1 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, welcome to the show. Pressley Neville. O'Bannon was born 2 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: in seventeen eighty four and has nothing to do with 3 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: this episode other than the fact that there is a 4 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: ship named after him, the U. S. S. O'Bannon. But Ben, 5 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: what did he do? Why did they named a ship 6 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: after him? Can we make the episode about him instead 7 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: of the ship? I'm intrigued. I I have intreat as well. 8 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: Nol Well, he did join the Marines in eighteen o one, 9 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: and as a first lieutenant he commanded a detachment of 10 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: Marines in the War with Tripoli, and during his operations 11 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: with the U. S. Navy, he led a successful attack 12 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: on Dern in April eighteen o five, and this gave 13 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps it's a mortal phrase to the shores 14 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,639 Speaker 1: of Tripoli. Oh yeah, so he's you know, he's done stuff. 15 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: Had some stirring stuff right there, enough to get a 16 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: ship named after him. Right, did you say my name? Yeah? 17 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: You're I think so, you're no old m okay, it's 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: just a ritual thing. Yeah, we should have the ritual. 19 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: We got it, and I'm Ben, Yes you are. How 20 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: do you feel about potatoes? I feel I feel great. 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: I like them almost as much as I like super 22 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 1: producer Casey Pegrom, which you know sets the bar very high. 23 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: Potatoes are pretty amazing, right, yeah, right on, throw him 24 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: at some Japanese submariners. There we go. They have many uses. 25 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: In today's episode is about one of those uses. We 26 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: are exploring this story of the US S O Bannon, 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: which is a Fletcher last destroyer, right, and some innovative 28 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: warfare techniques. They used a story so bizarre that I 29 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: don't know about you man. At first, I was skeptical. 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: Did it beg credulity a bit? It did? Did it did? 31 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: But then when you really get down to the nitty 32 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: gritty at it, you can kind of see how this 33 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: absurd farcet could play out in real time. So so 34 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: how should we set the scene. Let's talk first a 35 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: little bit about the ship in question, the U S 36 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: s O Bandon. You mentioned it was a Fletcher class destroyer. 37 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: What's a destroyer band? It sounds scary, it's a great 38 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: band that said, yeah, it's a dude, Dan, Dan, Yes, 39 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: I love I love destroyer. But but you know the 40 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: the ship? What's the ship? There? These very fast, long 41 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: endurance ships that are meant to function as escorts in 42 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: a fleet or a battle group. So I guess before 43 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: World War Two you would say destroyers were pretty light 44 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: vessels and they are great at unattended ocean operations. They 45 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,839 Speaker 1: had to roll with a gang of other ships, so 46 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: typically there would be a number of destroyers together. But 47 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: after World War Two, guided missiles allowed destroyers to step 48 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: up and take the rolls that used to be filled 49 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: by battleships and cruisers exclusively. Right, And the destroyers would, 50 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: like you said, kind of flocked together in a squadron. 51 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: And the squadron in question today is des Ron twenty 52 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: one C E S R O N would stand short 53 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: for a Destroyer Squadron twenty one. There we go. Yeah, 54 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: I liked what you're pronouncing that ye, and and and 55 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: that squadron consisted of the Fletcher, the Radford, the Jenkins, 56 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: the la Vallette, the Nicholas, the O'Bannon, which was the 57 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: Nicholas was actually the flagship the O'Bannon, the Chevalier, I 58 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: think it was in after Maurice the French singer. Surely 59 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: Casey Chevalier. Yeah, I don't know, Yeah, Casey on the 60 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: case big underwhelming, but by no fault of his. That 61 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: was a silly question because it's not fair for me 62 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: to put that much on Casey. You know what, that 63 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: we do hold him to a very high standard. Well, 64 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: he is the standard. He is the bar which we 65 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: strive for on this show every day, daily basis. But 66 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: I like how we're talking about assumptions because an assumption 67 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: is going to play a big role in this story. 