World War II Honoree

Melin Fiegel

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Cunningham, Kansas

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN 1944 AND WAS IMMEDIATELY SENT TO THE NAVAL TRAINING STATION AT FARRAGUT, IDAHO. AFTER COMPLETING TRAINING, HE WAS SENT TO THE PACIFIC FLEET RADIO SCHOOL AT PEARL HARBOR WHERE HE WAS TAUGHT MORSE CODE. HE WAS A RADIOMAN 3RD CLASS. HE SERVED ABOARD THE USS CATOCTIN, AGG#5, AN AMPHIBIOUS COMMAND SHIP. HE COPIED STATION NPM HONOLULU AND STATION NSS WASHINGTON 24 HOURS PER DAY. THE SHIP MADE SEVERAL TRIPS OUTSIDE PEARL HARBOR WHERE THEY HAD INTENSE GUNNERY PRACTICE WITH DRONES PULLED BY A PLANE. THEY WERE THEN SENT TO MAUI FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS WHERE THEY WERE NAMED AIR SUPPORT CONTROL UNIT #21. THEN CAME HIROSHIMA ON AUGUST 6, 1945, AND THE SHIP WENT BACK TO PEARL HARBOR AND THEN TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ON ITS WAY TO ITS HOME PORT OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS HE WAS THEN SENT TO CAMP PICKETT, VIRGINIA, WHERE THEY PRACTICED DIRECTING CARRIER AIRCRAFT TO NEARBY TARGETS. HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE NAVAL TRAINING STATION AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, IN JUNE 1946.