World War II Honoree

Phillip Harris Wright

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Benton, Arkansas

Honored By

Stephen C. Wright

Relationship

Son

DRAFTED INTO THE U.S. NAVY, JANUARY, 1944. TRAINED AT THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL BASE NEAR CHICAGO, FOR 6 WEEKS. WAS THEN SHIPPED TO GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI WHERE HE WAS TRAINED AS A MACHINIST MATE, AND RECEIVED THE 2ND CLASS DESIGNATION. REPORTED TO DUTY IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. IN AUGUST 1944 AND ASSIGNED TO A Y-CLASS MINE SWEEPER, YMS-306. THE MINESWEEPER, WHICH FEATURED A WOODEN DECK AND HULL. BASED IN PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII AND OPERATED ALL OVER THE PACIFIC AS NEEDED. THESE SHIPS WERE SMALL, ONLY ABOUT 225 FEET, AND SINCE THEY DID NOT CARRY HEAVY ARMAMENT, THEY ALWAYS TRAVELED WITH LARGE CONVOYS OR WITH CRUISER AND DESTROYER PROTECTION. THE SHIP WAS WORKING IN THE ENIWETOK ATOLL AREA WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE NEWS THAT THE WAR WITH JAPAN WAS OVER. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN JANUARY 1946.