World War II Honoree

Earl John Ferguson

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Dallas, Texas

Honored By

Jewel Annette Fisher Ferguson

Relationship

Wife

INDUCTED AND CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY ON MAY 3, 1944. REPORTED TO THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FOR BOOT CAMP. SERVED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AND TRAINED FOR THE ELECTRICIAN’S MATE SPECIALTY AT THE NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL (ELECTRICAL) FOR 16 WEEKS AT SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BEGINNING IN JULY 1944. SELECTED FOR FURTHER TRAINING WITH THE SUBMARINE SERVICE. REASSIGNED IN DECEMBER 1944 TO SUBMARINE SCHOOL AT NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT. COMPLETED SUBMARINE TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION IN MARCH 1945. REASSIGNED TO THE NAVAL TRAINING STATION AT POINT LOMA AT SAN DIEGO ON MARCH 11, 1945 WHERE HE COMPLETED RADIO, SONAR AND RADAR OPERATORS SCHOOLS. PARTICIPATED IN MILITARY AND NAVAL EXERCISES OFF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO IN AN R-TYPE SUBMARINE BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED TO MARE ISLAND AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA IN MAY 1945. SAILED OVERSEAS ON A TROOP SHIP FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO PORT OF EMBARKATION IN JUNE 1945. ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII TO JOIN THE PACIFIC FLEET AND THEN SAILED ON TO SAMAR ISLAND AND TO THE SUBIC BAY SUBMARINE BASE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER. ASSIGNED BRIEFLY TO THE SUBMARINE TENDER USS ANTHEDON AS-24. REASSIGNED ABOARD THE SUBMARINE USS BUMPER SS-333 IN AUGUST 1945. DEPARTED ON HIS FIRST PATROL IN SEPTEMBER 1945 INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. HE WAS PART OF A LANDING PARTY ON THE SMALL ISLAND OF ITU ABA TO RECONNOITER THE JAPANESE WEATHER STATION AND STAGING AREAS LOCATED THERE. THE JAPANESE HAD EVACUATED THE ISLAND, ABANDONED THEIR FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AND LEFT BEHIND MUCH UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE. HIS SECOND PATROL WAS INTO THE WATERS ADJACENT TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS NEAR LEYTE. SAILED ABOARD THE USS BUMPER FOR THE U.S. ON JANUARY 7, 1946 VIA EN ROUTE ENIWETOK ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS AND PEARL HARBOR. ARRIVED AT SAN DIEGO ON FEBRUARY 4, 1946. ALTHOUGH THE WAR HAD ENDED, HE WAS RETAINED ON ACTIVE DUTY DUE TO THE SHORTAGE OF ELECTRICIAN’S MATES. DEPARTED SAN DIEGO ON MAY 6, 1946 BOUND FOR A NEW HOMEPORT AT PEARL HARBOR. ENGAGED IN TRAINING MISSIONS UNTIL HIS RETURN TO THE U.S. BY SHIP TO SAN FRANCISCO IN LATE MAY 1946. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF FIREMAN FIRST CLASS AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA ON JUNE 11, 1946. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. SERVED AFTER THE WAR AND WAS COMMISSIONED AN ENSIGN IN THE NAVAL RESERVE.