These pinback buttons are imprinted in black on a tan or beige background. There are paper inserts in the backs. They are marked on the two sides as follows:
The pin back buttons each measure 1-1/2'' wide. They are in good condition with some spotting and surface rusting on the back as pictured.
U.S.S. Glennon (DD-620)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Career
Laid down: 25 March 1942
Launched: 26 August 1942
Commissioned: 8 October 1942
Fate: 8 June 1944: Struck mine off Normandy 10 June 1944: Sunk by shore batteries.
General characteristics
Displacement: 1,630 tons
Length: 348 ft. 3 in. (106.1 m)
Beam: 36 ft. 1 in. (11.0 m)
Draft: 11 ft. 10 in. (3.6 m)
Propulsion: 50,000 shp (37 MW); 4 boilers; 2 propellers
Speed: 37.4 knots (69 km/h)
Range: 6,500 nautical miles at 12 kt (12,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement: 16 officers, 260 enlisted
Armament: 5 - 5 in. (127 mm) DP guns, 6 - 0.50 in. (12.7 mm) guns, 6 - 20 mm AA guns, 10 - 21 in. (53 cm) torpedo tubes, 2 - depth charge tracks.
U.S.S. Glennon (DD-620), a Gleaves class destroyer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral James H. Glennon, who was a recipient of the Navy Cross. Glennon was launched on 26 August 1942 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, of Kearny, New Jersey, sponsored by Miss Jeanne Lejeune Glennon, granddaughter of Admiral Glennon, and commissioned on 8 October 1942, with Lieutenant Commander Floyd C. Camp in command.
After shakedown training along the New England coast, Glennon guarded troops and supply convoys for the occupation of Sicily (9 - 15 July 1943). It was here that the giant assault on Europe began sweeping in from the sea. She returned to New York on 3 December 1943, then made two round trip convoy escort voyages to the British Isles and one to Gibraltar. She arrived in New York from Gibraltar on 22 April 1944, and stood out of that port on 5 May with a task group which arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on the 14th. Assigned to Assault Force ''U'' of the Western Naval Task Force, she arrived in the Baie de la Seine, France, on 6 June. After patrolling around the bombardment group for submarines and fast German torpedo boats, she joined in gunfire support of troops ashore.
On 7 June, she hurled in 430 5 inch shells ashore in support of troops advancing north toward Quinéville. Under command of Commander Clifford A. Johnson, she was again approaching her gunfire support station at 08:30, 8 June, when her stern struck a mine. A whaleboat picked up survivors while minesweepers U.S.S. Staff and U.S.S. Threat arrived on the scene, one passing a towline while the other swept ahead of the damaged destroyer. The destroyer escort U.S.S. Rich closed in the wake of the minesweepers to assist, then felt a heavy explosion as she slowly rounded Glennon's stern to clear the area. Minutes later a second explosion blew off a 50 foot section of the U.S.S. Rich's stern, followed by a third mine explosion under her forecastle. Rich sank within 15 minutes of the first explosion.
The minesweeper Staff found she could not budge Glennon, whose fantail seemed to be firmly anchored to the bottom by her starboard propeller. Most of her crew boarded Staff, and those remaining on Glennon lightened her stern by pumping fuel forward and jettisoning depth charges and topside gear. On 9 June, salvage equipment was assembled, and some 60 officers and men of the Glennon came back on board. The following morning, just as Cdr. Johnson was preparing to resume efforts to save his ship, a German shore battery near Quinéville found her range. A second salvo hit Glennon amidships and cut off all power. After a third hit, Cdr. Johnson ordered his crew to abandon ship and the men were taken off in a landing craft. Glennon floated until 21:45, 10 June 1944, then rolled over and sank. She suffered 25 lost and 38 wounded. Glennon was awarded two battle stars for services in World War II.
U.S.S. Jeffers (DD-621)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Career
Laid down: 25 March 1942
Launched: 26 August 1942
Commissioned: 5 November 1942
Reclassified: DMS-27, 15 November 1944
Decommissioned: 23 May 1955
Struck: 1 July 1971
Fate: Sold 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap
General characteristics
Class and type: Gleaves class destroyer
Displacement: 1,630 tons
Length: 348 ft. 3 in. (106.1 m)
Beam: 36 ft. 1 in. (11.0 m)
Draft: 11 ft. 10 in. (3.6 m)
Propulsion: 50,000 shp (37 MW); 4 boilers; 2 propellers
Speed: 37.4 knots (69 km/h)
Range: 6,500 nautical miles at 12 kt (12,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement: 16 officers, 260 enlisted
Armament: 5 - 5 in. (127 mm DP guns, 6 - 0.5 in (12.7 mm) guns, 6 - 20 mm AA guns, 10 - 21 in (53 cm) torpedo tubes (2x5), 10 Mark 15 torpedos 2 - depth charge tracks (depth charges).
U.S.S. Jeffers (DD-621) (later DMS-27), a Gleaves class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commodore William N. Jeffers. Jeffers was laid down by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, 25 March 1942; launched 26 August 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Lucie Jeffers Lyons, great-granddaughter of Commodore Jeffers; and commissioned 5 November 1942, Lieutenant Commander W. G. McGarry in command.
Atlantic and Mediterranean service
After shakedown and training in Casco Bay, Maine, Jeffers operated briefly on the East Coast until departing Norfolk on 18 February 1943 on her first transatlantic voyage escorting a convoy to Casablanca and returning 14 April. The ship patrolled off NS Argentia, Newfoundland, for a week before steaming to Norfolk to prepare for the coming invasion of Sicily.
