Selking, Gordon C.

GORDON CHARLES SELKING

SEAMAN 2nd CLASS
U.S. NAVY

Gordon Selking was born on September 12, 1925, in Preble Indiana. His parents are Louis August Selking and Ruth Emillie Selking. He had two sisters and a brother, Leona Selking, Robert Selking, and Melba Selking, Leona being the eldest and Melba being the youngest. Gordon was never married. He and his family moved around throughout his childhood spending time in Preble, Adams County, Washington, Adams County, and Fort Wayne, Allen County. Gordon attended Decatur High School as a freshman year before his family moved to Fort Wayne. 

Selking enlisted into the Navy on February 5, 1943 and ultimately achieved the rank of Seaman Second Class. Upon completion of  basic U.S. Navy training at Great Lakes Naval Station, IL in May 1943; he was assigned to the Seattle Washington Navy Yards. Seaman Selking boarded his first ship, the USS Casablanca (CVE-55), in July 1943 while it operated as a training vessel in the Straights of Juan de Fuca. Crews trained aboard the Casablanca to prepare them for assignment to other Casablanca-class escort carriers. Transport Ship General G.O. Squier (AP-130). Selking boarded the General Go Squier on April 7, 1944 for transport to New Caledonia, where he would meet up with his newly assigned ship, the USS Warrington (DD-383).

The USS Warrington was a Somers Class Destroyer which (in the spring and summer of 1943) was conducting escort runs between Guadalcanal and Espiritu Santo and operated as part of an antisubmarine screen for Task Force 37. Additionally, the Warrington spent time in New Guinea, Australia, and Wadkde Island where it conducted a shore bombardment mission. By June 19, 1943 the Warrington departed the South Pacific for the United States with the USS Balch (DD-363). 

The USS Warrington transited the Panama Canal on July 8, 1944, stopping at Colon, Panama; and reaching the New York shipyard on July 15th. Upon leaving the shipyard the Warrington had to conduct maneuvers in Casco Bay, Maine, and headed to the Norfolk Navy Yard for additional alterations. On September 10th USS Warrington departs from Norfolk, on course to Trinidad.

Two days out from Norfolk (on Gordon's 19th birthday), the Warrington headed straight for a  hurricane off the coast of the Bahamas. Despite a valiant effort by the crew to keep the ship afloat, by the afternoon of April 13th it was apparent the destroyer would not be saved as water rushed into its engines. The crew abandoned ship and the ship sunk immediately. Despite a massive search effort, only 73 of the 321 member crew were rescued. Seaman Second Class Sulking's remains were never found. He is memorialized on  the Tablets of the Missing at the East Coast Memorial in Battery Park, New York City.

For his service and sacrifice, Seaman 2nd Class Selking was awarded the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and WWII Victory Medal. 

Information researched and compiled by Caleb McCarty (2018), and Rogan Curry (2023).

SOURCES

Pocock, Michael W. "USS Warrington DD-383." MaritimeQuest.com, 13 Oct. 2015, www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/destroyers/pages/alpha_pages/w/warrington_dd383/uss_warrington_dd_383_page_1.htm. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; Year: 1941

“21 Sep 1944, 1 - Vernal Express at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, basic.newspapers.com/image/290158756/?terms=USS%2BWarrington.

Empowering the next generation of history makers. Ancestry Education | Our resources will bring your classroom to life. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/search/categories/35/?name=Gordon%2BCharles_Selking&event=_indiana-usa_17&name_x=_1&record_f=1940-1949

Uboat.net. D-383 USS Warrington. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://uboat.net/allies/warships/listing.html?navy=USN

Warrington II (DD-383). (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/warrington-ii.html

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