World War II Honoree

Walter R. Greenwell

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Morganfield, Kentucky

Honored By

CPO Thomas E. Greenwell, USN (Ret)

Relationship

Brother

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVAL RESERVE AT THE AGE OF 17 AND REPORTED TO GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING STATION ON HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY. AFTER COMPLETION OF BOOT CAMP, HE WAS SELECTED FOR TRAINING AS A SIGNALMAN AND ATTENDED NAVY TRAINING SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. GRADUATED HIGH MAN IN A CLASS OF 64 AND WAS PROMOTED TO SIGNALMAN THIRD CLASS. AFTER FURTHER TRAINING AT ARMED GUARD CENTER PACIFIC, TREASURE ISLAND, NEAR SAN FRANCISCO, HE RECEIVED ORDERS TO REPORT ABOARD THE SS WILLIAM PEFFER, A LIBERTY SHIP, TO PERFORM SIGNALMAN DUTIES AS A MEMBER OF THE NAVY ARMED GUARD CREW. ON NOVEMBER 2, 1944, HE WENT ABOARD THE SS WILLIAM PEFFER AT ST. HELENS, OREGON. AFTER SAILING ALONE FOR 32 DAYS ON A ZIGZAG COURSE ACROSS THE PACIFIC WITH A CARGO OF LUMBER, THE SHIP REACHED FINSCHHAFEN, NEW GUINEA. IN LATE DECEMBER 1944, THE SS WILLIAM PEFFER JOINED A LARGE CONVOY OF SHIPS AT HOLLANDIA, NEW GUINEA FOR THE INVASION OF LINGAYEN GULF ON NORTHERN LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE NEXT CRUISE OF SS WILLIAM PEFFER WAS FROM TACOMA, WASHINGTON TO THE ISLAND OF GUAM WITH A CARGO OF TRUCKS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT. AFTER UNLOADING THAT CARGO, THE SS WILLIAM PEFFER WAS SENT TO THE RUSSELL ISLANDS, WHERE A COMPLETE FIELD HOSPITAL UNIT WAS PUT ABOARD. THE SHIP THEN PROCEEDED TO OKINAWA. AT THE TIME JAPAN SURRENDERED, SS WILLIAM PEFFER WAS ANCHORED IN BUCKNER BAY. HIS LAST FEW MONTHS IN THE NAVY WERE SERVED ABOARD THE USS FLINT CL-97, A LIGHT CRUISER, WHILE BEING DE-COMMISSIONED AT EVERETT, WASHINGTON. RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE NAVY IN MAY 1946.