The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (hereafter abbreviated as DANFS), a longtime Government Printing Office staple, remains the valuable first stop for basic information about ships of the U.S. Navy. It is accessible online (and searchable alphabetically) at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/.
Translucent Sails on Lonely Seas
The USS Langley’s run-in with the Flying Dutchman is recounted in Clary, Superstitions of the Sea, 133–34. For the pair of ghost ship sightings by the USS Kennison, see Brisbane, “U.S. Navy Meets a Phantom Ship,” 41–44; see also “Vessel Sightings Defy Logical Explanation,” Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, April 4, 1999.
For accounts of the Dash, or “the Dead Ship of Harpswell,” see Beck, Folklore and the Sea, 470; Norman and Scott, Historic Haunted America, 195–99, 202–3; Paper, “Portland’s Famous Ghost Stories,” 13–15; Shay, A Sailor’s Treasury, 247–48; Simpson, The Maine Islands in Story and Legend, 101–3; Skinner, Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, 1:190–91; and Verde, Maine Ghosts & Legends, 7–9. The Roscoe Moulton quote is from Norman and Scott, 198–99. The quote about her speed and success is from Rowe, The Maritime History of Maine, 90. The quote about the ghost ship’s speed “no matter which way the wind was blowing” is from Simpson, The Maine Islands, 102. The quote “Be it calm or storm” is from Skinner, Myths and Legends, 191. See also “Superstition of the Sea: ‘Dead Ships’ Still Believed in by Old Salts of Maine Coast,” Washington Post, December 2, 1906.
For details of the Dash’s career as a privateer, see Plummer, “The Privateer ‘Dash’”; and Maule and Thomas, “The Story of Dash.”
Manifestations of Captain Jones
Callo, John Paul Jones; and Thomas, John Paul Jones, offer the two most recent biographies of Jones; Morison’s classic, John Paul Jones: A Sailor’s Biography, still retains its grandeur. See also Alden and Earle, Makers of Naval Tradition, 7–36; Bradford, “John Paul Jones: Honor and Professionalism,” in Command under Sail, 18–41; and Schuon, U.S. Navy Biographical Dictionary, 129–31.
Stewart, John Paul Jones: Commemoration at Annapolis, 45–114, tells the story behind the recovery of Jones’ body and explains and illustrates the corpse-and-sculpture overlay on p. 48 and in the three subsequent photographs. For more about the storage of Jones’ corpse until funding for his crypt was authorized and the work completed, see Okonowicz, Annapolis Ghosts, 83–84.
Information about Jones haunting the John Paul Jones House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is from local historian and folklorist Pamela Keene’s interview with the author; and from the Portsmouth Public Library’s 1998 Historic Haunted Hike guide, 9. The female ghost living next door to (and occasionally visiting?) the John Paul Jones House was immortalized in “The White Lady of Rockingham,” in Buffler, Grandmother’s Quilt, 123–24. A consummate summation of Jones’ New Hampshire sojourns is at www.seacoastnh.com.
For sightings of Jones’ ghost in and around his crypt, see Annapolis ghost authority Mike Carter’s report, “The Ghosts of the Naval Academy,” Annapolis Capital, October 16, 2007; see also http://homeport.usnaweb.org/scuttlebutt.html.
Spirits in the Timbers
Toll, Six Frigates, 3–143, gives a definitive recent account of the founding of the Navy; the construction and launching of the Constellation are described on pp. 81–83. Thomas Truxtun’s Constellation career is chronicled in Ferguson, Truxtun of the Constellation, 122–202.
On both the frigate and the sloop-of-war incarnations of the ship, see DANFS, Constellation entries. For a Constellation overview that encompasses both operational history and the relocation and restoration in Baltimore, see Sternlicht and Jameson, U.S.F. Constellation: “Yankee Racehorse.” For Constellation Quasi-War battle reports, see Knox, Naval Documents Related to the Quasi-War between the United States and France, 2:326–45, 5:158–77; The report of the death of Neal Harvey, “killed for cowardice,” is at 2:335. Many modern accounts have luridly embellished the details of Harvey’s demise, describing him as being strapped to the mouth of a cannon and blown to bits. In actuality, cold sword-steel killed Harvey. Sterrett’s remorseless description of Harvey’s execution is also in Knox, 2:335.
The quote delineating the Constellation Museum’s stance regarding the “Constellation Controversy” is from www.baltimoremuseum.org/newstore/main.html. The quote about the philosophical concept of identity continuity is in Craig, The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 782.
