Lost at sea when his ship, the U.S.S. Neosho, was hit by Japanese planes. Fireman 2nd Class Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack on 07 May 1942. He was able to get into a life raft but died sometime between 07 May 1942 and 16 May 1942.
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Howard James Foster enlisted as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) in the U.S. Navy (S/N 386-00-64) 02 June 1941 in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to the fleet oiler, U.S.S. Neosho (A0-23) and was first received on board on 09 August 1941 from RS Puget Sound Navy Yard.
He was promoted to Fireman 3rd Class (F3c) on 02 October 1941 while the ship was sailing from San Pedro, California to Pearl Harbor, T. H.
The Neosho was berthed at Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941, and was one of the few ships to get underway and escape damage during the Japanese attack. After surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Neosho returned to the U.S. for a short period and got eight .50 machine guns installed on her deck so they would have something to defend themselves. Then in January 1942 the Neosho began operating in the South Pacific refueling the Task Force - cruisers, destroyers and air craft carriers. Oil tankers played a critical role, being the "floating gas stations" for the fleet.
F3c Howard J. Foster was promoted to Fireman 2nd Class (F2c) on 01 March 1942.
The oiler took part in the carrier task force for the Battle of the Coral Sea, one of the first U.S. actions in the Pacific War. The Neosho and its escort destroyer, U.S.S. Sims (DD-409) were attacked by Japanese aircraft on Thursday, 07 May 1942. "At 1201, observed approximately twenty-four enemy planes at high altitude, apparently taking position for dive-bombing attacks on this vessel and the Sims. From 1201 to 1218, this vessel was subjected to continuous dive-bombing attacks from all directions." The ship was victim to seven direct hits and a suicide dive by one of the bombers which crashed in Gun #4 enclosure causing intense fire which spread over the after end of the stack deck. The ship began to list "heavily to starboard reaching 30 degrees very quickly, and thought to be in danger of capsizing... It is known that many of the personnel aft, due to the flame resulting from the suicidal dive, smoke, and escaping steam, believing they were trapped with the ship sinking, jumped over the side... The number of men who were critically burned or injured in the after end of the ship, and who jumped over the side, is not known..." A large number of men had abandoned ship. Seven life rafts, "had been set adrift" with survivors. Some survivors were picked up by three of the motor whale boats from the Neosho and Sims until they were "badly overcrowded". A muster...showed that of 21 officers and 267 men, including passengers, on board at quarters that morning, 16 officers and 94 men were accounted for, 1 officer and 19 men were known dead, and 4 officers and 154 men were missing. In addition to the above, there were 15 enlisted survivors of the Sims." Although listing heavily and without power, the Neosho remained afloat, drifting, in a sinking condition until survivors were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley on 11 May 1942. At 1522 the U.S.S. Neosho "was sunk by Henley gunfire, going down stern first with colors flying."
The condition of the sea during those days was choppy to moderately rough.
A search for survivors by the U.S.S. Henley was conducted..."no survivors were found..." The U.S.S. Helm, which had continued the search after the departure of the Henley...found four survivors on a life raft on May 16, 1942 (after being afloat for nine days), one of whom (Seaman, Second Class K. R. Bright) died shortly after being taken aboard...From statements of the three survivors it is known that: (a) they were part of a group of about 68 men who were on four life rafts secured together; (b) that the balance of the men had succumbed as a result of lack of water and exhaustion."
F2c Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack and was one of the men in that group of four life rafts tied together "seen by SMITH W. A. S.2c, U.S.N., and ROLSTON, J. Jr., S.2c, U.S.N. (in the same group and picked up by U.S.S. HELM on May 16, 1942)" who succumbed to the elements and "disappeared in the water." during the following days.
Sources:
- https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/AO/ao23-Coral.html
- WWII War Diary, U.S.S. Neosho 07 May 1942 to 11 May 1942 and U.S.S. Wright, 25 May 1942.
He was listed as missing in action until 08 May 1943 when he was declared dead – one year and one day after the attack on the U.S.S. Neosho.
Fireman Second Class Howard James Foster is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Navy at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Howard Foster is also listed on the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial in Cardwell, QSD, Australia and the Garden of Remembrance in Downtown Seattle.
186 men were lost from the U.S.S. Neosho, another 239 men died on the destroyer U.S.S. Sims.
Go to http://www.delsjourney.com/uss_neosho/uss_neosho_home.htm for a great website by Del Leu dedicated to the men who served on the Navy tanker U.S.S. Neosho (AO-23).
