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For a number of years now I have been compiling a history of my father in laws navy service (1935-1960) using letters, email, interviews and his collection of souvenirs. Ed Cokely is now 91 years old and unfortunately in the last few years has been able to remember less than when I began about 8 years ago.
Still I search the internet from time to time and usually discover some new tidbit or two. Recently I started looking up the history of some of his classmates from A school at San Diego in 1939. Many of his classmates signed his old three ring binder with home towns and thier new assignments. Among the names was Wilbur Butcher Webb or Butch of Ardmore, OK assigned to BB-45 USS Colorado.
Butch Webb went from gunner's mate on the Colorado to flight school at Pensacola as an enlisted pilot. During the Mariannas Turkey Shoot now "Spider" Webb was the pilot that radioed he had 40 Japanese cornered over Orote Penninsula and proceeded to shoot down 8 of them most of them at less than 100 feet altitude. Webb was recommended for the Medal of Honor and in 1958 was recognized as the most decorated Navy enlisted man of WW2.
My only regret now is that Ed probably wouldn't remember Webb...... I hope that on a really good day I can let him know about his old shipmate.
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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.
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