World War II Honoree

Marvin Edward Williams

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Dawson, Alabama

Honored By

Pamela M. Pedersen

Relationship

Daughter

JOINED THE US NAVY AT 17. HE WAS SENT TO BAINBRIDGE, MARYLAND FOR 5 WEEKS OF BASIC TRAINING BEFORE BEING SENT TO ADVANCED SEAMAN TRAINING IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE USS NEMASKET AOG-10, AS PART OF THE INAUGURAL CREW, WHEN SHE WAS COMMISSIONED OUT OF NEW ORLEANS ON JUNE 16, 1944. THE USS NEMASKET WAS ONE OF THE FEW TANKERS THAT SUPPLIED THE AREA IN CAMPAIGNS AT SAIPAN, GUAM, TINEAN AND ANGARA AND FUELED THE B-24'S THAT LIBERATED THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THE USS NEMASKET SAILED INTO IWO JIMA WHERE SHE REFUELED THE LANDING CRAFT AND HE WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING THROUGH THE SHIP'S 'LONG GLASS' AS THE FLAGS WERE RAISED ON MT. SURIBACHI. THEY ALSO TOOK PART IN THE CHINA LIBERATION AND THE SHIP HAD ALREADY REFUELED AND WAS WAITING IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, WHERE THE CRUISER USS LEXINGTON WAS SUNK BY THE JAPANESE TO SHIP OUT TO FRENCH INDOCHINA; VIETNAM WHEN THE BOMB WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI AND THE WAR SUBSEQUENTLY ENDED. HE WAS REPATRIATED TO OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE WAS DISCHARGED AS SEAMAN 1ST CLASS IN FEBRUARY, 1944 AFTER SERVING HIS COUNTRY FOR A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS.