"The Hat of the Sailor That Weathered the Storm: The Naval Journey of Harold C. Sandifer"

The Journey of a Sailor: The Story of CWO-2 Harold C. Sandifer and his Hat

Among the artifacts preserved in our collection is a U.S. Navy officer’s hat that once belonged to Chief Warrant Officer Harold C. Sandifer—a silent witness to one man’s incredible naval journey through some of the most defining events of the 20th century.

From Enlistment to the USS Murphy

Harold C. Sandifer enlisted in the United States Navy on November 12, 1942, during the height of World War II. He was quickly assigned to the USS Murphy (DD-603), a Benson-class destroyer already making a name for itself. Commissioned in July 1942, the Murphy was designed for speed, maneuverability, and firepower—qualities needed to escort convoys, hunt submarines, and protect capital ships.

The Murphy saw early action during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa in late 1942. Operating off the coast of French Morocco, the ship engaged enemy shore batteries and supported landings at Mehdia and Port Lyautey, helping to secure a foothold on the continent.

But perhaps the most harrowing chapter in the Murphy’s career came in October 1943. While escorting a convoy across the stormy North Atlantic, the ship was accidentally rammed by the oil tanker SS Bulkoil, an impact so severe that it sheared off the forward third of the ship, including the bridge and forward gun mounts. Over 30 sailors were lost in the disaster.

Harold Sandifer, then a Motor Machinist’s Mate, was among the crew stationed in the aft two-thirds of the vessel. Remarkably, that rear portion remained afloat, and with quick action and ingenuity, it was towed over 900 miles back to New York Navy Yard. There, the Murphy was rebuilt with a brand-new bow—an extraordinary feat of wartime ship repair. Within months, she was back in action.

Return to War: Normandy and Beyond

In June 1944, the Murphy was one of the many ships gathered for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Off the Normandy coast, the destroyer performed critical escort and bombardment duties, protecting landing forces and fending off enemy submarines and aircraft. Sandifer, now an experienced sailor, served with distinction during this pivotal moment in history—D-Day.

Following Normandy, Sandifer was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and transferred stateside for shore duty in Miami, Florida. But his time at sea was not over.

Postwar Service and Rise to Chief Warrant Officer

Sandifer later joined the crew of the USS Kenneth D. Bailey (DD-713), a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned in 1945. He served aboard until 1947 as the Navy transitioned from global war to a peacetime presence across the world’s oceans. Over the next several years, he held various shore and fleet assignments, advancing through the ranks thanks to a solid reputation for mechanical expertise and leadership.

Eventually, his hard-earned experience earned him selection for Chief Warrant Officer School in New London, Connecticut—a prestigious honor recognizing his professional mastery and leadership potential. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the USS Newport News (CA-148), a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser and one of the most advanced warships of its time.

Final Command: USS Newport News (CA-148)

In the twilight of his naval career, Chief Warrant Officer Harold C. Sandifer reported aboard one of the U.S. Navy’s most formidable postwar warships—the USS Newport News (CA-148). Commissioned in 1949, the Newport News was the lead ship of the Des Moines-class heavy cruisers, a new breed of firepower built for the atomic age. Unlike her predecessors, she was equipped with fully automatic 8-inch/55 caliber guns—the largest automatic naval guns ever mounted on a warship—capable of sustained, rapid fire unmatched by any cruiser before or since.

Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, the Newport News operated out of Norfolk, Virginia, projecting American sea power across the globe during the tense early years of the Cold War. She made goodwill tours, participated in NATO exercises, and stood ready to intervene in hotspots as tensions flared between East and West. For sailors like Sandifer, this era demanded the same vigilance and professionalism as wartime, only now the stakes were geopolitical, and the enemy was often unseen.

As a Chief Warrant Officer, Sandifer’s role was crucial. He was a technical expert, a bridge between the enlisted men he had once served alongside and the officers now under his counsel. Whether maintaining propulsion systems, overseeing repairs, or training the next generation of machinist’s mates, his decades of experience kept the ship’s heart beating smoothly beneath the armored decks.

Though the Newport News would later become famous for its service during the Vietnam War, Sandifer’s time aboard came during its formative years—helping lay the foundation of reliability and readiness the ship would become known for. After years at sea, from the chaos of the Atlantic to the gunlines off Normandy, the sleek, modern lines of the Newport News represented not just progress in naval engineering—but also the culmination of a life spent in service.

In 1954, Sandifer retired from the Navy and from life at sea. But the Newport News, and the men like him who gave her strength, remained a proud testament to American resolve in a new and uncertain era.

A Sailor Comes Ashore

In 1954, after more than a decade of service that spanned from the bloody waters of the North Atlantic to the postwar global Navy, CWO-2 Harold C. Sandifer retired from sea duty. He settled in Norfolk, Virginia, where his story quietly joined those of countless other veterans whose dedication shaped the world we live in today.

His officer’s hat now rests in our museum—not merely as a uniform item, but as a symbol of a man’s extraordinary journey through war, survival, leadership, and service. Through him, we remember the legacy of the ships he served aboard—the Murphy, the Kenneth D. Bailey, and the mighty Newport News—and the broader history of a Navy that helped secure freedom on distant shores.

CWO Harold C Sandifer leaves the USS Newport News for the final time.