World War II Honoree

Jerome Emanuel Giambra

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Brooklyn, New York

Honored By

Ellen L. Halladay

Relationship

Friend

PEARL HARBOR VOLUNTEER; ENLISTED JUST AFTER THE ATTACK. WENT TO BOOT CAMP IN JANUARY 1942 AND THEN TO TORPEDO SCHOOL. SERVED AS TORPEDOMAN ON USS SAN JUAN CL-54, AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT CRUISER AND PARTICIPATED IN BATTLES IN GUADALCANAL AND THE GILBERT, SOLOMON AND SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS, WHERE THE SHIP SURVIVED A BOMB HIT THROUGH ITS STERN. RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN THE FALL 1943 AND ATTENDED ADVANCED TORPEDO SCHOOL BEFORE JOINING THE CREW OF THE FLETCHER-CLASS DESTROYER USS MONSSEN DD-798 AS A PLANK OWNER. HE SERVED FOR 2 YEARS ON SHIPS AS A TORPEDOMAN, FROM 1943 TO 1946. THE SHIP WAS PART OF DESTROYER SQUADRON 54; IT BECAME AT TIMES PART OF THE 3RD, 5TH AND 7TH FLEETS. PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASIONS OF SAIPAN AND TINIAN, GUAM, PALAU, THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA (THE 'MARIANAS TURKEY SHOOT'), THE INVASIONS AT LEYTE GULF, LINGAYEN GULF, IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA AND OPERATIONS AGAINST JAPAN AND THE KURILE ISLANDS. HE WAS ABOARD THE USS MONSSEN DURING ITS MOST DARING ACTION, A TORPEDO RUN AGAINST THE ONCOMING JAPANESE FLEET IN SURIGAO STRAIT IN THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF ON OCTOBER 25, 1944. THE SHIP FIRED 10 TORPEDOES WHICH HELPED THE SQUADRON INFLICT SEVERE DAMAGE ON THE ENEMY. IF THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT COULD BE OUTDONE, THE USS MONSSEN AND HER CREW DID JUST THAT, BY REVERSING THEIR COURSE AND COMING OUT OF THE BATTLE ARENA UNSCATHED, A NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT FOR A SURFACE SHIP. HE RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE COMMANDER OF THE 3RD AMPHIBIOUS FORCE, VICE ADMIRAL T. S. WILKINSON, COMMENDING HIS SERVICE AS A TORPEDO DIRECTOR TRAINER DURING THIS BATTLE. THE SHIP SURVIVED KAMIKAZE AND OTHER AIR ATTACKS, DOWNED JAPANESE PLANES, RETRIEVED U.S. PILOTS FROM THE SEA, PERFORMED MINESWEEPING DUTIES, DEPTH CHARGED JAPANESE SUBMARINES, SINKING ONE OF THEM, AND WAS EVER VIGILANT SERVING IN RADAR PICKET STATIONS, ALL WHILE PROTECTING THE NAVY'S CARRIERS. THE SHIP RETURNED TO SAN FRANCISCO IN OCTOBER 1945, WHERE HE GOT OFF. HE TRAVELED CROSS COUNTRY AND WAS DISCHARGED AT LIDO BEACH, NEW YORK ON NOVEMBER 11, 1945 AS A TORPEDOMAN'S MATE 1ST CLASS.