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Taffy 3

Seventy-eight years ago, the Battle off Samar saw an astonishing mismatch in firepower between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy. Over approximately three hours of ferocious combat (the real thing, not a game) saw the Americans lose two escort carriers and the bulk of their screening destroyers/escorts. More than 1,100 were killed or missing, with another 900 wounded. Japanese loses included three heavy cruisers, with damage to the three remaining. Casualties were between 250-750. The American effort to protect landing operations in the Leyte Gulf was successful. That’s the big picture.

The “small” picture still endures for some of us. Among the casualties on the USS Hoel (253 lost vs 86 survivors) was my dad’s younger cousin - a 19 year old kid from a small farming community in rural Iowa. As my dad said “not even old enough to buy a beer.”

Many mark remembrance on November 11. In our families, it will always be October 25 - a day when a teenager who should be dreaming of the future went in harm’s way. And willingly paid the price.