The 1862–63 hauntings were logged in a contemporaneous diary and are available in Bopp and Bockmiller, Showing the Flag: The Civil War Naval Diary of Moses Safford, 22–23 (March 16, 1862, entry for death leading to hauntings), and 125–26 (June 21, 1863, entry for hauntings). For references to the 1870s ghost saluting and the 1926 fire mystery, see “Ghosts on Constellation?” in the Baltimore News-American, December 17, 1972.
Brougham’s capturing of the ghostly quarterdeck photograph has been recounted repeatedly over the years. For the original reportage on the incident, see “‘Ghost’ Appears, but Navy Doesn’t Give Up the Ship,” Baltimore Sun, December 31, 1955. In a newspaper interview seventeen years later, Brougham’s son accused his by-then-deceased father of having been part of a fabrication conspiracy. But the son, who now owned the photograph, refused to allow further viewing of it; see Baltimore News-American, December 17, 1972.
On the groundbreaking psychic investigation of the Constellation, see Holzer, Window to the Past, 153–72; and Holzer, Ghosts, 158–65. The groundswell of paranormal curiosity about the ship that followed the Holzer-Leek report is illustrated by “Nautical Spirits Sought on Board Constellation,” Baltimore Evening Sun, November 12, 1970; and “Ghost Hunters Refused Permission to Spend Night on Frigate,” Baltimore Evening Sun, November 26, 1970.
For the Truxtun descendants’ encounter, see Randolph, “The Spirit of Commodore Truxtun,” 133. For various other accounts of Constellation hauntings through the years, see Conboy and Conboy, “Baltimore’s Spookiest Ghost Stories,” 76; “Marylanders Compile Rich Legacy of Ghostly Tales and Legendary Lore,” Baltimore Sun, October 31, 1972; and Hauck, Haunted Places, 206–7.
The Flaming Ghost Ship of Mahone Bay
The quote about the U.S. Navy’s relationship with American privateers during the War of 1812 is from Maclay, A History of American Privateers, vii; for details of the rise and quick demise of the Young Teazer, see pp. 446–48. W. B. Dobson as an “ideal privateersman” is on p. 446. Further accounts of the Young Teazer can be found in Coggeshall, History of the American Privateers, and Letters-of-Marque, 125; Collins, Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812, 337–38; Dill, Myth, Fact, and Navigators’ Secrets, 131–33; Goold, Portland in the Past, 475–78; Kimball, American Naval Battles, 233; Murdoch, A History of Nova Scotia, 3:334, 360–61; and Nichols, “Notes on Nova Scotian Privateers,” 135.
The quote about Johnson being a “desperate wretch . . . possessed of the devil” is from Maclay, A History of American Privateers, 448. The gory aftermath of the disaster and how the local population dealt with it are explained in DesBrisay, History of the County of Lunenberg, 518–21, which also describes the early ghost ship sightings. For the “Teazer Light” as a weather harbinger, see Beck, Folklore and the Sea, 101, 397. For various accounts of sightings, see Bird, This Is Nova Scotia, 180–89; O’Connor, The Secret Treasure of Oak Island, 168; and http//forum.oakislandtreasure.co.uk
Twin Phantoms of the Mysterious Lake
Cochrane’s is the seminal work regarding the Marysburgh Vortex; see Gateway to Oblivion, 50–53, for the area’s legacy of strangeness predating the War of 1812 period. For Cochrane’s speculation about the regional anomalies’ influence on how war was waged, see p. 51; his Hamilton and Scourge account is on pp. 51–52.
Physical specifications and operational histories of the Hamilton and Scourge are from DANFS, Hamilton and Scourge entries. Lake Ontario’s role in the war and the actions that unfolded there are summarized in Heidler and Heidler, Encyclopedia of the War of 1812, 90–91, 281–82, 293–94, 395–96, and 459–62. See also Symonds, The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy, 48; and Sweetman, American Naval History, 25–31. Myers’ quotes about the storm and the sinking are culled from Cooper, Ned Myers; or, A Life before the Mast, chapters 5 and 6.
