Legends recently received the following info and pictures from Wahoo
and Tang aficionado Sheldon Levy detailing a striking diorama he
owns depicting Wahoo's return from her Third War Patrol. I'll let
Shell do the talking:
"The idea was one
I had when I first met Chuck Caldwell in Gettysburg a "few" years ago.
He is a former US Marine who served in WWII and Korea. He was also
an avid re-enactor for 30 years ending up with the movie "Gettysburg".
Chuck creates and sculpts
toy soldiers and other items for sale in his shop in Gettysburg.
He has made for me a diorama based on the novel "Sharpes Eagle" and other
figurines. I posed the idea of the USS Wahoo display to be
based on the photo of Morton and O'Kane on Wahoo's bridge upon its
return to Pearl after its highly successful 3rd run.
The display shows the
two of them on the bridge talking in a pose close to the famous picture.
Mush is supposed to have said to Dick, "Tenacity, Dick. Stay with them
'til they're on the bottom."
The figures and the
superstructure are all hand formed out of a material called Sculpy.
There are a couple of minor technical details showing Morton with gold
braid on his cap and I believe the armament is wrong for the ship. But
it was a labor of love and Chuck came through for me.
Chuck is easily located
in Gettysburg in the Old Village Shops and is fun to spend time with.
He has a display of the old Glenn Miller Band, complete with dancers, and
other displays ready for sale. He made one of the landings on Tarawa
(one of his battles in WWII) but that was sold before my last visit.
His shop is worth the visit."
Thanks, Shell, for
the fascinating insight into a great looking diorama! |