World War II Honoree

Alvin W. Opheim

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Red Lake Falls, Minnesota

Honored By

Joan Pauley & Wanda Browne

SERVED AS CAPTAIN ON SS MARCUS DALY. RECEIVED DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL DECEMBER 10, 1944; HIS SHIP RECEIVED THE GALLANT SHIP PLAQUE. LOADED WITH TROOPS AND VITAL WAR MATERIAL FOR THE INITIAL PHILIPPINE ISLANDS INVASION AT TACLOBAN, LEYTE; ACTED AS ONE ON THE PRINCIPAL DEFENDERS OF THE PORT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THROUGH HER ACCURATE GUNFIRE, ENEMY ATTACKS WERE REPEATEDLY REPULSED AND MANY PLANES BROUGHT DOWN. DURING 6 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF INCESSANT FIGHTING, HER TROOPS WERE LANDED AND CARGO SUCCESSFULLY DISCHARGED. ON A SUBSEQUENT ARRIVAL IN THE PHILIPPINES 2 MONTHS LATER, HIS SHIP WAS AGAIN ATTACKED BY ENEMY BOMBERS, ONE OF WHICH, ALTHOUGH DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE, CRASHED AND EXPLODED ON THE FORWARD DECK, WITH RESULTING FIRES, WRECKAGE AND OVER 200 DEAD AND INJURED TROOPS AND CREW MEMBERS. IN THIS MAJOR EMERGENCY, HE SKILLFULLY MANEUVERED HIS VESSEL AND DIRECTED HIS WELL-TRAINED CREW IN RENDERING FIRST AID, EXTINGUISHING FIRES AND CLEARING THE WRECKAGE. HIS OUTSTANDING COURAGE, LEADERSHIP AND UTTER DISREGARD FOR PERSONAL DANGER WERE MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SAVING MANY LIVES AND THE VITALLY NEEDED SHIP AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE. IN OCTOBER 1944, THE SS MARCUS DALY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST U.S. MERCHANT SHIPS TO DOCK AT TACLOBAN, LEYTE, DURING THE INITIAL INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES. FOR 6 DAYS AND NIGHTS, HER GUNS, MANNED BY A SKILLFUL AND COURAGEOUS CREW, DEFEATED VIGOROUS ATTACKS BY ENEMY PLANES IN A SERIES OF HEROIC ACTIONS. IN DECEMBER 1944, SHE AGAIN ENGAGED ENEMY BOMBERS AND SUICIDE PLANES AND EMERGED VICTORIOUS. THE STARK COURAGE OF HER STALWART CREW AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS CAUSED HER NAME TO BE PERPETUATED AS A GALLANT SHIP.