The quotes from the exciting firsthand account of the discovery of the twin shipwrecks are from Nelson, “Hamilton & Scourge: Ghost Ships of the War of 1812,” 307–8. The quote about the Scourge wreck looking like she “was still prepared to sail into action against the British fleet” is from Konstam, The History of Shipwrecks, 159. The city of Hamilton, Ontario, provides a treasure trove of information on the Hamilton and Scourge shipwrecks at www.hamilton-scourge.hamilton.ca. On how technical advances in underwater archaeology are leading to more thorough investigations of the wrecks, see “Robotic Cameras Will Probe U.S. Ships from War of 1812,” Edmonton Journal, May 9, 2008.
For more on the evolving efforts to research, preserve, and protect the wrecks, see “A Deep Respect for History” [the source of the Tim LeGate quote], Ontario National Post, March 1, 2000; “Sunken Schooners at Risk in Fight over 1812 Relics” [the source of the “at the mercy of looters” quote], Toronto Globe and Mail, March 5, 2005; “Canada Protects Three Shipwrecks from Scuba Diving Grave Robbers” [the source of the “scuba-diving thieves” quote], Canadian News Network, January 31, 2006.
The twin phantoms are part of a maritime region teeming with supernatural lore and unexplained oddities. For some ghostly sighting accounts, see Clary, Superstitions of the Sea, 134; and Stonehouse, Haunted Lakes, 76–78.
A Hero Remains Forever
Within a few short years Decatur went from being in need of a good modern biography to having two of them; both De Kay, A Rage for Glory: The Life of Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN; and Tucker, Stephen Decatur: A Life Most Bold and Daring, are worthy accounts of a naval hero’s eventful career; see also Alden and Earle, Makers of Naval Tradition, 37–64; Bradford, Command under Sail, Decatur entry; and Schuon, U.S. Navy Biographical Dictionary, 56–57.
The Decatur House provides a wealth of background material on the house and its celebrated original occupant at www.decaturhouse.org; the site includes excerpts from the Decatur-Barron correspondence, which is quoted herein.
For more on the duel and Decatur’s ghost, see Alexander, Ghosts! Washington Revisited, 26–29. For the haunting of Decatur House, see Hauck, Haunted Places, 111; and “Of Note: Decatur House,” Washington Post, May 15, 1980. For the ghosts of the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds, see Hauck, Haunted Places, 207. Quotes about weird goings-on in general and the Decatur ghost sighting in particular are from Decatur House staff, interviews with the author.
A Fatal, Perfidious Brig
For overviews of the infamous Somers affair (and interpretations that diverge radically at times), see Baldwin, Sea Fights and Shipwecks, 184–209; Beach, The United States Navy: 200 Years, 177–95; Feuer, “A Question of Mutiny”; Guttridge, Mutiny: A History of Naval Insurrection, 87–116; Hayford, The Somers Mutiny Affair; Hunt, “The Attempted Mutiny on the U.S. Brig ‘Somers’”; McFarland, Sea Dangers: The Affair of the Somers; Melton, A Hanging Offense; and Van de Water, The Captain Called It Mutiny.
Spencer’s quote when arrested in Rio is from Rogers, “Some Reminiscences of Philip Spencer and the Brig ‘Somers,’” 29. Quotes from those involved in the Somers executions are as presented in Mackenzie’s official report and the subsequent court of inquiry; see Hayford, The Somers Mutiny Affair, 33–44, 45–48.
“The Somers: A Ballad,” by Horser Clenling, appeared in the New York Herald, May 11, 1843; see also Hayford, The Somers Mutiny Affair, 164–68. For occult numerological and sailors’ superstition aspects, see Shay, A Sailor’s Treasury, 289–91; and Van de Water, The Captain Called It Mutiny, 33. For more on the Somers as a haunted ship, see Belcher documentary film, The Curse of the Somers; Rogers, “Some Reminiscences of Philip Spencer and the Brig ‘Somers,’” 34–36; see also Hayford, The Somers Mutiny Affair, 210; Melton, A Hanging Offense, 256; and Van de Water, The Captain Called It Mutiny, 221.
For more on the Somers wreck discovery, see Delgado, “Rediscovering the Somers”; and Belcher, The Curse of the Somers. Quotes of ghostly incidents occurring during the dives are from the Belcher documentary.
The Annapolis Anomaly
For the quotes by Rosa Sutton and the ghost of Jimmie Sutton, see “Weird Claims of Spirit Testimony in Naval Tragedy,” New York Times, November 12, 1911. The Times quote about the undeniable and inexplicable supernatural elements of the Sutton case is there as well.
