LARGE SLOW TARGET (a post for Memorial Day 2022)

                                            

by Rory Morgan

It was 1:30 in the morning of July 18,1943; a U.S. Navy vessel was chugging through the Blanche Channel, in the Pacific's Solomon Islands, carrying artillery shells and soldiers from the island of Guadalcanal (just months earlier the site of brutal, bloody fighting), to the smaller island of Rendova.  Even though the waters of the area were known to be patrolled by Japanese submarines, no U.S. Navy protective escort vessels to accompanied her. Apparently none was available due to concerns about the weather.

Nevertheless, the Commanding Officer of the ship determined that the importance of the cargo dictated that the ship should take the risk of sailing alone. Unknown to men aboard the U. S. ship, a Japanese submarine (RO - 106) had been stalking it and was now preparing to launch a torpedo attack. A firing solution for the torpedo launch was being calculated; the solution was determined; the torpedos were launched.

The American ship was designated as LST-342. The acronym LST stood for “Landing Ship Tank”; sailors joked that it actually stood for “Large Slow Target”. The LSTs were about a football field long, had a crew of about 100, and were designed to carry tanks to the beach in amphibious landings. They were often used as cargo ships and were so utilitarian that the Navy didn’t even bother to name most of them; it simply referred to them by number.

The commanding officer of LST-342 was Lieutenant Edward S. McCluskey He had graduated from Easton High School in 1928, where he was the president of the senior class, captain of the debate team and an aspiring lawyer. Then it was on to Lafayette College, where he joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and built a “brilliant debating record” as the captain of the College’s team. Following law school at the University of Pennsylvania, he was admitted to the bar in Northampton County in 1935. He opened a law office in the Northampton National Bank Building, became the City Solicitor for Easton and became the Chairman of the Northampton County Democratic Committee.

The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, changed everything for Ed, as it did for so many others. By late February, he had closed his law office and joined the Navy; the third of the McCluskey boys to enlist. (Brother Frank was in the Marine Corps; brother Donald was in the Army.) The Navy initially assigned Ed to do legal work in Philadelphia, but he wanted a combat assignment. His request was eventually fulfilled on December 31, 1942, he became the first commander of LST-342, which was fresh from the shipwrights at the Navy Yard at Norfolk, VA.

The Japanese torpedo hit the ship and exploded; the ship broke in half. The stern (the rear), where the crew’s quarters were located, sank immediately. Consequently, very few of the Navy men on board survived. The bow (the front), inexplicably, continued to float. Some of the soldiers who were on the ship's bow survived there and were eventually rescued. Eventually, the Navy towed the still-floating bow to a nearby island, beached it and stripped it of everything usable. It was then abandoned; it was still visible decades after the war ended.

On August 11, 1943, Northampton County Judge Frank McCluskey and his wife, Alice, received a telegram from the Navy, advising them that their son Edward was Missing in Action. His body was never recovered, but there is a memorial - a cenotaph -  for him in Easton Cemetery. 

Carved into it is a phrase that could be included on so many grave markers in Easton; indeed, on markers throughout the United States: “He loved his life, as we love ours, yet fought and died for those he never knew.” He is also memorialized by a beautiful stained-glass window at his family’s church, Trinity Episcopal, on Spring Garden Street.

Although nothing could bring back the lives lost in the sinking, some measure of retribution was earned a few months later, when the Japanese submarine  RO-106 was sunk by the U.S. destroyer escort USS England - which, ironically, was built by a subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel.

                                                    Ed as a senior at Lafayette College - 1932

                                      The bow of LST -342. The date of this picture is unknown. It

                                                        probably is from the 1980s.

                                                        

                                                         A ship similar to LST-342.

                                                 

                                                

 

                                                                            

                                                                                            

 

Early Cornerstones of Easton, PA

A cornerstone is a ceremonial special stone that is put in a prominent location (usually a corner) on the outside of a building.