68 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: Oh and by the way, I should mention that, yes, 69 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: the USS O'Bannon was named after the famous hero of Derna, 70 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Pressley O'Bannon, but it was actually the second ship 71 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: to be named after him. This guy is ship rich. 72 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: Oh and then, just to wrap up the Squadron list, 73 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: we've also got the Strong, the Tailor, the Behn, the 74 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: ho Worth, and the Hope. Well, the Hope, Well, that 75 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: last one is pretty inspiring, right. So this is the 76 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: group of ships known as des Ron one. On April five, 77 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: they were return from a night of shelling, attacking short 78 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: installations deep in the Solomon Islands in an area known 79 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: as New Georgia. A lot of this story comes to 80 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: us from a firsthand witness, a sailor named Ernest A. Hair. 81 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: You can read his direct account on destroyer history dot org. 82 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: So there they are. They're on the way back from 83 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: shelling these installations, and one destroyer the obannon picked up 84 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: a radar ping that turned out to be Dunt Dunt Dune, 85 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: a huge Japanese submarine cruising on the surface. Yeah, and 86 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: and the the Japanese naval men submarners. I said that earlier. 87 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's accurate. And I know it's 88 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: a superhero, the sub mariner. Yeah, submarner works work, okay, 89 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: because there you know, they're on a submarine. They're like 90 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: a sleep on the deck. Seems super risky, right, Like, 91 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: I don't even think of a submarine really having a deck. 92 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: It's got this tower that you crawl up and then 93 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: I guess it's got a flat part that you can 94 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: like hang out on. And that's what they were doing. 95 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: And they were asleep. And one description I found at 96 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: this event on ship comrade dot com has a very 97 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: specific description of these sleeping sailors has them wearing dark 98 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: shorts and dinky blue hats. I'm guessing insubstantial little blue hats. Yeah, 99 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: small or insignificant. Is that part of the name of 100 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: the Japanese Naval uniform. It must have been. I mean, 101 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: navies have uniforms, but yeah, these were dinky would mean tiny, 102 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: So essentially saying that they have tiny and bring that 103 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: word back, you're gonna bring it back. I don't think 104 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: people use that word and not. You know, Chuck likes 105 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: to use hanky. That's different. He goes through a hinky 106 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: phase every so often. That's Chuck Bryant from movie Crush 107 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: and stuff. You should know. That just means things are 108 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: a little dicey or there's like a problem. It's like wonky. 109 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: It's not quite problematic, right, but it's getting there. Let's 110 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: get it. Could well get this is this situation, hey hey, yeah, 111 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: so this submarine wonder of wonders is already surfaced, and 112 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: it's not appearing to react to the presence of these 113 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: destroyers of the abandon in particular, so they take the advantage. 114 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: They say, well, if we have caught this enemy vessel unaware, 115 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: we better make the best of it. They approach at 116 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: a rapid speed and they're preparing to ram the sub 117 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: to you know, physically knock the tar out of it. 118 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: Because I was I saw some videos actually of these 119 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: destroyers at work doing that and that was a thing 120 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: I didn't didn't really think about that. But they were 121 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: like these, you know, um seaborn battering rams, and they 122 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: could pick up speed pretty quickly. And we're made of 123 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: pure steel and could withstand tons of damage and inflict 124 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: tons of damage on smaller vessels. Yeah, and think about 125 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: it from a strategic standpoint, you're saving resources if you 126 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: don't have to waste any kind of artillery. So in 127 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: a close range that's probably a more effective of a 128 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: way of dealing with it anyway, especially if you're pretty 129 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: sure that the lookouts of said target are asleep at 130 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: the wheel or the periscope as it were, or in 131 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: this case, on the deck of the submarine. Right, So 132 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: the captain of the Obanon is trying to identify what 133 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: sort of sub this is, and then at the last 134 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: minute they said, wait, we shouldn't ram this thing because 135 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: we might blow ourselves up. If this sub is, for instance, 136 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: the kind of sub that lays mind in the water. 