For biographical background on Rosa Sutton, see Cutler, A Soul on Trial, 11–14. For anecdotes of her psychic abilities through the years, see the New York
Times, November 12, 1911. For information on the Marine barracks and the discovery of Sutton’s body, see Cutler, A Soul on Trial, 1–3. For initial reaction to the case, see the New York Times, Washington Post, and Baltimore Sun, October 14–16, 1907.
The investigation by the American Society for Psychical Research is described in the New York Times, November 12, 1911, which also includes the quotes from Thacher’s report. The remarks by Mary Ann Winkowski, a modern-day communicator with ghosts, are in Winkowski, When Ghosts Speak, 60, 81, 122.
The Sutton court of inquiry is chronicled in detail in Cutler, A Soul on Trial, 99–245. For Dr. Schaefer’s forensic testimony, see pp. 212–14. Schaefer’s “contortionist” quote about the bullet angle is on p. 214. The quote of the court’s official conclusion is on p. 244. For an account of Sutton’s autopsy and reburial, see pp. 259–74. The newspaper headlines are on p. 271.
Cutler’s A Soul on Trial is the most definitive study on the Sutton case to date. The author is a Sutton family descendant, and her work is essential reading for anyone interested in this enduring mystery. For a concise yet worthwhile overview of events, see Edwards, Strange World, 138–41; see also Hauck, Haunted Places, 205. For recent Sutton ghost sightings, see Mike Carter, “The Ghosts of the Naval Academy,” Annapolis Capital, October 16, 2007.
For other Naval Academy ghosts, see “Spooky Antics at the Naval Academy in Annapolis” [the source of the “scariest place I have ever been” quote], a testimonial posted at www.marylandghosts.com.
Haunted Bases and Other Places
Background information on Thomas Tingey and the Washington Navy Yard is available at www.history.navy.mil/bios/tingey.htm. The quote about Tingey being “the last . . . to leave the city and the first to come back” during the burning of Washington is from Commodore Thomas Tingey entry, R57/1, at www.congressionalcemetery.org. For some ghostly specifics, see Alexander, Ghosts! Washington Revisited; Allendorfer, “Round-shot to Rockets,” 1160; “Ghosts and Rogues in Naval Gun Factory,” Washington Post, March 19, 1958; and Hauck, Haunted Places, 116.
For background information on the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, see globalsecurity.org. On the supernatural side of things, see Bielski, Chicago Haunts, 223–26; www.castleofspirits.com; and www.theshadowlands.net. The U.S. Naval Postgraduate School’s lingering ghosts are described in Hauck, Haunted Places, 58; and at www.hauntedhouses.com.
The fiery disaster at the Tracy House is in “General Tracy Stricken: Wife and Daughter Both Die a Terrible Death,” New York Times, February 4, 1890; and “The Washington Tragedy,” New York Times, February 5, 1890. Alexander, Ghosts! Washington Revisited, 82–83, gives a thorough account of the death house’s ghostly history before the Tracys took up residence there; see also Hauck, Haunted Places, 112.
For the sad southern ghost that hovers at Charleston Naval Base, see Hauck, Haunted Places, 375; Leiding, Historic Houses of South Carolina, 12–13; and Martin, Charleston Ghosts, 5–10. The ghosts of a colonial carriage mishap that still haunt Yorktown’s U.S. Naval Weapons Station are depicted in Hauck, Haunted Places, 442. Hauck delineates the numerous specters populating the U.S. Naval Shipyard at Norfolk on p. 433; Naval Air Station Norfolk’s mess hall phantom and the mysterious nude apparition of Dam Neck Naval Base are described at www.theshadowlands.net.
The naval officer ghost at Lynch Hall is also described at www.theshadowlands.net, as well as being mentioned in the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg’s University Times 36, no. 7, November 20, 2003; and at www.pitt.edu/~upg/LynchHall.html. The main account of Admiral Hawley’s ghost and the haunting of Mizzentop is in Holzer, Yankee Ghosts, 158–71. One of the principal witnesses erroneously stated that Admiral Hawley died in 1933, a mistake perpetuated in some subsequent accounts; he actually died in 1925; see obituary, “Rear Admiral Hawley Dies at 79 Years,” New York Times, February 11, 1925.
For a biographical survey of David Glasgow Farragut, see William N. Still Jr., “David Glasgow Farragut: The Union’s Nelson,” in Bradford, Captains of the Old Steam Navy, 166–89. See also Alden and Earle, Makers of Naval Tradition, 146–75; and Schuon, U.S. Navy Biographical Dictionary, 73–74. For accounts of Farragut’s ghost, see “Civil War Hero Haunts Quarters ‘A’ at Navy Yard,” Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald, May 19, 2002; and “Legacy of Life in Shipyard’s Quarters A,” Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald, July 27, 2003.
