1. After the night engagement off Cape St. George:
   
   
   1. From Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet:
      "TO '31 KNOT' BURKE AND HIS GANG - WELL DONE" /s/ NIMITZ
      
      
   2. From General MacArthur to Admiral Halsey:
      "PLEASE EXPRESS TO COMDESRON 23 AND TO HIS OFFICERS AND MEN MY ADMIRATION AT THEIR SPLENDID ACCOMPLISHMENT. IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT VICTORY."
      
      
   3. From Commander Third Fleet:
      "TO COMDESRON 23 AND ALL HANDS IN YOUR FINE SHIPS: I ADMIRE YOUR FIGHTING ABILITY AND ENVY EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY IN COMING TO CLOSE GRIPS WITH THE ENEMY. THE SOUTH PACIFIC FORCE IS PROUD OF YOUR CLEAN CUT AND CRUSHING VICTORY. TO COMMANDER AIR SOLOMONS AND HIS FLYING TEAM A SALUTE FOR PROMPT AND COMFORTING ASSISTANCE X GOD BLESS YOU ALL. /s/ HALSEY"

The following messages were among my late father's possessions and were not mentioned in the source document cited at the end of this page.

TO YOU YOUR OFFICERS AND MEN THE COLUMBIA GIVES THEIR HEARTY CHEERS FOR A JOB BEAUTIFULLY DONE X EIGHTY THREE PERCENT LEADS THE LEAGUE AS A BATTING AVERAGE X

GUADALCANAL

THE DARING UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCE THAT STEAMED INTO KAVIENG HARBOR FEB. 18, AND SMASHED JAPANESE SHIPPING, WRECKED THE AIRPORT AND SILENCED SHORE BATTERIES, WAS COMMANDED BY NAVAL CAPTAIN ARLEIGH BURKE OF CHEVY-CHASE, M.D. IT WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT "THIRTY-ONE KNOT" BURKE, (HE NEVER TRAVELS SLOWER THAN THIRTY-ONE KNOTS) HAD HUMILIATED AND DEVASTATED THE JAPANESE. LAST THANKSGIVING DAY BURKE WAS IN COMMAND OF A TASK FORCE OPERATING AGAINST SHIPPING NEAR RABAUL. HE SANK FOUR JAPANESE DESTROYERS AND CHASED TWO OTHERS ALMOST INTO RABAUL X

COMMODORE BURKE X WHAT A MAN X WHAT A SQUADRON X

CONGRATULATIONS ON A GRAND JOB X YOU PROVED YOUR THEORIES ABOUT DESTROYER ACTION X.

PLEASE EXPRESS TO ADMIRALS SHERMAN AND MERRILL THE SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS OF EVERY ONE HERE FOR THE SPLENDID ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE TASK FORCES X EVERY OFFICER AND MAN ENGAGED DESERVES COMMENDATION X THIS MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM GENERAL MACARTHER

SELDOM HAS A TASK FORCE BEEN CALLED UPON TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH BARRED AND DIFFICULT MISSIONS IN THE BRIEF PERIOD OF 36 HOURS X SELDOM IF EVER HAVE SUCH MISSIONS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SO THOROUGHLY AND AT SO LITTLE COST X OUR FOLKS AT HOME NEED HAVE NO ANXIETY AS TO THE OUTCOME OF THIS OR ANY OTHER WAR AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SUCH FIGHTERS TO MAN OUR FINE SHIPS X GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU X ADMIRAL MERRILL

NO SQUADRON IN ANY NAVY HAS WON MORE BATTLE HONOR IN LESS TIME THAN THE FIGHTING CHASING TWENTY THIRD X THERE ARE NO SHIPS WHICH HAVE DELIVERED MORE DEVASTATING BLOWS TO THE ENEMY THAN THOSE OF THIS SQUADRON X YOUR HEROIC CONDUCT AND MAGNIFICENT ABILITY WILL MAKE YOUR FAMILIES AND YOUR COUNTRY PROUD OF YOU X MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU X

YOUR LAST VICTORY OVER THE YELLOW BELLIES FILLS OUR HEARTS WITH PRIDE X ONCE AGAIN THE JAP IS SET BACK ON HIS HEELS THANKS TO THE RELENTLESS DRIVING ATTACKS OF SUPERLATIVE END RUNNERS X THE REST OF TF 39 LIFT THEIR HATS TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF DESRON TWENTY-THREE X

HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THIRTY-ONE KNOT BURKE AND HIS BOYS X THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 24-25 WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR TOJO DUE TO YOUR MAGNIFICENT TEAMWORK X WE ARE PROUD OF OUR FORMER TEAM MATES X

