U.S.S. Grand Rapids PF-31

U.S.S. Grand Rapids PF-31 receiving supplies from Beaufort PF-59.

U.S.S. Grand Rapids PF-31 former crew (1944)
I think Jim is front row third from the right, but not positive.

For this post, I wanted to give a little background on the ship Jim was stationed on during the letters.

Jim was stationed on the U.S.S. Grand Rapids PF-31 formally the PG-139. It was originally authorized as a Patrol Gunboat (hence the PG-139) and then was reclassified as a Patrol Frigate (PF-31) in 15 April 1943. It was commissioned in 10 October 1944 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

From Wikipedia:

Outfitted as a weather ship, Grand Rapids sailed on 17 October for Bermuda and her shakedown cruise, but was damaged at sea by a hurricane and returned to Algiers, Louisiana, for repairs. After repairs were completed, she proceeded toward Bermuda again on 27 October, and after her shakedown training put in at Boston, Massachusetts, on 4 December 1944. Grand Rapids steamed out of Boston on 6 January 1945 for duty as a weather picket ship off Newfoundland. 

Grand Rapids operated as a weather ship out of NS Argentia until returning to Boston on 6 June 1945. The ship soon sailed for her station on 7 July, and continued sending vital weather reports for the North Atlantic area until finally returning to Boston on 15 January 1946. Grand Rapids decommissioned at Boston on 10 April 1946, was sold to Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, on 14 April 1947, and subsequently scrapped.

Jim does mention in some of his letters about being in Argentia and Newfoundland. The ship had three commanding officers during Jim's tenure. They were LCDR Theodore F. Knoll (10 October 1944 to 11 August 1945), LT G.R. Osterfelt (11 August 1945 to 19 August 1945, and finally LT Johnson L. Hale (19 August 1945 to 10 April 1946).