Tom Maglione's DESA Web Page

The Destroyer Escort Sailors Association (DESA) DESA Web Site (http://www.desausa.org) is composed of Navy sailors from World War II who served on the Destroyer Escort (DE) ships that patrolled the oceans during WWII. The DE was immortalized in the Hollywood film "The Enemy Below" starring Robert Mitchum and Curt Jurgens. The Destroyer Escort sailors helped the Allies win World War II in the oceans.

My father Dominic J. Maglione served on the U.S.S. Otter (DE-210) Buckley Class Destroyer Escort in the Atlantic theater near the end of the war. My Dad was only 17 years old and had been working at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard when at the end of 1943 he coaxed his father to sign for him so he could join the Navy before the age of 18. After a brief training period, my Dad was assigned to the Otter. His Otter shipmates still know him as "Nick", and he served as a fire controllerman manning the gun director on the flying bridge. "Nick" Maglione assisted in the rescue of survivors from the U.S.S. Davis (DE-136), sunk by torpedo on April 24, 1945. He also served guard duty over some of the German Naval personnel from the submarine U-805 which surrendered to the Otter east of Newfoundland after the end of European hostilities. The Otter also escorted the captured German submarine U-505 on U.S. east coast war bond tours. Eventually the U-505 was moved to Chicago where it is now one of the most popular displays in the Museum of Science and Industry.
U-505 Web Site (http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/U505/index.html)
The U-505 exhibit was also highlighted in a recent (2003) edition of the "This Old House" television program on PBS.

My Mom, Dad and I continue to enjoy yearly DESA and Otter reunions. The DESA national convention was held in October 2002 at Myrtle Beach. The 2003 USS Otter reunion was held September 3-6, 2003 at the Howard Johnson Express Inn in Dayton, Ohio.
The 2004 USS Otter reunion was held in September 2004 at the Howard Johnson Express Inn in Albany, New York. The attending shipmates held a memorial ceremony on the deck of the USS Slater, where the names of all departed shipmates were read in turn by various members of the reunion. Later there was a Saturday night banquet.
The 2005 USS Otter reunion is scheduled for the week after Labor day in September 2005 at Hyannis on Cape Cod.

The U.S.S. Slater (DE-766) U.S.S. Slater Web Site (http://www.ussslater.org) is the only remaining complete DE from WWII. It was acquired from the Greek Navy where it had been in use as the Aetos (Eagle) and was slated for the scrap heap. The DESA organization raised over $500,000.00 and had the Slater moved from Greece to New York temporarily at the Intrepid Air and Sea Museum. The Slater was later moved to Albany when the City of Albany decided to make it the centerpiece of their municipal port improvement program. The Slater is now a living floating museum, maintained in wartime ship-shape status as much as possible while still operating as a publicly accessible museum. Most areas are off-limits to the public, but DESA ship reunions are allowed the run of the ship. At these reunions, 75+ year old men become young boys again recalling where they manned their post and specific incidents that occurred out at sea or back in port.