World War II Honoree

R. T. Edwards

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Hanceville, Alabama

Honored By

Floyd Fan Veterans Home & Lauren Anderson, War Veterans Madison County

LEFT BIRMINGHAM FOR CAMP PERRY, VIRGINIA. AFTER TRAINING, HE SHIPPED OUT TO HAWAII ABOARD A TROOP TRANSPORT VIA THE PANAMA CANAL. THIS WAS A SEAGOING TUGBOAT THAT TOWED BARGES. ONE THAT THEY TOWED WAS ON FIRE. THE WOOD-BURNING TUGBOATS COULD GO WHERE OTHERS COULD NOT. ONCE WHILE OUT TO SEA, THE TAIL SHAFT BROKE NEAR A JAPANESE HELD ISLAND. THE TUGBOAT RAN AGROUND AND HAD TO BE PULLED BACK OUT TO DEEPER WATER. THE JAPANESE WERE ALL OVER THE ISLAND. LATER THE AMERICANS RE-TOOK IT. THEY WERE ORDERED TO ALASKA BUT FOUL WEATHER FORCED THEM SOUTH. THEY CROSSED THE EQUATOR AND INTERNATIONAL DATELINE. TEMPERATURES WERE OFTEN 120 DEGREES BELOW DECK.