu (CL 48) to which he reported on 22 June. The light cruiser operated out of Pearl Harbor through 1941 and was moored in the Navy Yard when the Japanese attacked on 07 December. Honolulu suffered only minor hull damage and was initially assigned convoy escort duty between the United States, Australia, and Samoa. Promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) in June 1942, Brackett spent the summer months of 1942 in the Aleutian Islands on board Honolulu. Promoted to lieutenant on 01 October 1942, he transferred to a VP squadron and began to fly PBY combat scouting missions for Task Force 67 (TF67, or Cactus Strike Force consisted of five DD's based at Guadalcanal) during the Battle of Tassafaronga in November and out of Espiritu Santo early in 1943. From 16 December 1942 to 14 January 1943, Lt. Brackett flew hazardous missions to seek out the "Tokyo Express," the nightly reinforcement runs of warships down the slot that separated two chains of islands in the Solomons group. On his missions, he distinguished himself by valor when faced with heavy Japanese antiaircraft fire. Without regard to his personal safety, he and his crew illuminated hostile targets for PT boat squadrons to attack. During the stormy night of 14 and 15 January, his PBY Catalina was shot down over Savo Island while assisting the PT boats engaging a nine-destroyer "express" run. Lt. Brackett was officially declared dead on 23 January and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his heroism. USS Brackett (DE 41) (1943-1945) was the first ship to be named in his honor.      (Photo courtesy of Freebase Data)		Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
0604102	321k	01 November 1943: Bremerton, Wash. - USS Brackett (DE 41) off the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington. (U.S. Navy National Archives photo, Bureau of Ships Collection, #19-N-53904 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)		Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
0604103	45k	circa May 1944: the South Pacific Ocean - The U. S. Navy destroyer escort USS Brackett (DE 41) in a floating dry dock in the Marshall Islands. Brackett hit a coral reef with the starboard propeller. After preliminary repairs on the starboard shaft, she set course for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 09 May 1944. (Photo: Bill Roberts, USN)		Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

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Additional Resources

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Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
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The Destroyer History Foundation

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