My mom passed away in Nov, and I was clearing out some things from their house today. I came across some my dad's Navy papers. He served in the South Pacific during WWII. He graduated HS a semester early at 17 to enlist. So many of his relatives and friends did the same. They really were the Greatest Generation. He never, ever talked about the war. As kids, we would sometimes ask him what the worst thing that happened during his time there, and he would always answer, "A monkey once dropped a coconut on my head..."
He took a few pictures (one very cool one of Bob Hope performing). He complained that Mrs. Roosevelt once visited his atoll, but was 10 hours late. They all had to be in dress uniform that entire day in the 100+ deg heat. They weren't happy with the First Lady that day. And I have a Japanese rifle that he brought home. The same rifle as one displayed at the Naval Academy Museum. It was left behind when the US took over the atoll.
He apparently served as an Air Warden as a teen, which I never knew about. His Air Warden honorable discharge paper is sitting here in front of me. His air warden discharge is dated the same exact date that he enlisted in the Navy. He ended up a Radarman 2nd Class when he was honorably separated after the war.
It wasn't my intent to give a bio on my dad, but I did anyway, because he was such a humble man. We probably all have a relative who was a part of this Greatest Generation. But I do have a question... His separation paper shows that he received a few medals. One in particular states, "Asiatic Pacific Theatre Medal 1 Star." What does the "1 Star" mean? I do not have any of the actual medals. Knowing my dad, he probably threw them in a shoe box.
He took a few pictures (one very cool one of Bob Hope performing). He complained that Mrs. Roosevelt once visited his atoll, but was 10 hours late. They all had to be in dress uniform that entire day in the 100+ deg heat. They weren't happy with the First Lady that day. And I have a Japanese rifle that he brought home. The same rifle as one displayed at the Naval Academy Museum. It was left behind when the US took over the atoll.
He apparently served as an Air Warden as a teen, which I never knew about. His Air Warden honorable discharge paper is sitting here in front of me. His air warden discharge is dated the same exact date that he enlisted in the Navy. He ended up a Radarman 2nd Class when he was honorably separated after the war.
It wasn't my intent to give a bio on my dad, but I did anyway, because he was such a humble man. We probably all have a relative who was a part of this Greatest Generation. But I do have a question... His separation paper shows that he received a few medals. One in particular states, "Asiatic Pacific Theatre Medal 1 Star." What does the "1 Star" mean? I do not have any of the actual medals. Knowing my dad, he probably threw them in a shoe box.