World War II Honoree

Charles R. Myers

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Phillipsburg, New Jersey

Honored By

Gary Myers

Relationship

Son

HE ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVY IN 1943. MOST OF HIS MILITARY TIME WAS SPENT ABOARD THE USS BENHAM IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. HE SAW A LOT OF ACTION. ON JUNE 17, 1944 THE USS BENHAM'S FIRST AIR ACTION WITH THE ENEMY OCCURRED WHEN 10-15 VALS AND JUDYS ENEMY AIRCRAFT ATTACKED THE ESCORT CARRIERS. THE USS BENHAM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN REPELLING THE ATTACK BY DOWNING 2 JUDYS. AGAIN ON JUNE 18-19 THE FORMATION WAS UNDER ATTACK BY FRANS AND ZEKES. ON AUGUST 29, 1944 THE USS BENHAM WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES AND SORTIED WITH THEM. AS SCREENING VESSEL FOR TASK GROUP 38 THE SHIP PARTICIPATED IN STRIKES ON MINDANAO, LUZON AND THE CENTRAL PHILIPPINES. DECEMBER 10, 1944 FOUND THE SHIP AGAIN AT SEA WITH TASK FORCE 38, EN ROUTE TO STRIKE THE PHILIPPINES AND SUPPORT THE LANDINGS ON MINDORO. OPERATIONS PROCEEDED NORMALLY WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT HEAVY WEATHER WAS ENCOUNTERED, CULMINATING IN THE TYPHOON ON DECEMBER 18, 1944. THE USS BENHAM WAS IN THE CENTER OF THE TYPHOON WITH THE WAVES STACK HIGH, THE WIND BLOWING AN ESTIMATED 100 KNOTS AND THE SHIP ROLLING CONSISTENTLY AT 40 DEGREES AS WELL AS SEVERAL 63 DEGREE ROLLS EXPERIENCED. ABANDONING ATTEMPTS TO FIND THE USS COWPENS CVL-25, THE SHIP AND HER CREW CONCENTRATED ON RIDING OUT THE STORM. THE NEXT 5 HOURS WERE MEMORABLE FOR ALL HANDS. IT WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE FOR PERSONNEL TO MAKE THEIR WAY FORWARD FROM AFT, ONE CREW MEMBER BEING LOST OVER THE SIDE IN AN ATTEMPT. WATER FLOODING THROUGH THE VENTILATORS SHORTED OUT THE SWITCHBOARDS IN THE ENGINE ROOMS, ALL RADAR WAS OUT FOR MOST OF THE TIME AND PERSONNEL IN ALL PARTS OF THE SHIP HAD TO BAIL OUT FREE WATER AND AT THE SAME TIME COMBAT THE EXTREME HEAT CAUSED BY LOSS OF POWER TO THE VENT FANS. AFTER THE WORST WAS OVER, THE SHIP MADE FOR THE RENDEZVOUS WITH THE REST OF THE TASK FORCE. THAT EVENING THE USS BENHAM PASSED THROUGH THE VICINITY OF THE DISASTER OF THE USS HULL DD-350 AND SPENT SEVERAL HOURS SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS. ON JANUARY 23, 1945 THE USS BENHAM ACCOMPANIED THE FAST CARRIERS ON PHOTOGRAPHIC MISSIONS TO OKINAWA, IWO JIMA AND BACK TO ULITHI WHERE PREPARATIONS WERE MADE FOR THE IWO JIMA INVASION. DURING HER OPERATIONS WITH THE FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES THE USS BENHAM RESCUED A TOTAL OF 23 PILOTS AND AIR CREWMEN WHO WERE FORCED TO MAKE WATER LANDINGS. ON AUGUST 28, 1945 THE USS BENHAM AGAIN DEPARTED FOR IWO JIMA AND RETURNED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1945 LOADED WITH MILLIONS OF YEN IN MILITARY CURRENCY. ON SEPTEMBER 2, ANCHORED IN TOKYO BAY JUST OFF THE PORT BOW OF THE USS MISSOURI BB-63, THE USS BENHAM HAD A CLOSE UP VIEW OF THE HISTORIC CEREMONIES OF MODERN TIMES: THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF JAPAN TO THE ALLIED POWERS AND THE OFFICIAL TERMINATION OF WWII.