Special thanks to Steve Frasher for the photo of Howard James Foster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard James Foster enlisted as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) in the U.S. Navy (S/N 386-00-64) 02 June 1941 in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to the fleet oiler, U.S.S. Neosho (A0-23) and was first received on board on 09 August 1941 from RS Puget Sound Navy Yard.
He was promoted to Fireman 3rd Class (F3c) on 02 October 1941 while the ship was sailing from San Pedro, California to Pearl Harbor, T. H.
The Neosho was berthed at Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941, and was one of the few ships to get underway and escape damage during the Japanese attack. After surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Neosho returned to the U.S. for a short period and got eight .50 machine guns installed on her deck so they would have something to defend themselves. Then in January 1942 the Neosho began operating in the South Pacific refueling the Task Force - cruisers, destroyers and air craft carriers. Oil tankers played a critical role, being the "floating gas stations" for the fleet.
F3c Howard J. Foster was promoted to Fireman 2nd Class (F2c) on 01 March 1942.
The oiler took part in the carrier task force for the Battle of the Coral Sea, one of the first U.S. actions in the Pacific War. The Neosho and its escort destroyer, U.S.S. Sims (DD-409) were attacked by Japanese aircraft on Thursday, 07 May 1942. "At 1201, observed approximately twenty-four enemy planes at high altitude, apparently taking position for dive-bombing attacks on this vessel and the Sims. From 1201 to 1218, this vessel was subjected to continuous dive-bombing attacks from all directions." The ship was victim to seven direct hits and a suicide dive by one of the bombers which crashed in Gun #4 enclosure causing intense fire which spread over the after end of the stack deck. The ship began to list "heavily to starboard reaching 30 degrees very quickly, and thought to be in danger of capsizing... It is known that many of the personnel aft, due to the flame resulting from the suicidal dive, smoke, and escaping steam, believing they were trapped with the ship sinking, jumped over the side... The number of men who were critically burned or injured in the after end of the ship, and who jumped over the side, is not known..." A large number of men had abandoned ship. Seven life rafts, "had been set adrift" with survivors. Some survivors were picked up by three of the motor whale boats from the Neosho and Sims until they were "badly overcrowded". A muster...showed that of 21 officers and 267 men, including passengers, on board at quarters that morning, 16 officers and 94 men were accounted for, 1 officer and 19 men were known dead, and 4 officers and 154 men were missing. In addition to the above, there were 15 enlisted survivors of the Sims." Although listing heavily and without power, the Neosho remained afloat, drifting, in a sinking condition until survivors were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley on 11 May 1942. At 1522 the U.S.S. Neosho "was sunk by Henley gunfire, going down stern first with colors flying."
The condition of the sea during those days was choppy to moderately rough.
A search for survivors by the U.S.S. Henley was conducted..."no survivors were found..." The U.S.S. Helm, which had continued the search after the departure of the Henley...found four survivors on a life raft on May 16, 1942 (after being afloat for nine days), one of whom (Seaman, Second Class K. R. Bright) died shortly after being taken aboard...From statements of the three survivors it is known that: (a) they were part of a group of about 68 men who were on four life rafts secured together; (b) that the balance of the men had succumbed as a result of lack of water and exhaustion."
F2c Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack and was one of the men in that group of four life rafts tied together "seen by SMITH W. A. S.2c, U.S.N., and ROLSTON, J. Jr., S.2c, U.S.N. (in the same group and picked up by U.S.S. HELM on May 16, 1942)" who succumbed to the elements and "disappeared in the water." during the following days.
Sources:
- https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/AO/ao23-Coral.html
- WWII War Diary, U.S.S. Neosho 07 May 1942 to 11 May 1942 and U.S.S. Wright, 25 May 1942.
He was listed as missing in action until 08 May 1943 when he was declared dead – one year and one day after the attack on the U.S.S. Neosho.
Fireman Second Class Howard James Foster is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Navy at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Howard Foster is also listed on the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial in Cardwell, QSD, Australia and the Garden of Remembrance in Downtown Seattle.
186 men were lost from the U.S.S. Neosho, another 239 men died on the destroyer U.S.S. Sims.
Go to http://www.delsjourney.com/uss_neosho/uss_neosho_home.htm for a great website by Del Leu dedicated to the men who served on the Navy tanker U.S.S. Neosho (AO-23).
Special thanks to Steve Frasher for the photo of Howard James Foster.
Lost at sea when his ship, the U.S.S. Neosho, was hit by Japanese planes. Fireman 2nd Class Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack on 07 May 1942. He was able to get into a life raft but died sometime between 07 May 1942 and 16 May 1942.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard James Foster enlisted as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) in the U.S. Navy (S/N 386-00-64) 02 June 1941 in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to the fleet oiler, U.S.S. Neosho (A0-23) and was first received on board on 09 August 1941 from RS Puget Sound Navy Yard.
He was promoted to Fireman 3rd Class (F3c) on 02 October 1941 while the ship was sailing from San Pedro, California to Pearl Harbor, T. H.
The Neosho was berthed at Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941, and was one of the few ships to get underway and escape damage during the Japanese attack. After surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Neosho returned to the U.S. for a short period and got eight .50 machine guns installed on her deck so they would have something to defend themselves. Then in January 1942 the Neosho began operating in the South Pacific refueling the Task Force - cruisers, destroyers and air craft carriers. Oil tankers played a critical role, being the "floating gas stations" for the fleet.
F3c Howard J. Foster was promoted to Fireman 2nd Class (F2c) on 01 March 1942.
The oiler took part in the carrier task force for the Battle of the Coral Sea, one of the first U.S. actions in the Pacific War. The Neosho and its escort destroyer, U.S.S. Sims (DD-409) were attacked by Japanese aircraft on Thursday, 07 May 1942. "At 1201, observed approximately twenty-four enemy planes at high altitude, apparently taking position for dive-bombing attacks on this vessel and the Sims. From 1201 to 1218, this vessel was subjected to continuous dive-bombing attacks from all directions." The ship was victim to seven direct hits and a suicide dive by one of the bombers which crashed in Gun #4 enclosure causing intense fire which spread over the after end of the stack deck. The ship began to list "heavily to starboard reaching 30 degrees very quickly, and thought to be in danger of capsizing... It is known that many of the personnel aft, due to the flame resulting from the suicidal dive, smoke, and escaping steam, believing they were trapped with the ship sinking, jumped over the side... The number of men who were critically burned or injured in the after end of the ship, and who jumped over the side, is not known..." A large number of men had abandoned ship. Seven life rafts, "had been set adrift" with survivors. Some survivors were picked up by three of the motor whale boats from the Neosho and Sims until they were "badly overcrowded". A muster...showed that of 21 officers and 267 men, including passengers, on board at quarters that morning, 16 officers and 94 men were accounted for, 1 officer and 19 men were known dead, and 4 officers and 154 men were missing. In addition to the above, there were 15 enlisted survivors of the Sims." Although listing heavily and without power, the Neosho remained afloat, drifting, in a sinking condition until survivors were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley on 11 May 1942. At 1522 the U.S.S. Neosho "was sunk by Henley gunfire, going down stern first with colors flying."
The condition of the sea during those days was choppy to moderately rough.
A search for survivors by the U.S.S. Henley was conducted..."no survivors were found..." The U.S.S. Helm, which had continued the search after the departure of the Henley...found four survivors on a life raft on May 16, 1942 (after being afloat for nine days), one of whom (Seaman, Second Class K. R. Bright) died shortly after being taken aboard...From statements of the three survivors it is known that: (a) they were part of a group of about 68 men who were on four life rafts secured together; (b) that the balance of the men had succumbed as a result of lack of water and exhaustion."
F2c Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack and was one of the men in that group of four life rafts tied together "seen by SMITH W. A. S.2c, U.S.N., and ROLSTON, J. Jr., S.2c, U.S.N. (in the same group and picked up by U.S.S. HELM on May 16, 1942)" who succumbed to the elements and "disappeared in the water." during the following days.
Sources:
- https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/AO/ao23-Coral.html
- WWII War Diary, U.S.S. Neosho 07 May 1942 to 11 May 1942 and U.S.S. Wright, 25 May 1942.
He was listed as missing in action until 08 May 1943 when he was declared dead – one year and one day after the attack on the U.S.S. Neosho.
Fireman Second Class Howard James Foster is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Navy at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Howard Foster is also listed on the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial in Cardwell, QSD, Australia and the Garden of Remembrance in Downtown Seattle.
186 men were lost from the U.S.S. Neosho, another 239 men died on the destroyer U.S.S. Sims.
Go to http://www.delsjourney.com/uss_neosho/uss_neosho_home.htm for a great website by Del Leu dedicated to the men who served on the Navy tanker U.S.S. Neosho (AO-23).
