World War II Honoree

Tad Godfrey

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Lansing, Michigan

Honored By

Alex B. Berry

Relationship

Nephew

HE ENLISTED JULY, 1940 AND TRAINED AT PARRIS ISLAND. TRANSFERRED TO SEA GOING STATUS IN ATLANTIC. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO ADMIRAL SHARP'S COMMAND(COMMANDER SERVICE FORCE ATLANTIC FLEET) HONORABLY DISCHARGED JANUARY 1943. APPOINTED TO NAVAL AIR TRAINING IN PENSACOLA FLORIDA JANUARY 1943, RECEIVED WINGS 10/1943 WAS RE-APPOINTED TO MARINE CORP AS SECOND LIEUTENANT. ASSIGNED AS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND TEST PILOT UNTIL SPRING 1944. TRANSFERRED TO EWA HAWAII VIA EL CENTRO CALIFORNIA AND THEN ASSIGNED AS STAFF PILOT TO GENERAL WOODS FOURTH MARINES, OKINAWA. IN AUGUST 1945 FLEW GENERAL WOODS AND STAFF TO OMURA NAVAL AIR BASE IN TOKYO JAPAN TO ACCEPT ITS SURRENDER. POINTS SYSTEM WAS INITIATED. HE HAD 84 POINTS. HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES AND WAS RELEASED FROM DUTY IN 1946.