World War II Honoree

Karl Alt

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Effingham, Illinois

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

SWORN IN AT THE RECRUITING STATION IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND WAS SENT TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, FOR BASIC TRAINING. AT THE END OF HIS TRAINING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE NEWEST AND LARGEST BATTLESHIP IN THE U.S. FLEET AT THAT TIME, THE USS IOWA. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY ASSIGNED TO THE GASOLINE DETAIL ON THE SHIP. AFTER THE SHAKEDOWN CRUISE IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, HE RETURNED TO THE EAST COAST ABOARD THE USS IOWA. HE WAS A SHIP FITTER ONBOARD WHEN IT TRANSPORTED PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND STAFF TO THE PEACE CONFERENCE IN NORTH AFRICA. AFTER RETURNING THE PRESIDENT AND HIS STAFF TO THE EAST COAST, THE SHIP THEN PROCEEDED THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AND SAILED FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN, LINKED UP WITH THE THIRD FLEET AND ENGAGED IN THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND DURING THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA. HE WAS WITH THE USS IOWA AS IT SPEARHEADED A TOTAL OF 11 MAJOR ENGAGEMENTS BEFORE THE ATOMIC BOMB BROUGHT AN END TO JAPANESE RESISTANCE AND TO JAPAN’S UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER. FROM THE UPPER DECKS OF THE USS IOWA HE WITNESSED THE HISTORIC SIGNING OF THE PEACE TREATY ON THE MAIN DECK OF THE USS MISSOURI, SIGNIFYING THE END OF THE WAR WITH JAPAN. AFTER 3 1/2 YEARS, HE LEFT HIS SHIP IN BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, AND WENT TO THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL STATION AT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, FOR HIS HONORABLE DISCHARGE AS A SHIP FITTER FIRST CLASS.