World War II Honoree

Ralph Conner Emert

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Honored By

Randy Emert

Relationship

Son

SERVED IN THE U.S NAVY UNDER ADMIRAL W. F. HALSEY'S 3RD FLEET AND WAS STATIONED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS HANCOCK CV-19 WHICH HAD COMBAT OPERATIONS IN OKINAWA, FORMOSA, PHILIPPINES, IWO JIMA, WAKE ISLAND, SOUTH CHINA SEA, AND JAPAN. THE USS HANCOCK WAS DAMAGED BY AN EXPLOSION JANUARY 21, 1945 AND DAMAGED BY A KAMIKAZE APRIL 7, 1945. AWARDED NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION, ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL WITH FIVE BATTLE STARS, AMERICAN AREA CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION CAMPAIGN RIBBON (TWO STARS), REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION BADGE. COMBAT OPERATIONS: DESTROYED 723 ENEMY PLANES, 17 WARSHIPS, SUNK 31 MERCHANT SHIPS, 10 ENEMY PLANES WERE DOWNED BY SHIPS GUNS. 221 SHIPMATES EITHER KILLED OR MISSING IN ACTION.