The NAFTS Guest Book is a place for sailors and families of sailors to ask questions or make comments about Fleet Tug sailors, ships, reunions or related topics.
from
July 8, 2010
Dear Sir: I stumbled upon your Spring 2010 Towline Newsletter while doing some research on my fathers service in the Navy during WWII. I delight to see the article about he USS Sonoma. My father, Wayne Bonar, was aboard the tug when it was hit by the Japanese aircraft. He was a machinist mate and was below decks at the time of the attack. He has told me the story of his escape through the ship's shafts to the upper decks and into the water. (By the way, he is alive and well and just turned 86 on June 10th) He went on to serve on the USS Don O Woods until the end of the war and was recalled during Korea and served aboard the USS Cross. We were surprised to see that the Sonoma was the first ship to be hit by a kamakazie as I have read that an Austrailian ship was the first. At any rate I will be printing the article to send to my dad in Michigan. Thank you !
Admin Reply:
Many thanks for your entry in our NAFTS GUEST Book. We had a Sonoma member until November 2002 He is now deceased. His name is MMCM William Reed USN. William served on SONOMA from 1941-44.