137 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: I don't know why I sit in the water. It's 138 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: not like they're just laying mines and the keepsie. Maybe 139 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: that's a very weirdly specific type of sub. But so 140 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: they didn't want to blow themselves up, and they decided 141 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: that they're not going to ram them, so at the 142 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 1: last minute they swing to avoid collision, and they're really 143 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: close to the submarine. I imagine that probably caused the 144 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: Japanese mariners to awake with a start right when you think, 145 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: because as you said, they were on board the sub 146 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: the surface of the sub right asleep. So they are 147 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: close enough now because of their last minute decision not 148 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: to ram the submarine. They are close enough now that 149 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: they can actually see the Japanese sailors on the deck. 150 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 1: And you know, while that might sound weird for them 151 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: to be just sleeping out in the open on deck, 152 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: we have to remember how claustrophobic a submarine environment could be. 153 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: You're gonna do whatever you can, probably to get some 154 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: fresh air. A friend of mine who was talking about 155 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: the story says, I bet submarines smell like farts all 156 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: the time. Oh man, have you heard of hot racking? Okay, 157 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 1: so this is just a side note. Spaces at a 158 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: premium and so I believe it's called hot racking. Different 159 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: different individuals will share the same bunk just based on 160 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: their schedule. So you could have like three people sleeping 161 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: in the same bunk depending on their shift. So you 162 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: get up, you go to work, someone else lay down 163 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: in the bunk. They get up, they go to work 164 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: at the same time. You're walking back and you sleep 165 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: where they slept. What does this have to do with farts. 166 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: I'm just saying, it's an unhygienic situation. Yes, agreed, I 167 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: don't want a hot bunk hot rack with anybody. Well, 168 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: as you said hot bunk, and I immediately thought of 169 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: hot box, which pull the covers up. Wow, this has 170 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: really gone off the hot rails. So here we go 171 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: the It's understandable that these guys want to get some 172 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: fresh air, but the ship is now awkwardly, very awkwardly 173 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: close to this submarine and they have this Larry David 174 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: Seinfeld ask moment, that level of awkwardness because their ship 175 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: was way too close for them to fire guns on 176 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: the sub and since no one on deck carried a 177 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: gun either, there was not a shot at all from 178 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: the U. S side. See what I'm saying. They were 179 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: too close for the trajectory of their guns to work. 180 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: Those are meant to be like longer range weapons, or 181 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: at least medium range. You gotta be able to get 182 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: a beat on them and get a little arc right, 183 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 1: because these are shells. These aren't just like high powered 184 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: machine guns you can shoot directly. You've gotta kind of 185 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: lob these things. Yeah. Yeah. Oddly enough, there was a 186 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: similar situation on the Japanese sub because none of the 187 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: people on the deck there had handguns. There was one 188 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: gun that could have worked, though, right at least on 189 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: the sub. Yeah, it was like a three inch deck gun. 190 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: What does that mean? Three inches? Like caliber? What are 191 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: we talking about here? I think it means primarily that 192 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: the gun fires a projectile that's three inches longed Okay, 193 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: so that would be much more of a machine gun 194 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: type situation, right right, much more powerful than a handgun, 195 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: but also much more able to fire at close range, 196 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: uh and hit a target. So these Japanese sailors are 197 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,439 Speaker 1: scrambling to get to this gun because they, you know, 198 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: this giant ship is just right up on them. Can 199 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: you imagine how how terrifying that must feel? Oh yeah, 200 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: on both sides, on both sides, but especially on the 201 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: dudes who are just naked up there on top of 202 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: this little raft thing. I mean, not that a submarine small, 203 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: but in comparison to the size of the destroyer. It 204 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: would have been like you know, being out in the 205 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 1: ocean and like coming up on a whale and that 206 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: wanted to kill you. Right, And then on the obandon side, 207 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: on the U S side, can you imagine the escalating 208 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: panic they see when they realized that they can't fire 209 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 1: anything and they're watching, They're literally watching the folks on 