World War II Honoree

Eugene Casmire Dykas

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

New York City, New York

Honored By

Audrey L. Fuller

Relationship

Daughter

SEAMAN FIRST CLASS. SERVED FROM MARCH 4, 1943 TO JANUARY 21, 1947. TRAINED AT THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, ILLINOIS. WAS ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS BASE, WAIPIO, HAWAII. SERVED ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP USS NEW MEXICO BB-40, IN THE MARSHALL AND MARIANA ISLANDS, BOMBARDED KWAJELEIN 0N JANUARY, 31 1944 AND EBEYE ON FEBRUARY 2, 1944, REPLENISHED AT MAJURO, BLASTED WOTJE FEBRUARY 20, 1944 AND KAVIENG, NEW IRELAND MARCH 20, 1944, THEN ON TO SIDNEY, AUSTRALIA AND THE SOLOMONS. CONTINUED ON TO THE MARINAS TO TINIAN JUNE 14, 1944, TO SAIPAN JUNE 15, 1944 AND AND GUAM JUNE 16, 1944 AND THEN ESCORTED TRANSPORTS TO EINEWETOK; TRANSFERRED TO THE ATTACK CARGO SHIP, USS BELLATRIX AKA-3, WHICH DELIVERED THE 27TH INFANTRY DIVISION AND SUPPLIES TO THE BATTLE OF SAIPAN ON JULY 16, 1944; TO THE ESCORT AIRCRAFT CARRIER, USS SANTEE CVE-29, AN EX T-3 ESSO TANK SHIP, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, CREDITED WITH SHOOTING DOWN 31 JAPANESE PLANES AND SINKING ONE 5,000 TON AMMO SHIP, THEN RETURNED BACK TO PEARL HARBOR AND THE U.S. FOR DAMAGE REPAIRS; TRANSFERRED TO THE LANDING CRAFT INFANTRY MEDIUM, USS LCI(M)975 IN THE BATTLE FOR THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AT LEYTE IN JANUARY 1945; THE LANDING CRAFT INFANTRY GUNBOAT, USS LCI(G)760 AT IWO JIMA FEBRUARY 19-26, 1945 AND AT OKINAWA MARCH 26 TO JUNE 14, 1945 AND CONTINUED TO SERVED ABOARD THAT VESSEL AFTER V-E DAY FROM SEPTEMBER 18, 1945 TO APRIL 2, 1946, BASED IN NAGASAKI, FOR THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. AWARDED THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, THE NAVY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE CAMPAIGN STARS, THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL, THE NAVY OCCUPATION MEDAL AND THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL AS WELL AS THE 'RUPTURED DUCK' LAPEL BUTTON FOR HONORABLE SERVICE.