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History of ATR-7 - Page 7 The weather was clear and sunny off the coast of Florida on Tuesday 5 September 1944. USS ATR-7 had just completed an overhaul at the Charleston Navy Yard, and was steaming south off the coast of Fort Lauderdale en route to Miami, Florida. Just after lunch some of the crew off watch climbed up to the boat deck and stretched out in the balmy sunshine using life jackets for pillows. A young seaman on duty as a mess cook in the galley took a pan under his arm and climbed the ladder to the boat deck intending to get some potatoes from the spud locker behind the smokestack. When he reached the top of the ladder, he fell to the boat deck bleeding. A couple of men immediately went to his side, saw the wound and promptly called for Doc. When Doc arrived, he patched the wounds, but it was too late. A 20 millimeter slug hit the lad in the chest and came out the boy's side. Someone recovered the bullet on the deck and handed it to the XO who just arrived at the scene. The Doc had to prepare forms to notify the Navy Department where he and YN2 went to the boat deck and took fingerprints from the dead crewman. REMAINDER
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