World War II Honoree

Roy Seldei Whitcomb

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Demopolos, Alabama

Honored By

James O. Travis

Relationship

Veteran

SERVED IN THE US NAVY DURING WWII. ENLISTED JUNE 1936 AS A SEAMAN RECRUIT. SERVED (1936-1941) ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LEXINGTON (CV-2, FORMERLY CC-1)IN THE PACIFIC. ENTERED 1941 NAVAL FLIGHT TRAINING AS AN ENLISTED PILOT. GRADUATED 1942 AS ONE OF THE US NAVY'S 'SILVER EAGLES' ENLISTED PILOTS. COMMISSIONED 1943 AS A LTJG. FLEW THE MARTIN PBM MARINER AIRCRAFT WITH BOMBING SQUADRON VP-74 CONDUTING ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE IN THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC. ON 19 JULY 1943, PILOTING THE PBM NAMED THE 'NICKLE BOAT' OFF THE COAST OF RIO DE JANERIO, BRAZIL ATTACKED WITH MACHINE GUNS AND DEPTH CHARGES AND SANK GERMAN SUBMARINE U-513. U-513S SKIPPER WAS KAPITANLEUTANT ZUR SEE FRITZ GUGGENBERGER WHO HAD SUNK THE BRITISH AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMS ARK ROYAL IN NOVEMBER 1941. AWARDED DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS (SINKING U-513), AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH FOREIGN SERVICE CLASP, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH ONE BRONZE SERVICE STAR (ANTI-SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN), ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH ONE BRONZE BATTLE STAR (CENTRAL PACIFIC), WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.