210 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: the submarine wake up, see what's going on, and start 211 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: running towards that deck gun and they have to think fast. 212 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: They do to think fast. Because you may have mentioned 213 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: this before, Ben, I apologize if I missed it, But 214 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: the Americans didn't have handguns either, right on them for 215 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: whatever reason why I guess. I guess that's not because 216 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: naval officers don't really carry handguns. Well, the thing I 217 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: think that's important here is on a destroyer, you're not 218 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: really building it with the assumption that you will get 219 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: boarded or the individuals will be in close hand to 220 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: hand combat, you know what I mean. And just the 221 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: official word, um is that no, Navy officers do not 222 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: carry handguns. They're trained in weaponry, but that is not 223 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 1: part of their kit, that is not part of their uniform, 224 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: their usual equipment. Right, So they have to. They have 225 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: to think fast, looking around. Who has a gun? No 226 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 1: one has a gun. Wait, the sub has a deck 227 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: gun and if they if these guys reach it, then 228 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: we are in for a terrible, terrible time. So the 229 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,079 Speaker 1: guys on the uss O bannon look around and they 230 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: see these storage bins. Yeah, and I'm not it's not 231 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: even clear from from meeting up on this if they really, 232 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: even in the moment, knew quite what was in there. 233 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: I think they were just kind of like just frantically 234 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: grabbing at anything, scrabbling for purchase. And uh. And it 235 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: turns out that these bins were full of potatoes. Yeah, 236 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: and they so they started throwing these at the guys 237 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,719 Speaker 1: on the submarine, and the Japanese sailors panicked because they 238 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: thought the potatoes were hand grenades, because that's the kind 239 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: of thing you would logically throw it someone in a war. Well, 240 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 1: these Japanese folks must have thought that these American sailors 241 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: had their act together much more than they actually did. 242 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: They give them a little credit thinking, oh, surely they're 243 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: lobbing hand grenades at us, and it was dark, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 244 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: But you think when they gripped it they would sense 245 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: the feel of the potato and not have those you know, 246 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: traditional hand grenade rivets that you'd you'd be used to feeling, 247 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: probably if you were a soldier. Yeah, but I think 248 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: the adrenaline probably probably triggers a fight or flight things. 249 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: The mind took over and made those potatoes into hand 250 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: grenades in the minds of the Japanese, and so they 251 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: started lobbing them back. Yeah. Yeah, they didn't run away. 252 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: That's the best part. This is essentially a food fight 253 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: at this point because the Japanese sailors think that these 254 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: are hand grenades, and they try to get rid of 255 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: them by picking them up, catching them, throwing them back 256 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: at the obannon, and then as this ensued, just lobbying 257 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: potatoes back and forth at each other. The crew of 258 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: the Obannon was able to, as Ernest Harris says, put 259 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: a little distance between our ship and the sub essentially 260 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: to get far enough away to be out of range 261 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: of that deck gun. And it's important to note at 262 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: the same time they're getting out of range of the 263 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: submarine's deck gun, they're getting far enough away for their 264 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: own guns to come into play. Specifically, those guns are 265 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: five dual purpose five inch thirty eight caliber guns on 266 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: single mounts. And those those five guns are not the 267 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: entirety of the armament. They were also torpedoes aboard and 268 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: they also had anti aircraft armament. But those five guns themselves, 269 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: the five in thirty caliber ones, that's a game over, yeah, 270 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: for sure. And it was game over because they lobbed 271 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: off a good shot and they caught the Japanese is 272 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: um right in the little tower thing what's it called 273 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: the Conning tower Conning tower, which is where they you 274 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: climb out of it to get to the top to 275 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: the to the deck, and I believe that's also where 276 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: the periscope is located. I believed run up into that 277 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: and that's the little piece that you see if that's 278 