COMDR BURKE X SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON HITTING THE JACK-POT X COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER X

NOW THAT THE SMOKE OF BATTLE HAS ROLLED AWAY I SALUTE EVERY OFFICER AND MAN OF THE HARDEST FIGHTING DIVISION OF THE HARDEST FIGHTING SQUADRON OF THE HARDEST FIGHTING NAVY AND COMMEND YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY FOR A SERIES OF VICTORIES WHICH HAVE ADDED NEW PAGES TO THE GLORIOUS HISTORY OF OUR NAVY X THERE ARE DOUBTLESS MANY DESTROYER CREWS WHO WOULD HAVE DONE AS CHEERFULLY AND AS WELL AS YOU THE MANY THINGS WHICH MADE THESE VICTORIES POSSIBLE SUCH AS REPAIRING FEED PUMPS ALL DAY AFTER BEING AT BATTLE STATIONS ALL NIGHT FIGHTING SLEEP AS YOU LOADED YOUR TORPEDOES AFTER DAYS WITHOUT MORE THAN A CATNAP AND THEN WHEN THE HOUR OF BATTLE CAME DOING YOUR JOB BETTER THAN YOU HAD EVER DONE IT BEFORE X YES THERE ARE DOUBTLESS MANY WHO WOULD DO AS WELL BUT NONE COULD DO BETTER X I ONLY REGRET THAT DUE TO BATTLE DAMAGE TWO OF OUR FINE SHIPS WERE DENIED THE PRIVILEGE OF PARTICIPATING IN OUR LATEST VICTORIES X I AM PROUD TO BE THE COMMANDER OF SUCH A FINE FIGHTING DIVISION X GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND REST THE SOULS OF THOSE BRAVE FEW WHO ARE WITH US NO MORE X

MSG COMMANDER BOGIE BAIT X HERE IS WISHING YOU A MERRY BASTARD KILLING CHRISTMAS X TEN KNOT EARLE

THANKS FOR WISHES X WE SEEM TO BE IN THE SHOOTING BUSINESS X WISH ALL DESTROYERS WERE KEEPING BUKA UNDER CONSTANT WATCH X THERE ARE A LOT OF BASTARDS WHO NEED KILLING THERE X A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FINE OUTFIT X BOGIE BAIT SECOND CLASS

IT WAS A SLAM BANG JOB ON THE MORNING WATCH OFF KAVIENG X CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR DESTROYER CREWS ON BEING CONSTANT NEMISIS OF NIPS X ADMIRAL HALSEY

THAT DESTRUCTIVE SHIPPING SWEEP IN JAP TRAFFIC LANES WAS ANOTHER MARKED SUCCESS FOR DESRON TWENTY-THREE X WELL DONE X ADMIRAL HALSEY

THE LITTLE BEAVERS HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEATEN THE ENEMY IN THEIR OWN WATERS X THE SQUADRON COMMANDER CONGRATULATES ALL HANDS AND IS PROUD TO BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION OF SUCH BROTHERS-IN-ARMS X WELL DONE BEAVERS X WELL DONE X CAPTAIN BURKE

CRUISER DIVISION TWELVE CONGRATULATES SQUADRON 23 ON THE SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ANOTHER HAZARDOUS MISSION X I CONTINUE TO POINT WITH PRIDE TO THE LITTLE BEAVERS OF TASK FORCE THIRTY NINE WHOSE ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WILL MAKE HISTORY A POPULAR STUDY FOR THEIR GRAND-CHILDREN X GET BUSY X ADMIRAL MERRILL

I KNOW THAT I SPEAK FOR EVERY DESTROYER SAILOR IN THE PACIFIC FLEET WHEN I SAY WELL DONE TO A REAL BUNCH OF FIGHTERS X TOJO IS LOCKING HIS DOORS IN TOKYO FOR HE HAS HEARD THAT DESRON TWENTY-THREE IS ON THE WAY TO GET HIM X

DESRON TWENTY THREE LEAVES SOPAC AREA WITH REGRET AND SADNESS X OUR MANY FRIENDS HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO OUR WELL GOING AND OUR SUCCESS THAT WE DISLIKE LEAVING OUR HOMESTEAD FOR NEW DUTIES X WE PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE COURTEOUS ASSISTANCE THOUGHTFUL PLANNING AND CLEVER STAFF WORK OF THE HIGH COMMAND AND HIS STAFF X WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE WORKED FOR SUCH A SPLENDID ORGANIZATION X

Source info - A booklet entitled:

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