Battleships of the Dead
The physical specifications and operational history of the Texas are detailed in DANFS, Texas (BB–35) entry; and Paine, Ships of the World, 512–13. The Texas ghost is investigated in Williams, Haunted Texas, 6–7; at www.lonestarspirits.org; and at www.theshadowlands.net.
The physical specifications and operational history of the North Carolina are detailed in DANFS, North Carolina (BB–55) entry; and Paine, Ships of the World, 366. Bradshaw’s memoir, Ghosts on the Battleship North Carolina, is an invaluable resource for the warship paranormalist; Bradshaw quotes in this chapter are from pp. 5, 18, 23, 24, 28, 30, 40, and 42–43. The exception is Bradshaw’s “I don’t want to die here” quote, which is from “USS North Carolina’s Watchman Believes It’s a Haunted Ship,” Greensboro News-Record, October 31, 2002. See also “Legend Sparks Ghost Hunts,” Daily Tarheel, March 3, 2004; and “Ghost Hunter Shadows Aycock Auditorium,” Greensboro News-Record, May 27, 2006. The investigation by the Atlantic Paranormal Society can be viewed in Ghost Hunters: Season Two, episode: “Mordecai House and USS North Carolina.”
For a summary of the unfolding events of the Pearl Harbor attack, see DANFS, Arizona (BB–39) entry; Paine, Ships of the World, 36; Sweetman, American Naval History, 145; and Symonds, The Naval Institute Historical Atlas of the U.S. Navy, 140.
For Pearl Harbor ghosts, see Belanger, Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, 216–17; Crain, Haunted U.S. Battlefields, 186–90 (the psychic’s quotes are from p. 189); and www.hauntedamericatours.com (source of the “Top Ten Most Haunted Battlefields” designation). Dan Lenihan’s poignant and reflective account of diving on the Arizona wreck, “Arizona Revisited,” is posted by the USS Arizona Preservation Project at www.pastfoundation.org/Arizona/index.htm.
The pensive ghost of Midway is covered in “Tales of Ghost Greet Hokule’a,” Honolulu Advertiser, June 20, 2004.
Blue-Eyed Charlie and Shadow Ed
A description and operational history of the USS Lexington are in DANFS, Lexington (CV–16) entry; and in Paine, Ships of the World, 302. The Lexington Museum’s thorough Web site also serves up a cornucopia of historical data at www.usslexington.com.
The Kinnick story is recounted in Fimrite, “Nile Kinnick: With the Wartime Death of the ’39 Heisman Winner, America Lost a Leader,” 112–24. The reporter’s quote about Kinnick’s Heisman speech is on p. 116, as are Kinnick’s diary entry about the beauty of flight and the friend’s quote about Kinnick’s “aura.” Kinnick’s “May God give me the courage” quote is on p. 123. The friend’s quote about being shocked by Kinnick’s death is from “Everybody’s All-America,” an online Kinnick biography at espn.go.com. On hauntings on the Lexington, see “About the Lexington Ghost,” Corpus Christi Caller-Times, October 31, 1994; “‘Charly’: The ‘Blue Ghost’s’ Ghost,” www.militaryhistory.about.com; “Haunted Ships: The USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas,” www.haunted-places-to-go.com; and “The Polite Haunting of the Blue Ghost,” www.wintertexansonline.com.
The characteristics and chronology of the USS Yorktown are recorded in DANFS, Yorktown (CV–10) entry; and in Paine, Ships of the World, 584. Security guard and visitor accounts of Yorktown ghost sightings are at www.yorktownsailor.com/yorktown/ghost.htm. The ectoplasmic photograph is described and displayed at www.angelsghosts.com/uss_yorktown_ghost_picture.html.
Brothers to the End, and Beyond
The story of the USS The Sullivans is the story of two ships, really. The Juneau is described in DANFS, Juneau entry; and in Paine, Ships of the World, 279. The Sullivans is in DANFS, The Sullivans entry; and in Paine, Ships of the World, 513–14. Kurzman’s searing account, Left to Die: The Tragedy of the USS Juneau, lays bare the tragedy; for the Sullivan brothers in particular, see pp. 10–26, 166–67, and 245–49. See also “The Sullivan Brothers: The Loss of USS Juneau (CL–52),” at www.history.navy.mil; “Worst Family Catastrophe in Naval History: 5 Brothers Lost Together as Their Ship Goes Down in Solomons,” Washington Post, January 13, 1943; and “Sullivans Typify War Spirit of U.S.,” New York Times, February 8, 1943. Alleta Sullivan’s letter to President Roosevelt and Roosevelt’s condolence letter are both viewable at www.archives.gov.
