World War II Honoree

Ralph Frank Graves

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Rochester, New York

Honored By

Donna P. Graves

Relationship

Daughter

MOTOR MACHINIST'S MATE SECOND CLASS, ASSIGNED TO LCI 554 IN PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944. HE WAS STATIONED IN THE AFT ENGINE ROOM ABOARD HIS CRAFT. LANDED ON NORMANDY ABOUT 0830. FOLLOWING THE NORMANDY INVASION, THE SHIP WAS RESTOCKED IN ENGLAND AND LEFT FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. LATE JULY 1944 ENDED UP IN POZZUOLI, ITALY ABOUT 11 MILES NORTH OF NAPLES. THERE PREPARATIONS WERE MADE FOR THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. ON AUGUST 15, 1944 HE LANDED AT ST. TROPEZ. AFTER SOUTHERN FRANCE, THE SHIP WENT TO PALERMO, SICILY. IN PALERMO, SICILY, HE TRANSFERRED TO LCI 39 AS THE LCI 554 WAS HEADED BACK TO THE U.S. TO BE REFITTED FOR PACIFIC DUTY. HE WAS IN MARSEILLES ON MAY 8, 1945 WHEN THE GERMANS SURRENDERED. IN JUNE 1945, HE BEGAN THE TRIP TO RETURN STATESIDE TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. REST OF HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN THE NAVY WAS STATESIDE WITH PORTS OF CALL IN NEW ORLEANS AND HOUMA, LOUISIANA, AND BACK TO HOME PORT NORFOLK. THE LCI 39 WAS DECOMMISSIONED AND HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE LCI 38 UNTIL HE DISCHARGE IN TERMINAL ISLAND, CALIFORNIA ON MARCH 13, 1946. AWARDED THE FOLLOWING MEDALS: EUROPEAN-AFRICA-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.