![Captain Dixie Kiefer, badly injured in an air attack four days earlier, addressing his crew one more time before being transferred from USS Ticonderoga to the hospital ship Samaritan at Ulithi, 25 Jan 1945. [Colorized by WW2DB]](/images/ai/20230224/5cfeab7fad20b.jpg)
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| Caption | Captain Dixie Kiefer, badly injured in an air attack four days earlier, addressing his crew one more time before being transferred from USS Ticonderoga to the hospital ship Samaritan at Ulithi, 25 Jan 1945. [Colorized by WW2DB] ww2dbase | ||||||||
| Colorization Note | This photograph was originally a black and white photograph; the colorized version presented here was a derivative work by WW2DB. The colors used in this version were speculative, and could be significantly different from the real colors. Processed using Adobe Photoshop Image Processor, with default neural filter, selecting "None" as the profile. View the original black and white photograph at its own permanent page. | ||||||||
| Photographer | Unknown | ||||||||
| Source | ww2dbaseUnited States Navy | ||||||||
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| Photo Size | 1,200 x 800 pixels | ||||||||
| Photos on Same Day | 25 Jan 1945 | ||||||||
| Photos at Same Place | Ulithi, Caroline Islands | ||||||||
| Added By | David Stubblebine | ||||||||
| Colorized Date | 24 Feb 2023 | ||||||||
| Licensing | Public Domain. According to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government". Please contact us regarding any inaccuracies with the above information. Thank you. |
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| WW2-Era Place Name | Ulithi, Caroline Islands |
| Lat/Long | 10.0352, 139.7031 |
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10 Jun 2019 12:35:55 PM
When Captain Kiefer addressed the men of Ticonderoga for the last time, he said:
“Well, gang; this is the last time I'll speak to you. I have tears in my eyes and it isn't because I am hurt. I always did know that you were a *** good peacetime crew, and the other day out there, you proved to me that you were the best *** wartime crew in the Navy.
“I did not leave the bridge until 11:30 that night, but afterwards seeing how you men kept fighting back, I realized that I could do more good alive when I could come back out here again.
“I want to thank you men for saving the ship, which I thought was beyond saving. I'm going back to the States soon, and I'll be on the dock when you come in.
“The Captain who takes my place will treat you like I did. Keep up your good work. The Big ‘T’ still is and always will be the best damned ship in the Navy. Don’t forget the Big ‘T’ and that you are still Dixie’s kids …”
And he kept his promise. When Ticonderoga put in to Pearl Harbor on her way to Puget Sound, Dixie Kiefer was waiting on the dock, covered in bandages and with his arm in a sling.