Yes, Memorial Day Weekend is here so Balladeer’s Blog will once again feature a few seasonal posts. In keeping with my blog’s theme I will take a look at more military actions that don’t get the attention that others do. The members of the armed forces who died in those battles deserve to be remembered as fondly as those who perished in more renowned clashes. The army gets more attention than the navy and World War Two gets more attention than World War One so I’m shedding light on two neglected areas at once with this look at U.S. Navy battles of the First World War.
OCTOBER 15th, 1917 – America entered the war just six months earlier and the Navy had been transporting the American Expeditionary Force under General “Black Jack” Pershing to Europe, with additional Navy craft escorting those transport ships and fighting German U-Boats. On this date the USS Cassin encountered U-Boat 61 and, after an hour’s pursuit the German submarine turned to fight the Cassin. After a lengthy exchange of torpedoes and depth charges the Cassin was battered but still afloat, while the U-61 suffered substantial damage also, including the destruction of its conning tower, forcing the sub to break off the action and flee.
NOVEMBER 17th, 1917 – The USS Fanning and USS Nicholson clashed with the German U-Boat designated U-58 when eagle-eyed sailors spotted the German sub’s periscope above the water line. Depth charges from the two U.S. ships damaged the U-58 and forced it to surface and engage in standard ship-to-ship combat. The Fanning and Nicholson sank the U-Boat, becoming the FIRST United States ships to Continue reading
Randolph C Berkeley earned the Congressional Medal Of Honor as a Marine Corps Major during action in Vera Cruz, Mexico on April 21st and 22nd, 1914. Berkeley’s daring leadership of his battalion from the initial assault and then through street to street fighting on both days earned him the decoration. 
With Memorial Day fast approaching Balladeer’s Blog will once again examine neglected conflicts, military units and recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. 
The singer and musician Prince is dead. Since I like to be different I figured I would post a pic of his work titled Dirty Mind instead of the bigger hits that everyone else is featuring. 
HAPPY NEW YEAR! As a light-hearted start here’s a look at events that happened on New Year’s Day in the past. 
