‘Oh give me the flashing brine,
The spray and the tempest’s roar!’
—Epes Sargent (1813–1880)
Whether set in summer or winter, the palpable foreboding icy seas around the Korean Peninsula are graphically depicted in “Spray Pattern” by Navy reservist Herbert C. Hahn. The Allen M. Sumner– or Gearing-class destroyer was escorting a carrier during the Korean War. Hahn had been called to active duty and assigned to the USS Boxer (CV-12) where his spare-time sketches of ship activities caught the notice of senior officers. He requested and was assigned duty as a combat artist.
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