Fay enlisted into the U.S. Navy on June 24, 1942 at the age
of 17.
After basic training, Fay went to advanced training in the
Navy’s Mine Warfare School in Yorktown, Virginia.
After this training, he was transferred to the destroyer
U.S.S. Preston, DD-379, and sailed to the South Pacific.
That Fall the Preston was heavily engaged for the battle for
the Solomon Islands that included Guadalcanal. During what was called the
Battle for Savo Island, the Preston was hit by a Japanese torpedo at about 23:00
hours on November 14, 1942. The ship sank quickly, with Fay being among the
survivors. There were about 120 sailors lost from the Preston. Fay spent 14
hours in the oil soaked sea before being rescued.
Fay was then transferred to the ammunition ship, U.S.S.
Sangay. The Sangay was the ship that was involved in the situation in San Francisco
where African-American sailors refused to load ammunition onto the ship.
Civilian longshoremen had to be brought in to finally load the ship.
The Sangay was involved in several actions, including the
invasion of the island of Peleliu in September, 1944.
Fay was among many who received a commendation from the navy
for the hard work on the island of New Caledonia from December, 1942 to
November, 1943 for assembling hundreds of mines for the Navy.
Fay was discharged from the Navy on December 8, 1945 with
the rank of Mineman, 1st Class.
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