World War II Honoree

Paul B. Fink

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

Honored By

Rufus B. Fink

Relationship

Brother

ENLISTED IN THE NAVY OCTOBER 1943 FOR A MINORITY TERM (THREE YEARS) AND REPORTED TO U.S. NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, BAINBRIDGE, MARYLAND FOR BOOT TRAINING. APTITUDE TESTS IN BOOT CAMP QUALIFIED HIM FOR AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE TRAINING, WHICH HE RECEIVED AFTER BOOT CAMP AT NAVY PIER, CHICAGO, AND NAVAL AIR TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. THIS TRAINING INCLUDED RADAR SCHOOL. WHILE AT NORMAN HE VOLUNTEERED TO BE AN AIR CREWMAN, AND RECEIVED THAT TRAINING AT YELLOW WATER GUNNERY SCHOOL IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. HE RECEIVED OPERATIONAL TRAINING AS CREW CHIEF AND GUNNER ON THE PBY (CATALINA), THE PB4Y-1 (B-24), AND THE PB4Y-2ÕS AT NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, AND NAVAL AIR STATION HUTCHINSON, KANSAS. COMPLETING PREPARATION FOR COMBAT AT NAVAL AIR STATION SAN DIEGO AND NAVAL AIR STATION KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO VP-102 AT ITS OPERATIONAL BASE AT AGANA NAVAL AIR STATION, GUAM. FROM AGANA HE FLEW TO DETACHMENTS AT TINIAN, PALAU AND IWO JIMA, DOING SEARCH AND RESCUE, TYPHOON SEARCH, INSECT SRAYING OF ISLANDS, AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR WIDELY-SCATTERED TROOPS. WHILE HE WAS AT GUAM THE WAR ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945 WITH HIM NEVER FLYING A COMBAT MISSION. CREW CHIEF PAUL FINK WAS DISCHARGED AS AN AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE 1ST CLASS IN DECEMBER 1946 AT TREASURE ISLAND, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.