Gordon W. STAFFORD

1922 - 1941  (19 years)

• Name	Gordon W. STAFFORD
  Born	19 Sep 1922	Tustin, Orange Co., California
  Gender	Male
  _UID	D3C14CC834DF1A468A174183632BB23BFB00
  Died	7 Dec 1941	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
  Buried	16 Apr 1949	San Marcos Cemetery, San Diego Co., CA, Sec. 10, Lot 5, #7
  Person ID	I87863	Branch 002 Thomas Stafford 1605 Eng
  Last Modified	5 Jan 2019

  
  

  Father	Otis William Alonzo STAFFORD,   b. 18 Mar 1870, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana ,   d. 18 May 1943, Westminster, Orange Co., California  (Age 73 years)
  Mother	May Gladys COLLAR,   b. Apr 1888, Santa Ana, Orange Co., California ,   d. Aug 1933, San Marcos, San Diego Co., California  (Age ~ 45 years)
  Married	Abt 1913	California
  Census	1920	Tustin Twp., Orange Co., California
  Notes	Census: 7 Jan 1920. Listed as William A. Stafford, a lettuce packing laborer, with wife May G. and children Em Evelyn age 5, Glen M. age 4 5/12 & Guy E. age 4 5/12.
  Family ID	F27296	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Gordon W. Stafford, seaman 2nd class, died during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, HI on December 7, 1941 at age 18. He was on the battleship USS California (BB-44). His body was recovered and is buried in the Stafford plot in the San Marcos, CA cemetery near Escondido. He was one of 98 navy and 4 marine casualties aboard the USS California that day. At 8:05 a.m. a bomb or torpedo exploded below decks setting off an antiaircraft ammunition magazine which killed about 50 men. A second bomb or torpedo ruptured the California's bowplates. Despite valiant efforts to keep her afloat, the inrushing water could not be isolated and the California settled into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface.