Intermission Stories (22)

19 year old sailor, Sol Kaslow

Sol Kaslow

PT Boat Quartermaster

On D-Day, Sol Kaslow was a 19 year-old from Philadelphia serving on PT 508, dubbed the “Mairzey Doats” (after the popular 1943 song) as a quartermaster.  Hours before their most important mission began, the 13 men aboard Pt 508 bowed their heads and talked to God.  “It was not a crew that normally prayed.  We just didn’t do it,” said Kaslow.  “But at the time, prayer seemed appropriate.”

The small, but fast vessels of the US Navy’s Mosquito Fleet shouldered a mighty D-Day mission.  Prior to the invasion, the highly maneuverable, mahogany-hulled boats protected slow-moving minesweepers as they cleared a broad sea lane from British naval bases to the French coast.

The crew of PT 508

Once D-Day commenced, the PTs performed water rescues, transported personnel and maintained a picket line to guard the western flank of Utah Beach’s convoy unloading area.  “We all knew if this was successful, it would change the whole scheme of things.  And we knew of the dangers involved.”

On the morning of  8 June, death pulled alongside PT 508.  Northwest of Utah Beach, a series of German mines – one! – two! – three! – dealt fatal blows to the escort destroyer USS Rich.  Kaslow said, “Absolutely split in half.”  His commanding officer would later write: “The explosion was terrific, and men were tossed injured and screaming into the water…  The whole ocean trembled and our boat jumped high in the air.”

PT 508 rushed in to aid the disabled destroyer, plucking survivors from its detached stern section, while other PT boats saved sailors from the rest of the smoking wreckage.  The blasts killed roughly 90 men – almost half of those aboard and injured another 73.

Kaslow and his WWII sailor hat.

Fortunately, the crew of PT 508 pulled through D-Day, and the weeks that followed on the picket line, unharmed.  Kaslow marked the invasion’s 55th anniversary with a trip to Normandy.  He was taken back by the sensations and perceptions that his memory churned up.  “I was struck by the smell.  It was the dead bodies, and the ammunition had a certain odor.  And that stayed in my mind.  You think you would forget that after 55 years, but you don’t.”

Sol Kaslow, now 89, resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and gave this story to the Palm Beach Post for their special D-Day section.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Farewell Salutes – 

Charles Alpers – Hopewell Junction, NY; US Army, WWII

Robert Cruickshank – Calgary, Alberta, Can; RC Navy (19 yrs.), Lt., HMCS Micmac, Skeena & Mew Waterford 

Rodolpho Hernandez – Fayetteville, NC; US Army, G Co./187th RCT, Korea

Lois Mowen – Springfield, OH; US Air Force, cryptologist

Donald Morrison – San Antonio, TX; US Air Force, Vietnam

Edward O’Neill – Papatoetoe, NZ; RNZ Army# 462352

Clyde Parkis – Vero Beach, FL; US Navy

Edward Ptak – BellaVista, AR; US Army, Sgt., Korea & Vietnam

William Stone III – Reston, VA; US Army, Lt.Colonel (Ret. 28 yrs.), Korea & Vietnam

James Walker – Albany, NZ; RNZ Navy # 14224

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