Authority File No Fri w r 21 si ae 3 9 5 admts m DECLASSIFIED 13171 Postmaster New York City N Y 8 JUNE 1942 HEMORAHDDK TO THE COEKANDER WESTERN SEA SUBJECT CINCPAC SECRET DISPATCH 511221 0F HAY DECODING OF 1 stanley Johnston of Chicago Tribune reported on board May 15 1942 and was assigned to a room with Commaider M T S ligman and Commander H S Duckworth Lexinfton Officers 2 Since the detachment of Comtransanphibforlant and later Comtransdiv 17 it has not been the practice to decode fox schedule messgges not addressed the ship and force to which attached 5 When Lexington Officers including communication personell reported on board it use proposed by Executive Officer of that ship Commander M T Scligman USN that the Lexington communication Officers take over the communication decoding which duties they had been performing on the Lexington This was agreed to by the Commanding Officer as it would keep the passenger Officers busy 4 The following Lexington OffiCers were assigned this duty Lt jg F C Brewer Ens J B Johnson Eds G Y McKinnon ER Ens R E Hebbler NR One of the above Officers decoded the subject named dispatch 5 At the specific request of Commander Seligman this dispatch was shown towLexington heads of departments consisting ofL Lt A F Junker USN Commander H S Duckworth USN The ships Officers who saw this message were Captain Executive Officer and Communication Officer 6 The Commanding Officer consented to the decoding of this message and its being shown to these Officers_as he was assured by Commander Seligmen that this was the practice on the Lexington and is generally known to be the practice on vessels during the time important operations affecting the whole fleet 7 DECLASSHHED 4 Authorityb gpl 1 PAGE 2 U s s BARNETT Postmaster File No New York City N Y 7 The Commanding Officer did not see-or speak to hr Stan1ey Johnston and the Executive fficer and Communication Officer only had very meager conversation with him and gave gin no information 8 The Communication Officer of this ship Lt jg DgBontecou USER states that Commander M T Seligman USN made the following statement to him the substance of which is about as follows That he had been authorized to show secret messages and letters_to Kr Johnston The Communication Officer did not pay much attention to the statement at the time and of course does not know what Commander Seligman told Hr JOhnston 7 9 The messgge was never out of the hands of an Officer                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu