Coast guard

Boatswain's Mate 2c James Orland McKeehan

  • Branch: Coast Guard
  • Hometown/City: , OR
  • Date of Birth:
  • Date of Death: 09-19-1944
  • Conflict: WWII
  • Unit:
  • Port/Base:

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  • Mr. McKeehan was a brother to Norman McKeehan, who was my father's Best Man in his wedding. I didn't hear much about Norman's brother, but for the occasional mention. This is what I learned tonight from the internet:

    "LORAN STATION BAKER ISLAND
    0 11 46.23 N 176 28 26.14 W
    19 SEP 1944 – BM2c James O. McKeehan lost his life while loading construction crew & material onto to the SPICEWOOD."

    (Construction: 9 JUL 1944 – 19 SEP 1944
    16 DEC 1944 Station commissioned and turned over to 14th District)
    From: http://www.loran-history.info/Baker/baker.htm

    "Soon one of the mooring bits gave way, then when back alongside the ramp cableparted and the ramp fell down. During the attempts to raise the ramp, BM2c James O.McKeehan was lost in the sea. Two of his shipmates, BM1c Kenneth E. Foreman and MoMM2c Joseph Letko, immediately dived into the shark infested water to search for him,but no trace of him was ever found." From THE COAST GUARD AT WAR LORAN IV VOLUME II, p. 62

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/45133310/The-Coast-Guard-at-War

    Memory marker from his high school: Henley, outside of Klamath Falls, OR.

    Friend,