World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Lundy Eldridge Cavender
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Idabel, Oklahoma
Honored By
Lundy Eldridge Cavender
SERVED ABOARD THE USS LOUISVILLE CA-28, SEPTEMBER 6, 1940 TO OCTOBER 5, 1944. EARNED TEN BATTLE STARS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA. RANK WAS CHIEF RADIOMAN. ON DECEMBER 26, 1940, THE USS LOUISVILLE WAS ANCHORED OFF BAHIA, BRAZIL AND RECEIVED SECRET ORDERS TO PROCEED TO SIMMONSTOWN, UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, ENTERING THE WAR ZONE AREA OF GERMAN U-BOATS. FOR THIS ENTIRE CRUISE, WE WERE IN RADIO SILENCE. ARRIVED AT SIMMONSTOWN ON JANUARY 6, 1941 AND THE SHIP WAS LOADED WITH GOLD (CHURCHILL'S GOLD). TWENTY-TWO DAYS WERE SPENT ON THE SEAS BEFORE SAILING IN TO NEW YORK, HAVING TRAVELLED 6,786 MILES NON-STOP AND IN RADIO SILENCE. ON DECEMBER 8, 1941, TWO DAYS AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE TORRES STRAITS, BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA, THE USS LOUISVILLE RECEIVED A PLAIN LANGUAGE MESSAGE THAT PEARL HARBOR HAD BEEN ATTACKED. PARTICIPATED IN TEN BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS WHILE SERVING ON THE LOUISVILLE; PACIFIC RAIDS, MARSHALL GILBERT FEBRUARY 1, 1942; CAPTURE AND DEFENSE OF GUADALCANAL AUGUST 1942 TO FEBRUARY 1943; RENNEL ISLAND JANUARY 29, 1943; ALEUTIAN OPERATIONS, ATTU OCCUPATION, MARCH TO JUNE 1943; MARSHALL ISLANDS, KWAJALEIN AND MAJURO ATOLLS, ENIWETOK ATOLL, MARCH TO APRIL 1944; ASIATIC-PACIFIC RAIDS, PALAU, YAP, ULITHI, WOLEAI, TRUK, SATAWAN, PONAPE, MARCH TO APRIL 1944; HOLLANDIA OPERATIONS, APRIL TO JUNE 1944; MARIANA ISLANDS OPERATION, CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION OF SAIPAN AND CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION OF GUAM; TINIAN CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION, JULY TO AUGUST 1944; WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS OPERATIONS, CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION OF PELELIU ISLAND IN THE PALAU ISLAND GROUP, AUGUST TO OCTOBER 1944. ON OCTOBER 5, 1944, TRANSFERRED TO INSTRUCTOR TRAINING SCHOOL, NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, SAN DIEGO. ATTENDED CENTRAL SIGNAL CORPS SCHOOL, CAMP CROWDER, MISSOURI, FOR TELETYPE SCHOOL, FOLLOWING WHICH WAS SENT TO SAN DIEGO NAVAL TRAINING CENTER. WAS THE FIRST SENIOR RADIOMAN IN ESTABLISHING THE U.S. NAVY'S FIRST TELETYPE SCHOOL.