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: always you know, kind of floating over the top when 279 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: the submarines not fully fully underwater but mostly submerged, because yeah, 280 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: I was trying to go for a dive, was trying 281 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: to get out of there, and they must have caught 282 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: it right in the nick of time because they you know, 283 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: hit hit that tower and it disabled the sub enough 284 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: that it wasn't able to escape. And then the the 285 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 1: obannon uh kind of maneuvered on top of it. And 286 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: hit it with a depth charge, which is like, what 287 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: what does that work? Just picture picture like a slow 288 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: orb or bomb dropping down. So a bop on the head. 289 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, which is you know which? I'm not 290 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: saying to diminish the tragedy of human life. But all 291 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: indications we can find show us that the sub did 292 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,639 Speaker 1: indeed sink due to that depth charge and the shot 293 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: at the Conning Tower. Human life is indeed quite a tragedy. 294 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,360 Speaker 1: Ben Yeah, yeah, I don't want to diminish that. And 295 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: off the Obannon went. But we have we have two 296 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 1: other things that we thought were very interesting about this story. Uh, 297 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: the Association of Potato Growers of Maine heard about this 298 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 1: potato battle and they loved the idea. Yeah, I did. 299 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: They loved it so much. And they presented the crew 300 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: of the Obannon with a plaque with some problematic language, 301 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: right yeah, a tribute to the officers and men of 302 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:44,640 Speaker 1: the USS O'Bannon for their ingenuity in using our now 303 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: proud potato to sink a And again this is a 304 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: quote is an offensive phrase to sink a submarine in 305 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: the spring of ninette, presented by potato growers of the 306 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: State of Maine on June four, nineteen one day. It's 307 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: weird about this is they have sink and quotation marks. Yeah, 308 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: that seems like kind of a dig, was it slang? 309 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: Do I have a question to them? Yeah? Why is this? 310 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: Why is this considered the main incident, the main potato episode? 311 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: And why were they in the waters of Maine. I 312 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: thought they were like somewhere else. No, they're in this 313 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: by the Solomon Islands. I know, That's what I thought. 314 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: So why would Maine have to do with anything? I 315 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: guess because they grow potatoes. I know. I mean they 316 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: literally called this event the main Potato episode. I've seen 317 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: it called that a bunch of time. Must have been 318 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,360 Speaker 1: main potatoes, that the potatoes were supplied by Maine. It's 319 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 1: so weird, dude. It's such a strange nomenclature. Like the 320 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: only mention of Maine other than the fact that it's 321 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: called the main Potato incident multiple places, is the fact 322 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: that the Obannon itself was forged um in Bath, Maine. Right, Yeah, 323 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: that's a good call back in March of nineteen one. 324 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: So so now we don't know for sure, but we 325 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 1: have to I would say pretty good guesses it was 326 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: made in Maine. It was using potatoes from Maine. There's 327 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: a main element here, mainly mainly a main element. It's 328 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: that the main part of the story. But Maine is 329 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: an important But we got we got there, here we 330 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: are I think this is the end. Um. Well, no, no, 331 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: there's a little bit more. Do you want to talk 332 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: a little bit more about the ship and about destroyers, 333 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: just as a little supplementary wrap up, sure, man, because 334 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: destroyers are fascinating ships in the Obanon in particular has 335 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: uh way more war stories than just this one potato incident, 336 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: rights right, And there's another great account from this guy, 337 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: Earnest hair Um, just about like being um cadet or 338 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: what do you call, like a rookie first year sailor 339 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: on the Obannon and you know, going into the Battle 340 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: of Guadalcanal. And it's like it's an angel fire website, 341 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: which I thought. I thought with the way of geo 342 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: cities still around, huh, it's crazy. You ever tried to 343 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: find your MySpace profile? Ben? Not the door I care 344 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: to open still around. I'll have to look it up 345 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: and report back. But no. In this account, he talks 346 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: about his early days on the brand new shiny new destroyer, 347 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: the Obannon, fresh from the iron works, he says, of 348 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: bath Maine. Also, the crew was as new as the ship, right. 