Following is a transcript of a letter from Commander Geo. E. Marix

January 2, 1945

My Dear Mr. and Mrs. Carr,

I received your letter this morning and will answer it at once. Your son, Clifford was a boy to be very proud of and I am proud to have had him under my command. He was a willing worker and never let his shipmates down, and that is the highest complement that one Navy man can pay another.

Clifford was in the compartment where the torpedo hit and mercifully never knew what had happened for it was all too sudden.

The Eversole was hit by two submarine torpedoes at two thirty on the morning of the twenty ninth of October and went down some twenty minutes later. Those of us that got off were straffed in the water by machine guns and then the Jap sub dropped a demolition charge that killed or wounded all of us in the water. We are living on borrowed time and very thankful to be here. I am only sorry that I could not have brought Clifford back with me. Please believe me Mrs. Carr that his death is not in vain and that he will always be remembered by his shipmates as a fine boy. I hope that you will feel free to call on me at any time for anything that I can do for you, and accept my deepest sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely,

Geo. E. Marix

Formerly Commanding USS Eversole