| 3. | i. | ANNIE MAE4 MERCER, b. November 06, 1919, Gardner, Fl. ( Hardee Co.); d. June 01, 1966, Southbay, Florida (Palm Beach Co.). |
| ii. | JAMES HORACE MERCER, b. December 31, 1923, Desoto, Co., Fl.; d. August 09, 1941, Gardner Cem.,(Hardee Co., Fl.). |
| iii. | JACK DEMPSEY MERCER, b. November 02, 1925, Desoto, Co., Fl.; d. September 25, 1944, LeHavre,France. |
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Notes for JACK DEMPSEY MERCER: WESTERN UNION Oct. 4, 1944 Mrs. Annie Mae Lindsay= Gen Dely Nocatee Flo= The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your brother Jack Dempsey Mercer Seamen Second Class USNR is missing in action while in the service of his country. The department appreciates your great anxiety but details not now available and delay in receipt thereof must necessarily be ex- pected. To prevent possible aid to our enemies please do not divulge the name of the ship or station= Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs the Chief of Naval Personnel. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nov. 17, 1944 (11:35pm) Mrs. Annie Mae Lindsay= Nocatee Flo= The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your brother Jack Dempsey Mercer Seaman Second Class USNR previously reported missing in action is now known to have been killed in action while in the service of his country. No information available at present in regard to disposition of re- mains but by reason of existing conditions burial at sea or in locality of death highly probable. When further details are received they will be forwarded to you promptly. To prevent possible aid to our enemies please do not divulge the name of his ship or station. The Navy Department extends to you its sin- cerest sympathy in your great loss= Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs Chief of Naval Personnel. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY/ BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY 24 Nov 1944 Mrs. Annie Mae Lindsay Route 1 Frostproof, Florida Dear Mrs. Lindsay: You have been notified by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Depart- ment, of the death of your brother, Jack Dempsey Mercer, Seamen, second class, U. S. Naval Reserve, on September 25, 1944, in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country. According to information which has come to this Bureau, burial has been made in a cemetery in St. Andre, France. Because of war conditions and for the duration of the war, the policy of the Navy Department (and of the War Department as well) necessarily has been to make interment in the locality where death occurs. Following cessation of hostilities, and on request of the next of kin, arrangements will be made by this Bureau, if possible, for return to the Uni- ted States. You may record your wishes now by letter to this Bureau, or, if you prefer, await the Bureau's further inquiry at such future time as it may be possible to determine a probable date. The enclosed form outlines the provisions of law applicable to care of the remains of deceased naval personnel. Sincerly yours, Ross T. McIntire Vice Admiral (MC) Surgeon General, U. S. Navy J. W. Rohrback By direction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAVY DEPARTMENT Bureau of Naval Personnel Washington 25, D. C. 20 December 1944 Mrs. Annie Lindsay Nocatee, Florida My dear Mrs. Lindsay, It is with the deepest sympathy and regret that I write to you on behalf of myself and Jack's shipmates concerning the circumstances of the death of your brother. Our ship was lost about 2:30 p.m. on September 25, 1944 as a result of en- emy action, believed to be a German mine, near the port of LeHavre, France. At the time of the explosion, Jack was performing his duties with the hightest degree of loyalty and efficiency, and it is believed he met instantaneous death since he was in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. He is buried at the U. S. Army Cemetery, St. Andre, France, a hero in the eyes of all of us, and a fit companion for the brave seamen of years gone by who fought and died for their country and for the the rights of all free men. Jack was a fine and upstanding man, admired and respected by all of us, and he will always be remembered as a capable, efficient and trustworthy member of the crew of the U. S. S. Miantonamah. His death is a loss to both his country and the Naval Service. His personnel effects, I am sorry to say, were lost with the ship with no chance of recovery. All our prayers are with you in your great bereavement, and I hope it will be a consolation to you to know that by Jack's death, in action and in the line of duty, he valiantly and loyally made the supreme sac- rifice for his country and for the greater security of those left behind. Do not hesitate to call upon me for any further information concerning your brother as we of the Miantonomah who are left feel that he will always be one of our shipmates. Faithfully, Austin E. Rowe, Commander, USNR Commanding, U. S. S. Miantonomah. