World War II Honoree

Willie Earl 'Cantalope' Cunningham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Jennings, Florida

Honored By

CMSgt Frederick E. White USAF (Ret)

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PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY IN JANUARY 1943. SENT TO CAMP CROFT, SOUTH CAROLINA FOR BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING. ORDERED TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AND PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT AGAINST THE JAPANESE FORCES ON GUADALCANAL, NEW GEORGIA AND VELLA LAVELLA. RETURNED TO THE REDISTRIBUTION CENTER AT MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA; LEFT FOR CAMP BLANDING, FLORIDA FOR MUSTERING OUT OF THE U.S. ARMY. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE AND THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL.