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| Click On Image For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
 0641601   |
48k | The son of Rollie Burnette and Pearl Grace (McGowen) Nawman, Melvin Rollie Nawman was born on 10 September 1916 in Aurora, Ill. Sometime prior to 1935 the family moved
to Oakland, Cal. He attended the University of Utah prior to his enlistment on 07 July 1941 in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Shortly there after he qualified for flight training and
on 27 July 1942 earned his wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Attached to Scout‑Bombing Squadron (VMSB) 32, the squadron arrived at Henderson Field on 30 October 1942,
in the midst of the bitterly contested struggle for Guadalcanal Island, and immediately began combat operations in the skies of the Solomon Islands. On 22 November 1942, a strike was organized to attack a fleet of Japanese warships, known as the "Tokyo Express", approaching Guadalcanal. 2nd Leutenant Melvin R. Nawman and his gunner Private Vito LaGioia were among the Marines who volunteered for the mission. Three SBD Dauntless bombers departed Henderson Field at 1800 hours – and none returned. Nawman and LaGioia were reported as missing in action. The gallantry of this volunteer mission was recognized through a posthumously awarded Air Medal. The wreckage of Lieutenant Nawman’s SBD-3 (Bureau Number 03210) was located in 1943 on Santa Isabel Island and his remains were buried nearby. They were later repatriated to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu, Hawaii. No trace of Pvt. LaGioia was found, and on 03 November 1943, he was declared dead. USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416) (1944-1947, 1951 - 1960) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo from the website Missing Marines) |
Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Manager, Navsource DE / FF / LCS Archive | |
 0641602 |
60k | 16 February 1944: Houston, Tex. - Melvin R. Nawman is launched. | Nick Tiberio Shelton, Conn. | |
 0641603 |
75k | undated wartime image | Dave Caputo | |
 0641604 |
45k | undated wartime image | ||
 0641605 |
39k | undated wartime image | ||
 0641609 |
275k | 13 May 1952: the Atlantic Ocean - USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416) at sea off Newport, R.I. (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-444097 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.) |
Rick E. Davis Springfield, Oh. | |
 0641610 |
428k | 07 August 1952: Key West, Fla. - USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416) at sea off Key West, temporarily assigned to the Fleet Sonar School. (U.S. Navy photo #80-G-445113 from the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Md.) | ||
 0641607 |
186k | undated post-war image | Nick Tiberio Shelton, Conn. | |
 0634106 |
214k | Summer 1953: Copenhagen, Denmark - Four destroyer escorts make a Scandinavian port visit during a North Atlantic Midshipman Cruise. From left to right:
USS Raymond (DE 341), USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416), and USS
Chester T. O'Brien (DE 421), with a fourth unidentified DE aft. This photo is part of the CT-DESA
exhibit which is displayed at our CT-DESA chapter events. (Photo from the Nick Palermo Collection) |
John N. Adriani Shelton, Conn. | |
 0641608 |
534k | 1959: Starboard bow view of the destroyer escort USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416) underway, with sailors manning the rails. (U.S. Navy National Archives photo #USN 444097 from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager | |
 0641606 |
99k | August 1960: Military Ocean Terminal, Bayonne, N.J. (Photo © Richard Leonhardt) |
Richard Leonhardt Bethlehem, Pa. | |
 0619104 |
269k | Winter 1972 - Spring 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - A view of the Inactive Ship Basin at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Looking south from the Langley Ave. side, we see Whitehall (PC-856) and another unidentified PC alongside the the Intrepid Ave. quay. Further to the right, at the Constitution Ave. quay we see Oswald (DE 767), Melvin R. Nawman, Tabberer (DE 418), Coffman (DE 191), Rizzi (DE 537), and Edward H. Allen (DE 531). | Jim Cunliffe Frederica, Del. | |
 0619105 |
287k | Winter 1972 - Spring 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - A closer view from the corner of Intrepid Ave. and S. 16th St. Again we see Oswald (DE 767), Melvin R. Nawman, Tabberer (DE 418), and Coffman (DE 191). In this view we also see an unidentified decommissioned AGSS and Raymond (DE 341). | ||
 0619107 |
234k | 25 May 1973: Philadelphia, Pa. - A mothballed auxiliary submarine and destroyer escorts at the Inactive Ship Facility of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. From left to right;
Angler (IXSS 240), Raymond (DE 341), Oswald (DE 767), Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416), Tabberer (DE 418), and Coffman
(DE 191). Note from Rick Davis: "Back in May 1973, Martin Holbrook (INRO Photo Collection), invited me for a tour of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Mothball Fleet. Martin had been making trips to Philly and other mothball sites for years and was one of the “old-timers” that had been taking photos of USN ships since before WWII in the New York City area. Anyway, when he picked me up in his van, there were two other gents. One was Ted Stone (I thought the other one was Paul Silverstone, but when I had a chance to ask him a few years ago if it was, he said he didn’t recall a photo trip to PhilNSY). Martin had enough “pull” that we were provided with an Admiral’s Gig! I had my brand-new Nikon F2 35-mm camera. Martin and Ted had larger format cameras. I felt like a rank amateur and a kid in a candy store. I have seen some of the same photos of subjects that we all took photos from the same boat, show-up elsewhere. We were all excited that USS Sigsbee (DD 502) was on the outside of a nest this trip. Martin had been trying to get good views of her for years. Ex-USS Gherardi (DD 637) ... built at PhilNY ... was outside the reserve basin ready to be towed away for scrapping. We got photos of her as well". |
Rick E. Davis Springfield, Oh. | |
| Melvin R. Nawman Memorabilia |
| Ship's Lighter  Courtesy of Nick Tiberio |
| Melvin R. Nawman |
| View the USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site. |
| Melvin R. Nawman's Commanding Officers Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler |
| Dates of Command | Commanding Officers |
|---|---|
| 1.) 16 May 1944 – 16 Mar. 1946 | Lcdr. Frederick William Kinsley, USN (USNA ‘35) (Marblehead, Mass.) |
| 2.) 16 Mar. 1946 – 23 Apr. 1946 | Lt.(jg) Ward L. Patterson (Decomm. CO) |
| 3.) 28 Mar. 1951 - .. Jul. 1952 | Lcdr. Philip Hitchcock Teeter (Recomm. CO) (Minneapolis, Minn.) |
| 4.) .. Jul. 1952 - .. Jun. 1954 | Lcdr. Steven Nicholas Anastasion (USNA '42) (New Haven, Conn.) |
| 5.) .. Jun. 1954 – 20 Jul. 1956 | Cmdr. Thomas Patrick Connell (Jersey City, N. J.) |
| 6.) 20 Jul. 1956 – 12 Sep. 1958 | Lcdr. Robert Knapp Minard Jr. (Chester, N. J.) |
| 7.) 12 Sep. 1958 – 22 Feb. 1959 | Cmdr. Harold Eckel Baumberger (Asheville, N. C.) |
| 8.) 22 Feb. 1959 – 09 Nov. 1959 | Lt./Lcdr. William Raymond Broughton Jr. (OinC) (USNA '49) (Chase City, Va.) |
| 9.) 09 Nov. 1959 – 21 Aug. 1960 | Lt. Hugh Thomas Campbell (OinC) |
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been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry
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