Honor Flight DFW profiles and interviews

Junior entered the U.S.Navy on November 4, 1940 in Whitesboro Texas at the age of 18.

After basic training, Junior was assigned to the USS Boise (CL-47.)

The Boise had the somewhat unusual distinction of serving in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

On December 7, 1941, as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the Boise was in the waters around the Philippines Islands off Cebu Island. Junior’s job on the ship was as a gun duty/damage control officer. The Boise was there as the Japanese attacked the Philippines on December 8^th.

During the battle of Guadalcanal in September 1942, the Boise participated in the first night naval battle of WWII. Called the Battle of Cape Esperance it was a fierce and hotly contested fight in total darkness where the opposing ships largely were firing at each other’s muzzle blasts in an area later to be called “Iron Bottom Sound,” since so many ships were sunk there. Radar was not an exact science and naval personnel did not entire trust the new invention, so the fire control officers relied on their limited night vision. The Americans had a slight edge in the new radar technology however, but in this battle, more American ships were sunk than Japanese. The Boise however was credited in sinking six Japanese warships off Savo Island.  The Boise sustained heavy damage however, and was hit in the ships magazine killing everyone near her number 1, 2, and 3 turrets. The ship pulled out of the battle licking its wounds and caring for the wounded.

The Boise was then sent to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive repairs until March 1943.

At this point the Boise was sent to the Mediterranean. She participated in the Invasion of Sicily, Taranto, and Salerno Italy.

The Boise then returned to the Pacific and participated in many engagements including the return to the Philippines by American forces in the Leyte invasion on October 1944, and the Lingayen Gulf landings in late 1944.

 Junior was awarded the American Defense medal, the WWII Victory medal, Asiatic-Pacific w/ 3 stars, Philippine Liberation and defense medal, and the good conduct medal.

Junior did not get out of the Navy and elected to join the reserves. He retired from the Navy after a distinguished career on June 23, 1982