A MEMORIAL TO LOUIS SACKMAN
TO MY SHIPMATE AND BEST FRIEND
WE SERVED IN THE USS OAKLAND FROM 1943 -1948
From the Webmaster
PAUL D. HENRIOTT
CWO, USA, Retired
MUSIC
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
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A MEMORIAL TO
LOUIS SACKMAN MCBM, USN, (RETIRED),
AND CAPTAIN IN THE MERCHANT MARINE
AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH
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| Unfortunately, my father did pass
away in 1985, right after I made Chief. He was
a Captain in the Merchant Marine and was in India when he suffered from
a cerebral hemorrhage. He did not linger very
long, and we take comfort in knowing he was
doing something he loved to do.
Louis spent 32 years in the Navy,
retiring in 1974. During his long and illustrious
military career he was decorated for action in the Pacific theater during
World War II, the Korean Conflict and the
Vietnam Conflict. He was recognized at
Meritorious Mast on several occasions for rescuing both men and equipment,
and earned Naval Aircrew wings as a Master
Chief Boatswain’s Mate… a truly
uncommon sailor.
After he retired, he went into restaurant
management for a while, but really was not
happy doing it. He signed on as an able-bodied seaman with a company out
of New Orleans and went back to sea. Then
he went to Captain's school and became a Master.
He relished being the one totally responsible for any decisions to be made.
He was one of the very few Captains in his company who was a qualified
"anchor
handler" and qualified to move oil rigs, so he was very much "in demand",
and spent a lot of time overseas in Africa and India.
Louis passed away in 1985, at the
age of 59. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while
he was serving as the Master of a ship owned and operated by civilian company.
He was in port in India when it occurred. His family was comforted
in knowing that he did not suffer long, and
he was doing what he loved when it occurred. |
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Wife and Mother
Elizabeth (Betty) Sackman
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Louis is survived by his wife
and eight children.
Mrs. Sackman held the home and family
together while Louis traveled the globe and
“kept the peace”. Her support made his career what it was.
She did “the toughest job in the Navy”, and
she did it well.
His oldest daughter carried on the
family tradition and served 20 years in the Navy,
retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer. She is now an executive
secretary in a large hospital. His youngest
daughter is a department secretary at a junior college.
Two of his sons work in the offshore industry as engineers on work-boats
and research vessels, one is a truck driver,
on is a home improvement contractor, one is
a mail handler for the U.S. Postal Service, and one is a biomedical technician.
Between
them all there are seventeen grandchildren,
and one great-grandchild. All
live or are home-based within a five-mile radius of their mother.
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Taken at the first reunion at Jack
London Square
Left to Right: Back row, Cheryl,
Eric, Lou, Paul, Elizabeth (Mom)
Front row: David, Marc, Anna (Dad's
Mom), Neil and Mary.
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FROM THE OFFICERS AND CREW
OF THE USS OAKLAND CL/CLAA-95
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SO PROUDLY WE SERVED
Requiescat in pace! --------- May
he rest in peace!
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