Usually, there is a ceremony with the placement of the cornerstone along with the listing of what is put into the box. Many boxes were copper or tin that were then sealed. Originally, a cornerstone was to be left in the building forever, however, if the building was being torn down or damaged, the cornerstone was removed and the contents were looked at. These days, it is not uncommon to have a set date for the cornerstone to be opened, much like a time capsule that is buried.

The owners of the building would usually keep a copy of what was put into the box. In most cases, at the time, nothing of really great monetary value was put into the boxes. However, today, it would be fascinating to see the actual contents. Newspapers would also cover the ceremony and would list what was in the box of the cornerstone. Here are some Easton cornerstone’s that were published. Some of the buildings still remain, some are gone.

1. On June 4, 1830, the Easton Sentinel, wrote about the laying of the Lutheran Church cornerstone. (St. John’s on 4^th & Ferry Streets) “Documents in English, German and Latin languages, giving a history of the origin and progress of the church down to the presents time; copies of the Bible, Lutheran Hymn book, and Catechism, in English and German; specimens of the current coin of the United States; the names of the officers of the general, state, and borough government, etc.”

2. The Easton Sentinel on July 12, 1833, had the grand procession for laying the cornerstone for “LaFayette College”. In this box made by Mr. A. Lamb, was put, “a scroll containing the date of the charter of incorporation, the date of the commencement of the building, the day of laying the cornerstone, the names of the President and Vice-President of the United States, of the Governor of Pennsylvania, of the faculty, trustees and students of the college, and of the architect and workmen engaged in the erection of the building – portraits of Washington, Jackson and Wolf, and impressions taken from the college seal giving a faithful likeness of General LaFayette—a Bible, a book contaning the Constitutions of each state of the Union, the last annual report of the College, some coins and a copy of the last numbers of each of the newspapers printed in the county.”

3. The Easton Semi-Weekly Argus on June 17, 1847, covered the Cornerstone of the Odd Fellow’s Hall. (This was on Ferry St. between South Third St. & Sitgreaves St. their purpose was "Visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan") Put into their box was: “ The Constitution of the United States, The Constitution of Pennsylvania, The President’s message for 1845 & 1846, The Governor’s Message for 1847, A list of the Government officers, A list of State Officers, A list of officers of Northampton county, including the Congressman, Senator, Prothonotary, Register, etc., a similar list for the borough of Easton, the names of the building committee of the hall and the committee of arrangements, the Orator of the day, Chaplain and Speaker, The names, date of institution , number of members, and names of officers of each of the Lodges and Encampments in Easton and South Easton. The names of the D. D. G M. and D. D. G. P. of this district, A list of the public buildings and institutions of Northampton County, including the Churches and their Pastors. Constitution and by-laws of the neighboring lodges, Constitutions and by-laws of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. An Odd Fellows Register containing the names of all the Lodges in the Union. A specimen sheet of printing types, as an evidence of the state of arts at the present day. A pamphlet of the “American Art Union” for the same purpose. The will of Peter Miller. A copy each, of the Democrat and Argus, the Easton Sentinel, Whig and Journal, and Northampton Correspondent. A copy of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Ledger, containing the latest news from Mexico. A copy of the Californian, the first American paper published in California, A copy of the “Hong Kong Register” a Chinese paper. “A History of the Times”—what we are, and what we expect to be –addressed “to posterity”, and the Holy Bible.”

4. The Cornerstone of the Chapel to be erected at Hay’s Burying Ground was laid on September 16, 1860, according to the Easton Sentinel on September 13, 1860. There was no mention of contents.

 5. The Easton High School building on North Second Street had a cornerstone put in the southwest corner of the building, seven feet and two inches above the second floor. The Easton Daily Free Press had this on December 12, 1868. Put into the tin box was: “ A Bible, handbill of the dedication of Taylor Monument at Easton Cemetery, a copy of the Argus, Der Unabhangige Demokrat, Sentinel, Whig, Eastonian, Northampton Courier, Northampton Former, Northampton Correspondent, and Express. School Laws of Pennsylvania, Statistics of the Public Schools of Easton, Description of Easton, its Fire Department, Military Companies, etc., Autographs of State Officers, of County Officers, of Borough Officers, of the Pastors of the several Churches of the Borough.