349 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: Se of them were just raw recruits, and Green buys 350 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: his stars in their eyes. Right, But they're training, they're 351 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: learning how to you know, put on gas masks and 352 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: and you know, nurse severed limbs and all of this stuff. 353 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: And he says, a really interesting thing we'll talk about 354 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: the gas Max says, surely we are not going to 355 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: be so unlucky as to need one of these things. 356 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: Everyone knows you can get hurt out here and maybe 357 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: even killed. But these are things that happened to the 358 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: other guy, not you. Nevertheless, a laugh or a smile 359 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: became a rare item. And then he refers to people 360 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: over thirty as being old timers, which makes me feel 361 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: like a grandpapa. Right. But again, you know a lot 362 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,399 Speaker 1: of these recruits are people who are straight out of 363 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: high school too, you know, in many ways still kids. 364 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: That's right, But in this account he does takes him solace. 365 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: And the fact that he's told his whole crew is 366 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: told that this ship is damned near impenetrable and unsinkable, 367 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 1: and is loaded with all kinds of bells and whistles. 368 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: What kind of bells and whistles are we talking about? 369 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: We've mentioned a few, but what else we got right? 370 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 1: So we mentioned some of the guns, both the anti 371 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 1: aircraft and the surface guns, also torpedoes, and you know, 372 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: we mentioned depth charges earlier. But he points out that 373 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: submarines actually run from this destroyer. Yeah, except when they're 374 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,479 Speaker 1: you know, asleep right right right, which again you have 375 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: to we have to empathize with the utter terror the 376 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: Japanese sailors must have felt with this thing rolling up 377 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: on them, as you said, like an angry whale. But 378 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: let's get more specific. We mentioned those five inch guns. 379 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: They also had ten forty millimeter guns for anti aircraft, 380 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: seven twenty millimeter anti aircraft guns, uh, ten torpedo tubes, 381 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,959 Speaker 1: six depth charge projectors, and two depth charge acts. So 382 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: this thing is pretty much ready to tangle. Yeah, that's right. 383 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: And um, you know, like I said, the crew of 384 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: this Maiden Voyage, you know, took some comfort in that fact. 385 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:13,439 Speaker 1: But um, they were first engaged in a battle called 386 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: the Battle of guadal Canal, which was fought in the 387 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: Pacific theater of w W two around the island of 388 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: guadal Canal, and it was the first big attack by 389 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: the Allies against the Empire of Japan. And this is 390 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 1: the moment when Hair and his sailor buddies kind of 391 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: got a taste of what war was really like. We 392 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: always hear about this idea of the romanticization of war 393 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: by these young bucks that come in thinking they're gonna 394 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: find glory and instead they find you know, severed limbs 395 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 1: and destruction, flotsam and jetsam floating in the water. It 396 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,120 Speaker 1: reminds me of a poem from World War One by 397 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: guy Naan Wilfred Owen called Dulce Decora. Miss won't recite 398 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: the whole thing because it's a little bit long, but 399 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 1: it's I think encapsulates this I don't know this, this 400 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: universal idealism and then disillusionment and often death. It's involved 401 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: with war. The first engagement of the naval Battle of 402 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: Guadalcanal was relatively short in terms of time, but there 403 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: was massive damage. Uh. Two American light cruisers and four 404 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 1: destroyers went down. Two Japanese destroyers were sunk. It was 405 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: it was terrible wars help and so I think we've 406 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: established that the obandon had a number of other adventures 407 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: that were not potato related. However, I gotta say even 408 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: the war is a terrible, terrible thing. I love the 409 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: image of these grown people having this sudden food fight. 