World War II Honoree

Ervin Rea Chamberlain

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Roff, Oklahoma

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

IN SEPTEMBER 1943, HE APPLIED FOR A COMMISSION IN THE U.S. NAVY. HIS COMMISSION CAME THROUGH AND HE REPORTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IN TUCSON FOR TWO MONTHS OF INDOCTRINATION AS A NAVAL OFFICER. AFTER FINISHING INDOCTRINATION HE RECEIVED ORDERS TO REPORT TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY FOR TRAINING IN COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH LASTED FOUR MONTHS, THE LAST MONTH BEING DEVOTED TO NAVY AIR SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS. HE RECEIVED ORDERS TO PROCEED TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WHERE HE WAS AMONG TEN OF HIS GROUP HELD IN A POOL AWAITING OVERSEAS ORDERS. HE WAS ORDERED TO NEW YORK FOR TRANSPORTATION TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. HE REPORTED TO THE COMMANDER OF THE 8TH AMPHIBIOUS GROUP AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE ADMIRAL’S STAFF AS A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER. THE ADMIRAL’S FLAGSHIP WAS THE US COAST GUARD SHIP DUANE. THEY TRANSPORTED ARMY AIRPLANES AS WELL AS NAVY PERSONNEL TO CASABLANCA WITH FURTHER TRANSPORT BY CARGO PLANES AND TRAIN TO BIZERTE, TUNISIA. AFTER THE BEACHES OF SOUTHERN FRANCE WERE SECURED, THEIR 8TH AMPHIBIOUS GROUP MOVED ABOUT HALF OF THE CANADIAN ARMY FROM THE BATTLEFRONT IN ITALY TO SOUTHERN FRANCE. WHILE OVERSEAS HE WAS PROMOTED TO NAVY LIEUTENANT WITH TWO FULL STRIPES. WHEN THE WAR IN EUROPE WAS OVER, THEIR FLAGSHIP RETURNED TO THE U.S. AND DOCKED AT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. ON V-J DAY HE WAS ON THE TRAIN TO REPORT TO SAN DIEGO AT THE AMPHIBIOUS BASE. IN SAN DIEGO THE ADMIRAL’S STAFF STAYED INTACT, BUT THEN WAS BROKEN UP AND HE RETURNED TO NEW ORLEANS. THEN HE SERVED AT THE SOUTH NAVY BASE IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AS A STATISTICS OFFICER UNTIL HE HAD ENOUGH POINTS TO BE SEPARATED AT THE OFFICER’S SEPARATION CENTER IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.