Clifton A. F. Sprague Memorial - San Diego, CA
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N 32° 42.760 W 117° 10.445
11S E 483685 N 3619447
This bronze bust monument is dedicated to the memory of Vice Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague, USN (1896-1955).
Waymark Code: WM4EDW
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2008
Views: 57
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This monument is dedicated to the memory of Vice Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague, USN, (1896-1955), and the 13 ships and 7,300 men of Task Unit 77.4.3, also known as "Taffy 3," which were under his command during the heroic Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944 during the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
In 1995 the thirteen ships that made up "Taffy 3" began raising funds to erect the monument, which was finally dedicated on Wednesday, October 23, 1996.
Located in a waterfront park along Harbor Drive, south of Navy Pier, San Diego, California, the monument consists of thirteen polished black granite panels, one for each ship, that stand five feet high and are arrayed in a V-shape plan. Facing the monument, the carriers are listed on the left side and the escort vessels on the right. The ships are listed in accordance with the number of casualties they suffered, as follows:
USS WHITE PLAINS (13) — USS KALININ BAY (17) — USS KITKUN BAY (28) — USS FANSHAW BAY (40) — USS ST. LO (126) — USS GAMBIER BAY (137)
USS HOEL (252) — USS JOHNSTON (183) — USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (90) — USS HEERMANN (5) — USS DENNIS (4) — USS JOHN C. BUTLER — USS RAYMOND
The centerpiece of the monument is a bronze bust of Admiral Sprague, by Moon Kim, mounted on a solid black granite pedestal. Historical information and data about the ships and battle are inscribed on the base of the pedestal and the adjoining vertical panels.
More information about General Sprague can be found on Wikipedia (
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