World War II Honoree

Buford Merle Waln

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Holyoke, Colorado

Honored By

Family

Relationship

ENLISTED JUNE 9, 1939, RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING IN SAN DIEGO, CA. WAS LATER ASSIGNED TO USS MILWAUKEE, BASED IN HAWAII. SHORTLY BEFORE PEARL HARBOR, WAS SENT TO THE WEST COAST. THEN, WAS SENT EAST VIA PANAMA CANAL, FOR 1 YEAR ON PATROL DUTY BASED PORTS IN SOUTH AMERICA. IN MARCH, 1942, WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE SHIP IN PUERTO RICO TO THE USS YMS-23 IN NEW YORK. IN NOVEMBER, HIS SHIP WITH NUMEROUS OTHER SMALL CRAFTS, FORMED CONVOY AND SAILED FOR THE INVASION COAST OF AFRICA. AFTER 9 MONTHS IN CASA-BLANCA, WAS TRANSFERRED TO ALGERIA, WHERE HE SPENT FOUR MONTHS. WAS THEN FLOWN TO LONDON, WHERE HE JOINED THE FLAG OF THE NAVAL COMMANDER OF THE WESTERN TASK FORCE FOR THE INVASION OF FRANCE. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF INVASION, WAS SENT TO THE U.S., ARRIVING AUGUST 12, FOR REASSIGNMENT. WAS THEN STATIONED IN MIAMI, FLORIDA AT THE DADE COUNTY NAVAL BASE.