410 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 1: I was about to say, it's a food fight, you know, 411 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: among grown men. I love it. I know we need 412 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: more food fights in general. Did it did? It? Did 413 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: end in the Japanese men being you know, brutally exploded 414 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 1: by a depth charge. That's not super cool. But again, 415 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: food fights. Let us know if you ever want to 416 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: get involved in a food fight, I would totally be 417 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: at all point. Really, no way, you wouldn't do it? 418 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: No way. Do you hate fun? I don't hate No, 419 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: it doesn't sound like fun to me. It sounds like 420 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: the mess I don't even like it when it happens 421 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: in movies. It grosses me out. I think it depends 422 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: on the type of food for me, like a potato 423 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: is not a messy thing. And actually potato could hurt 424 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: you if you ever shot a potato gun I built. 425 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: Do you ever make napalm? No? No, just potato guns. 426 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: And let us know about your experience with where do 427 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: we go here? Potatoes? Life in the Navy building Potato guns, anarchists, 428 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: cookbook recipes. Have you and speaking of you, enough about us? 429 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: What do you say to some listener mail? I says. 430 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: Our first listener mail comes from Michelle k Uh. Subject 431 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: is weird people who built with beer bottles? Hello. I 432 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 1: had gotten a little behind and finally listened to the 433 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: Weird people who Built Weird Things episode on the five 434 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: hour drive to visit my parents in the small California 435 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: coastal town of Cambria, which is just below Hurst Castle. Uh. 436 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 1: It's about halfway between San Francisos the famous Hurst Castle 437 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: of William Randolph Hurst, famously depicted fictionalized in Citizen Kane Um. 438 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: But it is literally as it sounds, a castle. It's 439 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. And that 440 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: episode you asked about other weird buildings, and I had 441 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: one immediately. One of my favorite places in Cambria history 442 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: is a truly bizarre home built by hand called Knitwit Ridge, 443 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: which I love. It was built by a man named 444 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: Art Beal over the course of fifty years, mostly out 445 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: of trash that he dragged down the coast of Hearst 446 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: Castle where he worked, and native materials such as abalone, 447 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: shells tying in with another episode. There are beer cans 448 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: built into the structure as well. It's about our Heineken 449 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: bottle Bricks episode. Uh. He lived there for most of 450 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: his life. It's uninhabitable at this point, but still sound 451 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: enough for tours. It's a time capsule inside because when 452 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: he left he left everything behind, so there are old clothes, 453 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,200 Speaker 1: food cans, et cetera. And then, um, she attached a 454 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,680 Speaker 1: couple of photos here and it looks like a crazy 455 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: Peter Pan tree house. It's awesome. Thank you so much 456 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,639 Speaker 1: for the podcast. I've enjoyed every episode so far and 457 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: look forward to many more. Thanks for the company on 458 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 1: my long drive. That's awesome. Thank you so much for 459 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:33,640 Speaker 1: writing to us, Michelle. Also thanks to everyone who responded 460 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: and sent us weird buildings from your neck of the 461 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 1: Global Woods. You know the Please keep sending them as well, 462 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: and let's do one more. May M writes to us 463 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: and says, Hi, there have been a knowl. I'm a 464 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: big fan of the show. I love the segment Casey 465 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: on the Case. Hi Casey, I just finished listening to 466 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: The States That Never Were, says may And during the episode, 467 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 1: I was pondering note I am from Massachusetts, where I 468 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: feel the attitude on the South can often be derogatory 469 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,679 Speaker 1: or patronizing, but I try my best to be inclusive 470 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 1: of all folks. It's cool. We feel the same way 471 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: about you in Massachusetts. I think Massachusetts is great. It's great, 472 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: so May continues. I can't help but notice the two 473 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: of you do not speak in a Southern accent. I 474 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: heard one of your fathers during extra credit and was 475 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: delighted by his pride and his Southern heritage and accent. 476 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 1: I was wondering if you too, naturally have an accent 477 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: and smooth it over because you're on the radio and 478 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: it alienates others, or if it's a thing you picked 479 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: up from TV and other media. I don't mean to 480 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: be rude. I'm just and you're not being rude. May, 481 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 1: this is a great letter. I'm just curious on the 482 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: ridiculous history of why there is this divide and how 483 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: our country speaks, which is quite diverse and reality, but 484 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: in movies and TV only if it is relevant. Is 485 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: the Southern accent ever used? Late for work? Have to 486 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: get going? Should we show her our real voices? Ben? Alright, man, 487 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: that's May. That's the first time ever it my know Brown. 