Herb Brown was a boat engineer for the captain's gig 1944-1945
on the USS Housatonic AO-35 - the 2nd Housatonic

The 1st was in the civil war and very historic too.

NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
On February 17, 1864 the Union blockade ship USS Housatonic was attacked and sunk by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley,—it was the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine in battle. In May and June 1999, archeologists from the National Park Service, Naval Historical Center and South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, along with geologists from the US Geological Survey and Coastal Carolina University supported by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources examined the wreck of Housatonic. Though buried by 4 to 8 feet of sediments, the team was able to determine the orientation of the wreck, its state of preservation as well as to document possible damage resulting from the Hunley attack. A small number of artifacts were recovered to assist in the overall interpretation of the Hunley/Housatonic naval engagement.
USS Housatonic AO-35

Chicopee Class Fleet Oiler: Completed in 1941 as Esso Albany under a Maritime Commission contract at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA,, for Standard Oil of New Jersey; Acquired by the Navy and Commissioned, USS Housatonic (AO-35), 9 January 1942; Decommissioned 11 March 1946 at San Francisco, CA.; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown); Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 22 October 1946, for disposal; Final Disposition, sold by the Maritime Commission, 14 October 1947, to Standard Oil of New Jersey, fate unknown. Specifications: Displacement 5,375 t.(lt) 22,430 t.(fl); Length 520'; Beam 68'; Draft 30' 10"; Speed 16.5kts; Complement 279; Armament one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 3"/50 guns, two twin 40mm gun mounts, two twin 20mm gun mounts; Capacity 131,600 barrels; Propulsion, geared turbines, single shaft. 9.000hp. ......................................................................from NAVSource Online
Refueling Ranger (CV-4)
before "Torch"
......................................................
History before Herb was aboard
 
Casablanca / North Africa Invasion
8 November 1942
AO 35 Housatonic
—Cdr A.R. Boileau

While Herb was aboard  the Oiler, he served in the Carolina Islands, in Okinawa and with the Mighty Mo fleet at the Japanese Capitulation on Aug. 15, 1945
Log of U.S.S. KYNE (DE-744) LOG

2 January 1945
Got underway in accordance with CTG 30.9 dispatch 312346 of December 1944 to join unit withUSS Dyson (DD-572), USS Riddle (DE-185), the USS Housatonic (AO-35), and the USS Altamaha (CVE-18) 0654. Purpose of the operation was to give Housatonic experience in fuelling CVE type ships at sea. DD and DE's for screen.

14 January 1945
1828 Passed Binet Point, Leyte, P.I. abeam to starboard 3 miles, entered Mindinao Sea. 2220 USS Housatonic (AO-35) had engineering casualty, ordered to return to San Pedro Harbor, Leyte, with USS Wesson (DE-184) as escort.

8 June 1945
2102 USS Housatonic (AO-35) in station 31 designated formation guide.

11 June 1945
1330 Commenced steaming various courses and speeds going alongside each of the following ships in order to deliver operations orders: Chicopee (AO-34), Kaskaskia (AO-27), SS Luxemburg Victory, SS Mercer Victory, USS Crowley (DE-303), SS Oberlin Victory, USS Firedrake (AI-14) [sic; should be AE-14], USS Housatonic (AO-35), USS Patuxent (AO-44), USS Lamons (DE-743), USS Kalk (DD-611), USS Silverstein (DE-534), USS Lovering (DE-39).

28 July 1945
1030 Alongside port side of USS Housatonic (AO-35) transferring TG 38.4 outgoing mail which was further transferred to USS Merrimack (AO-37) on starboard side for return to port.

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