Jeffers sailed from Norfolk 8 June with Task Force 65 (TF 65) and arrived Oran, Algeria, 22 June. While preparing for the giant assault on Sicily, she patrolled off other African ports, shooting down a German bomber during 6 July Luftwaffe raid on Bizerte. Jeffers sailed two days later with Rear Admiral John Hall's force for Gela; and, upon arrival 9 June, she guarded the transports. Early next day the great assault began, with Jeffers assigned the task of shooting out shore searchlights and providing fire support. As the landing proceeded with great success in the following days, the ship fired support missions and served on antisubmarine patrol. She sailed to Bizerte 18 July, but was back at Palermo on 31 July with cargo ships. Jeffers sailed to Oran the next day, and from that port continued to New York, arriving 22 August.
After repairs at New York, the destroyer was assigned to convoy duty between East Coast ports and Scotland. As the Allies began the great buildup of men and materiel in Britain for the landings in northern France, Jeffers made five voyages between 5 September 1943 and 22 April 1944. On her second convoy crossing to Scotland, 21 October the ship picked up survivors from the U.S.S. Murphy, after that destroyer had been cut in two by a tanker. She also took part in salvage operations which saved the stern of the stricken vessel.
After training operations, Jeffers sailed from New York 5 May 1944 for the United Kingdom, where she prepared for the invasion of Normandy in June. She departed Belfast 3 June for Utah Beach, where she patrolled and provided fire support as troops stormed ashore on D-Day. The veteran destroyer remained off the beach until 29 June, driving off several enemy planes and assisting damaged ships. For the next two weeks she convoyed transports from Belfast to Utah Beach as more troops and supplies were poured in to the beachhead, finally departing for the Mediterranean on 16 July.
Next on the Allied timetable for the defeat of Germany was another invasion of France, this one in the south. Assigned to screen escort carriers covering the operation, Jeffers departed Malta 12 August to join her task group. Three days later, as troops landed between Cannes and Toulon, the ship remained with supporting carriers, continuing to cruise off shore until 28 September. She then sailed for New York, arriving 7 October to prepare for duty in the far Pacific.
Pacific service
The U.S.S.Jeffers was converted to a destroyer minesweeper at New York, and was reclassified 'DMS-27' on 15 November, She sailed 3 January 1945 for the Panama Canal and California, arriving San Diego for training 17 January. In February she moved on to Pearl Harbor and from there to the great advance base at Ulithi to prepare for the Okinawa invasion, last and largest amphibious operation of the war against Japan. As part of the preliminary minesweeping group, Jeffers arrived off Okinawa on 24 March, one week before the landings, and began clearing mines and marking boat lanes. During the assault 1 April the ship moved to antisubmarine screening and air defense. During the great Japanese air attack of 6 April she downed a twin engine bomber. Six days later, while on radar picket station, she again was under heavy air attack. She downed at least one of the attackers and was nearly hit by one of the deadly Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohkas as the attack was repulsed. Jeffers then assisted survivors of the sunken U.S.S. Mannert L. Abele.
The veteran ship steamed into Kerama Retto to repair battle damage later that afternoon, emerging 16 April to join a carrier group operating off Okinawa in support of ground forces. She then sailed to Guam on 3 May for further repairs. Departing again 26 June, Jeffers sailed via Saipan and Ulithi to Kerama Retto, and spent the next 6 weeks on minesweeping operations north of Okinawa. She was at anchor off Okinawa when the news of the Japanese acceptance of terms was received 15 August 1945. Jeffers steamed into Tokyo Bay on 29 August with occupation forces, and was present for the surrender ceremonies 2 September. She then joined a minesweeping group for vital sweeping operations around Japan, including hazardous operations in Tsushima Strait. Operating out of Sasebo, she continued to sweep in the Yellow Sea during November, getting underway 5 December for the United States.
1946 - 1955
Jeffers arrived San Diego 23 December and steamed via the Panama Canal to Norfolk, where she arrived 9 January 1946. The ship then began her peacetime duty, arriving Charleston 12 June. She remained there for the rest of 1946 except for a short training cruise to Casco Bay. 1947 was spent on maneuvers in the Caribbean during April and May, followed by exercises on the East Coast of the United States; and 1948 was spent entirely at various East Coast ports on training duty. After making a short cruise to the Caribbean in early 1949, Jeffers sailed 6 September from Charleston for her first Mediterranean cruise. This was the period of unrest in Greece and Israel, and the ship took part in maneuvers around Malta until October, as America showed her might in the cause of peace and stability. She returned to Charleston 13 October.
The next year was spent at Charleston, except for a training cruise to Guantanamo Bay in March. She got underway again, however, 9 January 1951 for another cruise to the troubled Mediterranean. She visited Oran, Palermo, Athens, and Naples during this deployment, again taking part in U.S. 6th Fleet's important peace keeping operations. Arriving Charleston 17 May 1951, Jeffers engaged in minesweeping and antisubmarine exercises until her next scheduled Mediterranean cruise, 5 June 1952. She operated with 6th Fleet carriers and destroyers until returning to her home port 13 October.
Jeffers spent the first half of 1953 in training off the Virginia Capes, departing Norfolk 16 September for operations with carrier Bennington and units of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Mediterranean. She returned to Charleston 3 February 1954. Operations from New York to Key West and Havana occupied the veteran destroyer minesweeper until she decommissioned at Charleston 23 May 1955. She entered the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet as DD-621, having been reclassified 15 January 1955. Jeffers was stricken from the register 1 July 1971 and later sold 25 May 1973 and broken up for scrap. Jeffers received seven battle stars for World War II service.