488 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: This is how I sound, bear my soul for you people. 489 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: No more putting on iris for this podcast. Yeah, you 490 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: can hear Knowle's German accent coming out there. No, I'm 491 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,919 Speaker 1: obviously kidding. Uh No, I don't know. It is funny 492 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: though we don't have any kind of Southern accent. You're 493 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: very strong. Do you ever code switch though, when you're 494 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: around like your folks, or you go back home to 495 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: to uh Tennessee and you see some family who have 496 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: more of an accent, do you ever kind of find 497 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: yourself drifting into it a little bit? No? You know. 498 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: The only thing is sometimes vowels will come out strange, 499 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: you know. But uh I, I actually I responded to this, 500 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: And one of the points that we want to make 501 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: is that here in the information age, a lot of people, 502 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: at least in the US, are going to speak with 503 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: a more neutral Midwestern kind of accent because that's what's 504 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: encouraged in television on your local news station, for example. 505 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: And I think we can all agree that diversity of 506 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: accents is a really fantastic thing, and they could be 507 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: more well represented in the media. Also, this is great embarrassment. 508 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 1: I cannot pronounce you all to save my life. You 509 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: just didn't No, you know what I mean? The contraction, Yeah, 510 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: you can't say y'all. I just can't pull it off. 511 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know. Man. I quarrel with this, 512 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: but you got I got quarrel with you now. Well 513 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: our creative differences aside. The point that I think the 514 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: three of us wanted to make with accents is that, 515 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,239 Speaker 1: regardless of how people may or may not judge you 516 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: for the way you speak, uh, I would say, embrace 517 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: your accent. You know what I mean, It's part of 518 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: what makes you you. And also, accents are dynamics. So 519 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 1: if you move somewhere where people pronounce things differently, such 520 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: as um Madonna moving to the UK or US moving 521 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: to Australia, eventually some things are gonna sink in. You're 522 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: gonna start I mean, you're not automatically gonna start yelling 523 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,719 Speaker 1: good day at people, but day. But we tend to, 524 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: we tend to, at least UH speak the way that 525 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: people around us speak. It's true. So thank you so 526 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: much to May and Michelle and everyone else who wrote in. 527 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:26,719 Speaker 1: This is the end of listener mail, but not our 528 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: show you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 529 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: We're especially delighted with our community page, Ridiculous Historians that 530 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: we are made some lifelong friends. They're ridiculous historians. Uh. 531 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: And you can be a part of that pool of 532 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: humans as well by going to Facebook and signing up. 533 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: All you gotta do is tell the robot what our 534 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: names are, only one of them, and we get a 535 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: kick out of the waist people spell my name and 536 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,959 Speaker 1: the ways people spell your last name. Ben it is 537 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: who we also we also have T shirts now we're legit, yeah, 538 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: with our names on them spelled correctly. You can you 539 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: can find one of our favorite T shirt designs featuring 540 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: our old pal slash nemesis Jonathan Strickland the Quister. Yeah, 541 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: he's got a t public dot com slash Ridiculous History 542 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: and you can get that stuff slapped on a mug 543 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: or a mouse pad, or a backpack or a laptop sleeve, 544 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: anything pretty much that you can think of, you can. 545 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: You can slap a logo on up there. And if 546 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: you have ideas yourself for our designs, anything here in 547 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: the show you think would be cool on a piece 548 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:31,239 Speaker 1: of march, let us know, right, that's it ridiculous at 549 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot Com. Like to thank super producer 550 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: Casey Pegraham, Like to thank Alex Williams, who composed our theme. 551 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: Like to think our research associates Christopher hasiotis Eve's Jeff Coat, 552 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,959 Speaker 1: And most importantly, thank you for tuning it.