Book For Sale

Slavomir Vodehnal
May 25, 1923 -- June 10, 2004

In the early morning hours of April 14, 1945, Slavomir J. Vodenhal, Radarman 1/c came on board the USS Laffey (DD 724) as part of a FIDO team, (fighter director control team), that was to work with our ship while patrolling on Radar Picket Station #1... 50 mile due north of Okinawa. The function of this team was to direct the interception of a Combat Air Patrol, (4 US Navy planes assigned to our station), with enemy kamikaze planes approaching from Japan and headed for the transport area off the Okinawa beachhead. Little did he know what was in store for him, and little did he realize that in a period of 80 minutes, he was to become a respected member of our crew.

Years later, the action of which he was a part and which he observed on April 16, 1945, prompted him to accept the challenge of compiling as much information as possible about that eventful day, and to oversee the publication of a pictorial book entitle “The Indestructible USS Laffey”. Slavomir - responding in those days to “Slavy”, and his wife Gerry - drew upon every possible source of material available to them… newspaper and magazine clippings, interviews from survivors, Navy records, rosters, and various memorabilia from the crew, including those from our skipper, Commander F. Julian Becton. It was a monumental task and could truly be called a “labor of love”.

Slavy and his wife passed away a few years ago. Their estate included a number of these books. His close friend and business associate, Tom Schulze, was most considerate by informing the Association that these books were available to us. Over a period of time, arrangements were made to have a number of these books shipped to my home where they will be inventoried and included as part of our Ships Store.

In my conversations with him, Tom spoke very highly of his friend, using such terms as warm, friendly, kind, precise, unassuming, and humorous. Considering the number of destroyers on which he served as part of a FIDO team, one must add “undaunted” and “lucky”.

I know I speak for the Association in paying tribute to Slavy for the role he played on 16 April 1945, and for the role he played in the monumental undertaking of seeing this project through to its completion. The Association also extends its thanks to Tom Schulze for making the additional books available to our membership.

Ari Phoutrides

November 12, 2008