6. The Easton Sentinel on May 20, 1869, mentioned the laying of the cornerstone for St Paul’s (Third) Lutheran Church. This church was on North Fourth Street (now a parking lot). In the box was put: “Bible, General Synod Hymn Book, General Synod Catechism, copies of Daily Express, Free Press, Argus, Lutheran Observer, Lutheran S. S. Herald, History of the Church, Sunday School and Prayer Meetings, names of National, State and Borough officers, Borough scrip, silver coin, and photograph of Court House built in 1754.”

7. The First Evangelical Reformed Church on Spring Garden Street had a cornerstone laid and the Easton Daily Free Press reported it in their paper on June 26, 1871. Dr. Edgar placed: “A Bible, constitution of the church, hymn book, names of the former and present pastors, the consistory, the building committee, members of the church, families of the congregation, the teachers in Sunday School, the choir, the architects, the builders, the pastors and other churches in Easton, the Town Council, one each of the newspapers of the Borough, several of the New York and Philadelphia newspapers, their own church newspapers, Tribune Almanac, World Almanac, catalogue of Rutgers College and Seminary and of Lafayette, an account of last Commencement, extracts from the last sermon in their former place of worship, with statistics and obituaries of important members of the congregation, a photograph of the church, a photograph of himself, and an account of these exercises.” ( This building is now the First Presbyterian Church )

8. St. Mark’s Reformed Church had a cornerstone laying on September 17, 1871 and it was in the Easton Express on the following day. The articles that were put into the stone were: “a copy of the Reformed Church Almanac, 1871, History of the origin of St. Mark’s Church, a Bible, a copy of the Heidelberg Catechism,  a copy of the Constitutions of the Reformed church, a copy of the Constitution of the United States, a copy of the Order of Worship, copy of the Reformed Messenger, copy of the Reformed Hause Freund, copy of the Easton Daily Express, and a copy of the Easton Free Press.” This building was a 10^th & Lehigh Streets.

9. On September 28, 1896, the Easton Express had the story of the First United Evangelical Church, laying of the cornerstone. This new building was being built on 10^th & Church Streets. In the cornerstone was put: “the Bible, Discipline of the Church, the names of the members of the church, and officers and teachers of the Sunday School, history of the church, copies of the Evangelical and Zeitschript, (English and German church papers), Free Press, Express, Argus, and Sentinel, and several old coins. Before it was closed a list of those who subscribed funds toward the erection of the church was placed in the stone.”

10. The cornerstone laying of the Soldier and Sailor Monument in the circle was held on December 6, 1899. Put into the copper box that was in the north-west corner of the monument was the following: “History of Easton by Rev. U. W. Condit, West’s directory of Easton of 1898, roster of the members, Past Commanders and officers of Lafayette Post, No. 217 G.A.R. of Easton, rosters of J. K. Taylor Post, No. 182, of Bethlehem, Robert Oldham Post, No. 527, of South Bethlehem, McKeen Post, No. 576, of South Easton, Albert Jones Post, No. 383, of Bangor, Judson Kilpatrick Camp, No.233, S. of V. of Easton,Co. I, Thirteenth Regiment, N.G.P. of Easton, Senior and Junior Cadets of Easton, names of the monument committees of Lafayette Post G.A.R. and Camp 233, S. of V. names of the County Commissioners and their officers, names of the inspector, Chas. Howell, the contractors and the foremen in charge of the work, a copy of the reports of the city of Easton under its first Mayor, Charles F. Chidsey, Sr., a copy of the report of the first reunion of the 129^th Pennsylvania Volunteers, held in 1885, reports of the Board of Prison Inspectors from 1881 to 1885, when Charles F. Chidsey Sr., was a member of the board, a manual of the City Councils of Easton and their officers, copies of the Easton daily papers, a history of the record of General Charles A. Wikoff of Easton, deceased, during the Civil War, and a history of Seymour’s Battery.”