Arlie enlisted into the U.S.Navy in April, 1944 at the age
of 21.
After basic training, Arlie was assigned to the U.S.S. Whitley,
AKA-91 in the South Pacific. The Whitley was a newly commissioned attack transport.
Arlie was a coxswain on a landing craft and he participated
in the landing of the 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima in the Spring
of 1945. Some of his duties were transporting wounded Marine’s off the island
to nearby hospital ships. He also loaded supplies to be taken to the island.
On the night of February
23-24, 1945 the Whitley experienced an attack on the ship by an unknown number
of Japanese aircraft, The Whitley’s anti-aircraft guns opened up with inconclusive
results.
Arlie made it back to the states safely and was discharged
in February, 1947 with the rank of Coxswain.
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