USS Vesole

Kay Kopl Vesole was born on 11 September 1913 in Pzedboz, Russia (now in Poland). Sometime thereafter, his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Iowa where he later attended the State University of Iowa. On 19 October 1942, he accepted an appointment as an ensign in the naval reserve. Ens. Vesole studied at a series of naval training schools during the remainder of 1942 and the first part of 1943. Beginning at the Naval Training School, Tucson, Ariz., he transferred to the Naval Training Station (Local Defense) at Boston, Mass., in January 1943. The following month, he moved from Boston to Gulf-port, Miss., to enter the Armed Guard School. In April, he moved to the Armed Guard Center located at New Orleans, whence he was routed to Panama City, Fla., to take command of the armed guard gun crew on board a merchant ship.

By December 1943, Ens. Vesole commanded the armed guard crew assigned to the Liberty ship SS John Bascom. On the night of 2 December, his ship was riding at anchor in Bari, Italy, when a massive air raid of 105 Ju. 88 medium bombers attacked the port. During that raid, Vesole's ship was bombed and sunk. However, before she went down, Ens. Vesole heroically directed the defense of the ship despite severe multiple wounds. When it became apparent that the ship would sink, he led a party below and supervised the evacuation of the wounded. Once in the lifeboat, he manned an oar and helped to row the boat ashore even though he had only one functional arm. When he reached land, Ens. Vesole still disregarded his wounds in order to help pull survivors out of the oil-covered and flaming waters and to get them safely into a nearby bomb shelter. Finally, an ammunition explosion inflicted still further wounds on the officer, wounds that soon proved fatal. For ". . . his exceptional fortitude and self-sacrificing concern for others . . .," Ens. Vesole was awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously.

Vesole (DD-878) was laid down on 3 July 1944 at Orange, Tex., by the Consolidated Steel Corp.; launched on 29 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Kay K. Vesole; and commissioned on 23 April 1945, Comdr. H. E. Townsend in command.

Continue to the full service history →About 2,787 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Vesole (DD-878)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.