Thomas Allen Emmons

Private Thomas Emmons reported for duty with the the Marine detachment aboard the USS Vincennes in the early summer of 1942. Shortly after he came aboard, the cruiser departed for the Solomon Islands; Emmons had to work quickly to learn his duties at sea, especially the function of his battle station – likely with one of the five-inch batteries arranged along the ship’s upper deck. His first experience under fire came in the invasion of Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942. After providing fire support for the amphibious landings, Vincennes took up a patrol station screening the vulnerable transports unloading cargo for the Marines ashore.

At 0155 on 9 August, bright searchlights stabbed out of the darkness and illuminated Vincennes. The cruiser let loose a salvo, but was almost immediately bracketed by Japanese shells. In just fifteen minutes, she suffered at least 85 hits from large and medium caliber shells, and at least one torpedo strike. Without power, aflame from stem to stern, Vincennes drifted to a stop and began to list.