World War II Honoree

Alfred Douglas Pinkham

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Boothbay, Maine

Honored By

Sarah Sherman Brewer

Relationship

Friend

Drafted into the Navy in February of 1944, at the age of 18. He attended basic training in Sampson, New York and attended signalman school at the University of Chicago. Served with a Communication Control Team in the Pacific Theater during the war. He traveled from Treasure Island, California aboard the USS Madison to Honolulu, Hawaii. Then he and his outfit were flown into Guadalcanal by military air transport. He was part of a six-man team, and his duty was that of signalman, using flags and light flash signals. While on board ship, he and his team helped with operations, but if communications broke down ashore, they were sent in as an amphibious group. He also served on Okinawa for about 90 days aboard a patrol craft. Discharged from the Navy in September of 1945 at Yosemite National Park in California, after serving 1 year and 8 months. Awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal with two bronze stars and the Good Conduct Medal.