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN GRATEFUL MEMORY JACK DEMPSEY MERCER Who died in the service of his country at (Sea, Atlantic Area, attached U. S. S. Miantonomah, 25 September 1944) He stands in the broken line of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives-- in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men Franklin D. Roosevelt President of the United States ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To all who shall see these presents, greeting: This is to certify that the president of the United States of America pursuant to authority vested in him by Congress has awarded the Purple Heart estab- lished by General George Washinton at Newburgh, New York, August 7, 1782 to Jack Dempsey Mercer, Seamen second class, United States Naval Re- serve for military merit and for wounds received in action resulting in his death September 25, 1944. Given under my hand in the city of Washington this 25th day of January 1945. Randall Jacobs James Forrestal Vice Admiral, United States Navy The Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Personnel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- post marked: 1. Tampa, Fl., May 2, 1945- 10:00 am 2. Nocatee, Fl., May 3, 1945- 6:00 pm 3. Nocatee, Fl., May 4, 1945- 6:00 pm 4. Lake Alfred, Fl., May 5, 1945- ? pm Mrs. Dan Law Route- 6, Box 512 Tampa, Fla. Mrs. Annie Mae Lindsay Nocatee, Florida General Del. [Lake Alfred, Fl.] *Nocatee had been scratched out on the envelope, and Lake Alfred had been written down next to the word General Delivery. Dear Mrs. Annie Mae Lindsay, Well although its been sometime since you wrote my son asking about your brother. Well I gathered up what I could from time to time while he was here on his leave from the hospital, so I'll try to tell you what I got.: My son and L. P. and a Lake boy seem to have had their liberty at the same time, and Jack had his at a diferrent day. His job on the ship was sec- ond loader of a gun just the same as Perry's. Well it seems, it takes three boys to get and keep shells for one man and one gun. They reached the bat- tle field June 6, 1944 at 8:00. They were in the third wave or what we call the third bunch of ships to go in battle, and Perry said his job was to pull tanks off the ship and on barges to send ashore, and he said out of 220 they load- ed that day, only 5 got ashore. They were carrying cargo for General Pattons army so in the third trip they were hit with something and had to go back to England and stay in dry dock two weeks for ship repairs. They had crossed the English Channel fifteen times and the last trip they were loaded with gas- oline, which they finished unloading on Sunday. They had orders to pull out of port early Sunday morning, and the mine sweeps had not been real close in port, so Perry said the water had been real rough and probably the mine had washed in with the tide. The first they heard was a radio call. Perry said he had just gotten off watch and they thought at first it was a German U- boat then they got three other calls and all were ordered to put on there life rafts. They all had been ordered to sleep top deck that night just in case, so the next he knew he was just coming to, he jumped over board and stayed in the water for 45 minutes before they were picked up in the life boats. He said the last he knew Jack was on top deck when the orders were given but the shock knocked some over-board, some unconscious and some were scalded when they hit the air after leaving the boiler room where they fell dead. He said L. P. worked in the boiler room and he believed that was what happened, although he said orders had been given in time. They thought for everyone to clear out but he said he was scared stiff. He was really in the water before he knew it himself or before he came to.The boat sank within 15 minutes after it struck the mine. They thought they were in La Havre, France at the time. The last reports he had there were 65 saved. He thought the Germans had been there June 4 and 5, 1944 waiting for the invasion to take place said there were scores of them lined up for the invasion. They worked day and night under flying metal and fire and shell everytime they went in to unload, and they really seen alot of danger for any of them to come back alive. I don't know what they will do with Perry, he is awful nervous and his left arm is smaller than the right. The Dr. here said it was caused from a nerve, but I was glad he got back even in that condition for they went through alot - I know. Perry said he went out to a little town one after noon with Jack to shop some, and they didn't have any coupons, so they only walked around for awhile, then went back to the ship. This is not much about your brother but I thought maybe you would understand that most all the boys did the same things on the boat.This doesn't seem much to tell you for it seemed strange or something that this is all I could get out of Perry, about the whole trip or their work over there. So we'll just have to believe everything happens for the best, whether we see it that way or not. Perry is back in the hospital and he doesn't know just yet what they're going to do with him. He says he'll ask for shore duty for at his present con- dition thats all he feels able to do. If when he comes here again if you want you can come and talk to him your welcome to come. Perry's Mother Mrs. Dan Law Rt- 6 Box 512 Tampa, Fla. ______________________________________________________________ More About JACK DEMPSEY MERCER: Fact 1: March 01, 1944, National Service Life Insurance ($10,000) Fact 2: October 1944, Western Union to Annie Lindsay,Jack is M.I.A. Fact 3: November 18, 1944, Western Union to Annie Mae,Jack was killed. |
| iv. | JEANETTE MERCER, b. April 20, 1927. |
| 4. | v. | VIOLET JANE MERCER, b. January 27, 1930, Wauchula, Fl. (Hardee Co.). |
| vi. | HELEN LUCILLE MERCER, b. December 28, 1930. |
| vii. | MARIE MERCER, b. July 28, 1932. |
| viii. | AUBREY LOUISE MERCER, b. December 21, 1933, DeSoto, Co., Florida; d. August 09, 1941, Gardner Cem.,(Hardee Co., Fl.). |
| ix. | HARRY GORDON MERCER, b. 1939; d. August 09, 1941, Gardner Cem.,(Hardee Co., Fl.). |
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