Accounts of hauntings aboard The Sullivans are given in Hauck, Haunted Places, 293; Revai, Haunted New York, 59–60; and at www.theflagship.net.
A Hornet’s Nest of Hauntings
For Hornet background, see DANFS, Hornet (CV–12) entry. The headless ghost is described at www.tv.com/fear/u.s.s.-hornet/episode/137697/recap.html?tag=overview;recap. The engine room phantom is chronicled there, too; and in Gault, “Is the USS Hornet (CV-12) Really Haunted?” 17. The sick-bay specter, the “amoeba-like plasma” glow, the pipe-smoking ghost, and sundry other accounts are gathered at a Hornet ghost sighting testimonial page at http://www.its.caltech.edu/~drmiles/ghost_stories.html. For the mess hall ghost, see Gault, 24; the kamikaze ghost is recounted at the two aforementioned web pages and in Gault, 24–25, which quotes the witness who made the mistake of lying down on the wrong cot at the wrong time. The Bob Messiah quote also is from Gault, 24. The TV news reporter is quoted in Gault, 17, 24. The McKean account and quotes and the Rogers account are from Mackenzie, “Hornet Redefines ‘Presence,’” 40; Tallmadge’s testimony follows on p. 41. LaDue’s description of the Christmas tree incident is on p. 39. The Loyd Auerbach quotes are from Mackenzie, 41; and Auerbach, “Psychic Frontiers: A Ship of Souls.”
Of Hangars and Their Hangers-On
For the ghosts of Pensacola, see Hauck, Haunted Places, 125; Jenkins, Florida’s Ghostly Legends and Folklore, 3:12–20; Manuel, Pensacola Bay: A Military History, 121; and www.cnic.navy.mil/Pensacola/AboutCNIC/GeneralInformation/HistoricSites/Building16/index.htm.
For the ghosts of Olathe, see Myers, A Ghosthunter’s Guide to Haunted Landmarks, Parks, Churches, and Other Public Places, 93–100; “Things That Go Bump in the Night: New Century Air Center,” Blue Valley Northwest 11, no. 2, October 24, 2003; www.theflagship.net; www.kansasghosts.com; www.leftfieldpsi.net/ghosts/haunted_places/usa_k.html; and www.theshadowlands.net. The earliest news account of the crash that spawned the hauntings is in the Olathe Mirror, January 6, 1949.
For the ghosts of Miramar, see “Haunted History Spooks Hangar One,” Marine Corps News, January 9, 2004. For coverage of the crash, see “Miramar Disaster! Jet Smashes Hangar—15 Killed,” San Diego Tribune, December 22, 1969; “Heroism Cut Miramar Toll,” San Diego Tribune, December 23, 1969; “Navy to Call Inquiry Board into Cause of F8 Disaster,” San Diego Tribune, December 23, 1969; “Memorial Rites Slated Friday for Jet Crash Victims,” San Diego Union, December 24, 1969; and “Services Honor 11 Victims of Miramar Crash,” San Diego Union, December 27, 1969.
Hell’s Flight Deck
Freeman’s Sailors to the End is the definitive work on the Forrestal conflagration; for how old, inferior bombs helped exacerbate the catastrophe, see pp. 80–88; for a gripping and detailed account of the fire and the sailors’ heroic response, see pp. 90–223.
On the Forrestal hauntings, see “Forrestal Ghost,” Associated Press, August 6, 1988; Hauck, Haunted Places, 433–34; www.angelfire.com; www.theshadowlands.net; and www.urbanchillers.com.
For Those in Peril on the Sea
The World War II incident of the just-killed sailor appearing at his lover’s bedside back in the United States is chronicled at www.ghost-stalker.com. A firsthand account of the ghost of the electrocuted petty officer is given at www.theshadowlands. net, which also contains reports of the USS Cole hauntings and the bizarre apparitions sighted on the USS George Washington. The Atlantic ghost squadron sighting of 1963 is described in Bauman, “Phantoms of the Sea.”