We are seeking information on the USS Mugford and her crews. Files and photos may be E-mailed to us and we will incorporate them into these pages.

Subject: USS Mugford DD 389
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004
From: Rick Cook

Hello,

My Father Richard Lee Cook and about 20 other Marines from the VMF-211 hitched a ride on the Mugford from Pearl to Palmyra Island. It was in early 1942. I think the Mugford was on it's way to the Coral Sea. They got into a storm and my dad and his fellow Marines were sick as dogs. The crew of the Mugford got a real kick out of the seasick Marines.

Rick Cook

7/11/05:

This is Mugford crew member, Frank Duzick Sr. accounting of transporting those Marines including my dad to Palmyra Island.

"I remember it well. Shortly after the attact, we took a small group of marines, about 30, to Palmyra Island . The weather was rough, it was a trip I'm sure they have never forgotten. There were not enough extra bunks in the crew quarters and most of them had to sleep on deck. All of them were sea sick and the sailors took great pleasure talking about food when in their presence. Palmyra Island is south of PH and took a couple of days to get there. It's a flat sand island covered with palm trees and at that time not much else there."