WASHINGTON
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to TASK UNIT SEVENTY-SEVEN POINT FOUR POINT THREE, consisting of the U.S.S. FANSHAW BAY and VC-88; U.S.S. GAMBIER BAY and VC-10; U.S.S. KALININ BAY and VC-3; U.S.S. KITKUN BAY and VC-5; U.S.S. SAINT LO and VC-65; U.S.S. WHITE PLAINS and VC-4; U.S.S. HOEL, U.S.S. JOHNSTON, U.S.S. HEERMANN, U.S.S. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, U.S.S. RAYMOND, U.S.S. DENNIS and U.S.S. JOHN C. BUTLER

for service as set forth in the following CITATION

"For extraordinary heroism in action against powerful units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle off Samar, Philippines, October 25, 1944. Silhouetted against the dawn as the Central Japanese Force steamed through San Bernardino Strait towards Leyte Gulf, Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly taken under attack by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships from the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit waged battle fiercely against the superior speed and fire power of the advancing enemy, swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells, anti-personnel projectiles and suicide bombers. With one carrier of the group sunk, others badly damaged and squadron aircraft courageously coordinating in the attacks by making dry runs over the enemy Fleet as the Japanese relentlessly closed in for the kill, two of the Unit's valiant destroyers and one destroyer escort charged the battleships point-blank and, expending their last torpedoes in desperate defense of the entire group, went down under the enemy's heavy shells as a climax to two and one half hours of sustained and furious combat. The courageous determination and the superb teamwork of the officers and men who fought the embarked planes and who manned the ships of Task Unit 77.4.3 were instrumental in effecting the retirement of a hostile force threatening our Leyte invasion operations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

For the President,
/signed/ JAMES FORRESTAL Secretary of the Navy
 

 The Taffy III North/South Connection

 John C. Butler Chapter member and Phoenix resident Henry Hight and northwesterner Jack Yusen are survivors of The Battle off Samar Island which occurred during the invasion of the Philippines at Leyte Gulf by US forces on 25 OCT 1944. Henry, RM1, as described in his bio in this website, was aboard USS Kalinin Bay CVE 68 and was wounded by gunfire in that action. His damaged ship limped home at 9 knots for repair.

The "Sammy B." had to steam past the heavily damaged and sinking USS Hoel DD-533, unrecognizable as a Fletcher class destroyer, in order to attack the enemy with Roberts two 5 inch/38 cal. guns and three 21 inch torpedoes. Doing all the damage she could with what she had, "Sammy B.," while returning to her task group, was struck several times by enemy gunfire and sunk. Jack and his surviving shipmates drifted in life jackets and rafts for about 54 hours before rescue finally arrived. The third Destroyer sunk was USS Johnston DD-557. All three vessels suffered heavy casualties, Roberts lost 90 men out of a crew of 227, Johnson lost 186, Hoel lost 268, nearly three-quarters of her crew.

Jack Yusen was a Signalman Second Class, is a member of the North Pacific DE Sailors Association, and now lives in Tacoma, Washington. Jack and Henry are acquainted with each other having met at reunions and Taffy III memorial dedications, at the Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, California, and across the dock from the USS Midway Museum, San Diego, California.