Ship
As representative of a new class of American man o’ war, Plunkett (DD-431) made the cover of Popular Science magazine in March of 1941. Before the country’s entry into World War II, the magazine was celebrating destroyers for their ability to transport heavily armed Marine detachments to hot spots in the Caribbean. (credit: author) 
Plunkett as she looked on the day Jim Feltz joined her at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Note Ken Brown’s fire control director perched on the round barbette at the highest part of the ship’s superstructure. (credit: U.S. Navy) 
One of Plunkett’s 20mm gun tubs. In addition to a gunner, who jammed his shoulders into the two c-shaped braces at general quarters, a loader and a handler and sometimes a talker manned the gun when under aerial assault. (credit: USN) 
One of the two convoys that steamed east for North Africa during the first invasion in November 1942. It’s uncertain whether this image pictures the first or second convoy. Plunkett was travelling in the second convoy and would have been one of the tiny blips on the outside edge – the screen. (credit: National Archives) 
Menu for Christmas dinner on Plunkett, courtesy of Ken Brown and Dutch Heissler. On the menu’s back, Capt. Miller wrote: “Let us hope that the spirit of the PLUNKETT will carry us on to victory.” (credit: author) 
Moving topside in heavy seas was always a tricky business, especially in the North Atlantic. (credit Jim Feltz) 
Cork-filled buoys on the deck of the Plunkett, awash somewhere in the North Atlantic. The buoys were “designed to float free of the ship,” said Jim Feltz, if the ship went down. (credit Jim Feltz) 
Inspired by the cover of Popular Science, no doubt, Dutch Heissler sketched an image of the ship in a v-mail to his sister. (credit: Fran Poulin) 
The official ‘Our Navy’ image of the Plunkett, taken in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This image is a scan of the picture that hung for decades on the walls of the upstairs hallway on Oakton Ave. Gallagher collected the names of his shipmates on the back. (credit: Mark Gallagher) 
Like John Gallagher, Jack Simpson wanted to remember the crew. Here are the signatures of the ship’s officers when Capt. Miller was commanding. (credit: Bonnie Simpson Reavis) 
One of these two destroyers underway is Plunkett. When asked which was his ship, Ken Brown said, “Let’s say it’s the one not making any smoke.” (credit Jim Feltz) 
Coveted by every sailor, a liberty pass. Jim Feltz, who didn’t whoop it up on liberty as much as some of the other fellows, occasionally gave up his card to friends who’d give him a dollar to stand their watch. (credit: James Gebhart) 
Plunkett ‘splashing’ one of the three or four German aircraft they tagged at Anzio. The watercolor was commissioned by Ken Brown for a ship’s reunion in 1990s, with 431 prints authorized. (credit: Ken Brown) 
An unidentified U.S. Navy destroyer off Anzio, quite possibly in late January of 1944. Note the helmeted crew in the 20mm gun tub. (credit: U.S. Navy) 
Anti-aircraft fire (ack-ack) on the Anzio beachhead. Frank Gallagher was on the beachhead at Anzio and took this photo on the evening of Jan. 24, 1944. It was under this same aerial assault that Plunkett was hit. (credit: Frank Gallagher)
