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John Hobart "Buck" Chittick |
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The Story:
Local Gunnery Sergeant Participates in Invasion
- The Pontiac Daily Press, Tuesday, July 18, 1944
ON BOARD THE USS ARKANSAS – (Delayed) –
On the day of the Allied invasion of Nazi held Europe,
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John H. Chittick of 17 Earlemoor
boulevard, Pontiac, was on duty as the port side anti-aircraft
fire control officer of the USS Arkansas. He was stationed
high in the main mast of the ship with a full view of
the entire show.
As the mighty American battleships slowly steamed into
their positions about 6,000 yards from the shores of France,
the first of the Nazi guns opened fired, hurling shells
high into the air to fall around the ships. The exploding
shells threw shrapnel on board, many of the pieces falling
in the open fire control station, and Sgt. Chittick points
with pride to one piece he vows he will wear as a good
luck charm.
During the day while the heavy guns of the ship blasted
and bombarded the German shore installations, the sergeants
antiaircraft gunners waited in vain for a crack at the
Luftwaffe, but during the night they had their chance.
As darkness fell the first of the ”Jerries”
sneaked in low over the waves to drop a 500-pound bomb
just short of our bows and from that moment on Sgt. Chittick
was on his toes directing the fire of his batteries.
During the remainder of the night the ship was never free
from attacks, but each time the accurate fire of the AA
batteries kept them away and with the breaking of dawn
they could point with pride to a record of two “jerries”
down in flames.
Although this is the first time this leatherneck gunnery
sergeant has been in actual contact with the enemy, he
has been looking them for many months as the USS Arkansas
patrolled long stretches of the Atlantic on convoy duty.
Gunnery Sergeant Chittick enlisted in the U.S. Marine
Corps in Detroit, September 8, 1941, and since that time
has served at Parris Island, Quantico and at the sea school
at Portsmouth, where he was trained for his present duties.
He has been a member of the Marine detachment of this
ship since September 1943, and performs the duty of non-commissioned
officer in charge of drills and instructions, in addition
to his regular duty as antiaircraft fire control officer.
Submitted:
02/10/2009 by David John Chittick
Hi Kyle, I thought I'd give this a try; I scanned
both the news article of Gunnery Sergent John Hobart Chittick
(Buck to his friends) and a picture of him in uniform.
The news article tells most of the story.
He was my dad's (Blair R. Chittick) half brother. My dad
and he shared the same father, John William Chittick (3/10/1902
- 10/31/1965). His mother was Mabel P. Kincaid married
12 July, 1919. John died in an accident in 1955. He was
married to Audrey B. Chittick and had two daughters: Martha
who has two sons and Virginia.
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