Name/Title
USS Franklin (CV-13) Plank Owner CertificateScope and Content
A yellow and blue USS Franklin (CV-13) plankowner certificate for William Babbitt dated January 31, 1944. Various nautical images such as mermaids, fish, and seahorses are printed in blue ink along with an image of the USS Franklin.Context
A radarman and plankowner aboard the USS Franklin (CV-13) during World War II, William Babbitt was aboard for the March 19th, 1945 attack.
Babbitt recalls the night of the attack years later: "I was in the V.H.F. room on the 02 deck when we got hit. I ran up to the flight deck. My face and hands were burned on the way up. Once on the flight deck--some other men and myself grabbed hoses and started fighting the fires...Bombs were going off, we would all lie down, and each time there would be less of us to get up."Collection
USS FRANKLIN CV13/CVA13/CVS13/AVT8Acquisition
Accession
2002.00023Source or Donor
USS FRANKLIN CV-13 Museum Association, Inc.Acquisition Method
GiftUpdate Date
February 24, 2025
