Ron's photos from WWII

The U.S.S. Dunlap, the destroyer on which Ron served, off the coast of Chi Chi Jima.

Some of the men on board the Dunlap. Ron is in the back row, second from the right.

A plane burns after making a crash landing when returning from a bombing run.

This Japanese ship was disabled by the United States Navy.

World War II, like all wars, created and filled cemeteries. This one is on Iwo Jima.

Ron sent well over 100 letters to his Windsor home during the war. Note the amount of the postage, the Navy censor's stamp, and the spelling of the address "Westminister" which was actually spelled "Westminster." The street name was changed in the 1950's, and I have blocked out the street address. After all, it is someone else's home now.

The men kept a scoreboard on the Dunlap, marking each time they sunk a Japanese vessel.

Japanese officers boarded the U.S. Dunlap on September 3, 1945 off Chi Chi Jama to sign the unconditional surrender of the Bonnin Islands. I have placed a star over the cap of the man I believe is my brother, Ron.

From 1943 to 1946, my older brother, Ronald Albert Parsons, served in the U.S. Navy. For part of that time, he was on board the U.S.S. Dunlap, a destroyer which patrolled the South Pacific during World War II. I told my brother's story in my book Windsor's Child, but I did not have an opportunity to include photographs that Ron brought home from the war.

On the first page of the photograph album he brought home Ron listed all the places the U. S. Navy took him from September, 1943 to his discharge in April, 1946. Here is his list which sometimes reflects Ron's Canadian education (spelling "Harbour" with a "u" for example). The places listed here where I have also been are in bold. There are not many.

Detroit, Michigan
Farragut, Idaho
Shoemaker, California
Pearl Harbour
Vallejo, California
Guam
Marcus
Wake
Phillipines
Australia
New Guinea
Ceylon
India
Alaska
Kiska
Attu
Sitka
Ryokos Islands
Taipan
Saipan
Iwo Jima
Chi Chi Jima
Ha Ha Jima
Tokyo
Yokohama Harbour
San Juan
Cristobal
Panama
Houston, Texas
Florida
Norfolk, Virginia
Okinawa

Recently I have been able to communicate with Ralph Barber who served with Ron on board the Dunlap, and he has given me more information about the photos on this page.

The picture at the top of the column to the left was labeled "Dunlap" in Ron's photo album. However, Ralph says the picture is actually of the U.S.S. Lamson which escorted the Dunlap to Chi Chi Jama. The Lamson was anchored in Chi Chi Jama Harbor. The picture, our source says, was taken from the Dunlap by the ship's photographer.

This picture, obtained from the Internet, is of the Dunlap.

The group picture was taken, Ralph says, with his camera by an officer of the ship. He was the only man in the engineering department with a camera.

The picture of the B-29 crashing on Iwo Jima was purchased by Ron for about 5 or 10 cents. One of the reasons the United States worked so hard to capture Iwo Jima was so that crippled bombers like this one would not have to make the additional mileage to Saipan.

Ralph says the picture of the beached Japanese ship was taken on December 27, 1944. This ship was attempting to get underway when it came under heavy fire from the Dunlap. Ralph manned one of the guns that brought the ship down. The Japanese steered the crippled ship onto the beach of Iwo Jima.

Ralph identified the name of the censor who read all letters sent by the men of the engineering department.

He also took the picture of the Japanese ships painted on the Dunlap bridge. To get the picture, he went on board the Dunlap's sister ship, the U.S.S. Fanning and shot the picture from the ship's bridge. The man in the picture is one of the officers of the Dunlap.

This is all that is left of Camp Bennion today, an oval field where Ron and nearly 300,000 other men trained for World War II at the Farragut Naval Training Station in northern Idaho. Today it is part of Farragut State Park. To read about my recent visit to the place where Ron trained please click here. To see a video I made of this trip, please click here.

Part of the book, Windsor's Child, tells the story of Ron's involvement in the war aboard the Dunlap. The book makes reference to the December 27, 1947 battle involving the Dunlap and to other incidents shown here.