World War II Honoree

John Enoch Pond, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Berkeley, California

Honored By

John Enoch Pond III

Relationship

Nephew

CHIEF ENGINEER, ON THE USS ALABAMA BB-60. SERVED AS AN ENGINEER OFFICER OF USS LAMSON DD-367 WHICH WAS AT SEA OFF MIDWAY ISLAND WITH THE USS LEXINGTON CV-2 TASK FORCE WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED. HIS WIFE WAS AT FORT ARMSTRONG, HONOLULU, DURING THE ATTACK AND WAS EVACUATED TO THE MAINLAND SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PEARL HARBOR, THE LAMSON PROCEEDED TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC WHERE SHE BECAME PART OF THE ANZAC SQUADRON COMPOSED OF AUSTRALIAN, NEW ZEALAND AND U.S. SHIPS. CAPTAIN, THEN A FULL LIEUTENANT, WAS DETACHED FROM THE LAMSON IN SUVA, FIJI, ON FEBRUARY 25, 1942 WITH ORDERS TO REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONING DETAIL OF USS BANCROFT DD-256 AS PROSPECTIVE ENGINEER OFFICER. BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF TIME AND DIFFICULTY TRAVELING FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC BACK TO THE U.S. IN THE EARLY PART OF THE WAR, THE CAPTAIN WAS UNABLE TO GET TO THE USS BANCROFT BEFORE THAT SHIP WAS COMMISSIONED AND DEPLOYED. ORDERS WERE CHANGED AND ON APRIL 13, 1942 REPORTED TO NORFOLK NAVY YARD FOR DUTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE FITTING OUT AND COMMISSIONING OF USS ALABAMA BB-60. USS ALABAMA BB-60 WAS COMMISSIONED AUGUST 16, 1942 AND JOINED THE FLEET IN 1943. IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF THAT YEAR SHE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS PROTECTING THE NORTH ATLANTIC SUPPLY ROUTES AND IN OPERATIONS WITH THE BRITISH HOME FLEET, INCLUDING THE NORWAY INVASION FEINT. IN THE FALL OF 1943 THE USS ALABAMA WAS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS OPERATIONS INCLUDING THE OCCUPATION AND CAPTURE OF THE GILBERT ISLANDS AND BOMBARDMENT OF NARU. DURING 1944 AS A MEMBER OF THE 3RD AND 5TH FLEETS, THE USS ALABAMA PARTICIPATED IN ALL THE MAJOR NAVAL ENGAGEMENTS AGAINST THE JAPANESE. IN NOVEMBER 1944, AFTER STEAMING OVER 175,000 MILES, CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE AND THE 180TH MERIDIAN 6 TIMES, THE EQUATOR 24 TIMES, THE USS ALABAMA RETURNED TO BREMERTON, WASHINGTON FOR AN OVERHAUL. USS ALABAMA BB-60 REJOINED THE 3RD AND 5TH FLEETS IN APRIL 1945 FOR THE DRIVE FROM THE PHILIPPINES UP THROUGH OKINAWA TO JAPAN AND THE SURRENDER. BY THE END OF THE WAR WAS A FULL COMMANDER AND CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE USS ALABAMA. HE WAS DETACHED FEBRUARY 28, 1946 WITH ORDERS TO REPORT TO THE GENERAL LINE SCHOOL, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN ENGINEERING.