Home of the U.S.S. John P. Gray APD-74

My research on the U.S.S. John P. Gray/ APD-74 began as a quest to find veterans who remember my grandfather, Kermit Alma Henson.  I began by doing as many internet searches as I could, but with little progress.  From the sites that I did find, I found out that the John P. Gray was a destroyer escort.  The Destroyer Escort Sailors Association was my next step.  From that organization, I was able to locate the names of four sailors from the ship.  My biggest break in the search came when the American Legion magazine published a letter from me about my quest to find survivors from the Gray.      When my letter was published, I started getting phone calls and letters from the men who served aboard the John P. Gray.  I was surprised and elated to hear from these men that I had searched for, for over a year.  Yet many of them do not remember my grandfather, the name only seems familiar.  I did not want our efforts to contact each other to be in vain.  As a result, I am researching the history of the U.S.S. John P. Gray and sending questionnaires to the sailors who served aboard the ship.  When all of my research is compiled, I plan to write a history of the ship, complete with commentary from her sailors.  I am also maintaining a database of the sailors' names and addresses, so that they may keep in touch with one another in the future.      As I progress in my research about the U.S.S. John P. Gray, I hope to continue to post my results on this site.  I want to reach as many members of the Gray as possible.  If you know anyone who served aboard the U.S.S. John P. Gray during World War II, please e-mail me.  I would love to hear from you!

have stepped on deck of the Gray