Special thanks to Steve Frasher for the photo of Howard James Foster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard James Foster enlisted as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) in the U.S. Navy (S/N 386-00-64) 02 June 1941 in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to the fleet oiler, U.S.S. Neosho (A0-23) and was first received on board on 09 August 1941 from RS Puget Sound Navy Yard.
He was promoted to Fireman 3rd Class (F3c) on 02 October 1941 while the ship was sailing from San Pedro, California to Pearl Harbor, T. H.
The Neosho was berthed at Pearl Harbor on 07 December 1941, and was one of the few ships to get underway and escape damage during the Japanese attack. After surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Neosho returned to the U.S. for a short period and got eight .50 machine guns installed on her deck so they would have something to defend themselves. Then in January 1942 the Neosho began operating in the South Pacific refueling the Task Force - cruisers, destroyers and air craft carriers. Oil tankers played a critical role, being the "floating gas stations" for the fleet.
F3c Howard J. Foster was promoted to Fireman 2nd Class (F2c) on 01 March 1942.
The oiler took part in the carrier task force for the Battle of the Coral Sea, one of the first U.S. actions in the Pacific War. The Neosho and its escort destroyer, U.S.S. Sims (DD-409) were attacked by Japanese aircraft on Thursday, 07 May 1942. "At 1201, observed approximately twenty-four enemy planes at high altitude, apparently taking position for dive-bombing attacks on this vessel and the Sims. From 1201 to 1218, this vessel was subjected to continuous dive-bombing attacks from all directions." The ship was victim to seven direct hits and a suicide dive by one of the bombers which crashed in Gun #4 enclosure causing intense fire which spread over the after end of the stack deck. The ship began to list "heavily to starboard reaching 30 degrees very quickly, and thought to be in danger of capsizing... It is known that many of the personnel aft, due to the flame resulting from the suicidal dive, smoke, and escaping steam, believing they were trapped with the ship sinking, jumped over the side... The number of men who were critically burned or injured in the after end of the ship, and who jumped over the side, is not known..." A large number of men had abandoned ship. Seven life rafts, "had been set adrift" with survivors. Some survivors were picked up by three of the motor whale boats from the Neosho and Sims until they were "badly overcrowded". A muster...showed that of 21 officers and 267 men, including passengers, on board at quarters that morning, 16 officers and 94 men were accounted for, 1 officer and 19 men were known dead, and 4 officers and 154 men were missing. In addition to the above, there were 15 enlisted survivors of the Sims." Although listing heavily and without power, the Neosho remained afloat, drifting, in a sinking condition until survivors were rescued by the U.S.S. Henley on 11 May 1942. At 1522 the U.S.S. Neosho "was sunk by Henley gunfire, going down stern first with colors flying."
The condition of the sea during those days was choppy to moderately rough.
A search for survivors by the U.S.S. Henley was conducted..."no survivors were found..." The U.S.S. Helm, which had continued the search after the departure of the Henley...found four survivors on a life raft on May 16, 1942 (after being afloat for nine days), one of whom (Seaman, Second Class K. R. Bright) died shortly after being taken aboard...From statements of the three survivors it is known that: (a) they were part of a group of about 68 men who were on four life rafts secured together; (b) that the balance of the men had succumbed as a result of lack of water and exhaustion."
F2c Howard J. Foster survived the initial attack and was one of the men in that group of four life rafts tied together "seen by SMITH W. A. S.2c, U.S.N., and ROLSTON, J. Jr., S.2c, U.S.N. (in the same group and picked up by U.S.S. HELM on May 16, 1942)" who succumbed to the elements and "disappeared in the water." during the following days.
Sources:
- https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/logs/AO/ao23-Coral.html
- WWII War Diary, U.S.S. Neosho 07 May 1942 to 11 May 1942 and U.S.S. Wright, 25 May 1942.
He was listed as missing in action until 08 May 1943 when he was declared dead – one year and one day after the attack on the U.S.S. Neosho.
Fireman Second Class Howard James Foster is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing - United States Navy at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Howard Foster is also listed on the Battle of the Coral Sea Memorial in Cardwell, QSD, Australia and the Garden of Remembrance in Downtown Seattle.
186 men were lost from the U.S.S. Neosho, another 239 men died on the destroyer U.S.S. Sims.
Go to http://www.delsjourney.com/uss_neosho/uss_neosho_home.htm for a great website by Del Leu dedicated to the men who served on the Navy tanker U.S.S. Neosho (AO-23).
Special thanks to Steve Frasher for the photo of Howard James Foster.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Washington.
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