World War II Honoree

Atwood Lewis Pinkston

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Center, Texas

Honored By

Don Walker

Relationship

Grandson

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVY IN AUGUST 1941. SERVED ON USS HONOLULU AND AT PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7TH IN WHICH HIS SHIP WAS STRUCK TWICE. AFTER SERVING MORE THAN A YEAR ON THE HONOLULU, ATTENDED OFFICERS CANDIDATE TRAINING AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED HIS COMMISSION AS ENSIGN AND ASSIGNED TO THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ENTERPRISE AS SIGNAL OFFICER. SERVED IN GILBERT AND MARSHALL ISLANDS, NEW GUINEA, TRUK, SAIPAN, PALAU, PHILIPPINES, SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, TOKYO, IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA. AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL CITATION, AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC RIBBON WITH 11 BATTLE STARS, THE AMERICAN AREA RIBBON AND THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL WITH TWO STARS. WHEN USS ENTERPRISE WAS STRUCK ON MAY 14, 1945, HE WAS SERVING AS FLAG LIEUTENANT AND PERSONAL AID TO VICE ADMIRAL MARC MITSCHER.