World War II Honoree

Wesley James Crone

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Chatanooga, Tennessee

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

HE JOINED THE US NAVY IN 1942. HIS TOUR OF DUTY INCLUDED SERVICE ABOARD THE USS BROADBILL, A FLEET MINE SWEEPER. IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE THEY DID SUBMARINE PATROL AND CONVOY ESCORT DUTY FROM THE NORTH SEA TO THE CARIBBEAN. IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE THEY SWEPT FOR THE ALLIED INVASION FORCE ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. HE RECEIVED TWO STARS, THE EUROPEAN THEATRE RIBBON AND A UNIT CITATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE NORMANDY. INVASION. THEY SWEPT FOR THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS AND THREE CRUISERS TO TAKE OUT THE ELEVEN-INCH SHORE BATTERIES GUARDING THE CITY OF CHERBOURG. THEY SWEPT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND FOR THE SOUTHERN FRANCE INVASION WHICH EARNED HIM ANOTHER STAR. THE MINE SWEEPING SQUAD RECEIVED A UNIT CITATION AT THE END OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR OF DUTY DURING WHICH TIME THEY SWEPT 57 MINES. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO SAN DIEGO WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A SHIP THAT WAS PREPARED FOR LAUNCHING ROCKETS IN AN ANTICIPATED INVASION OF JAPAN. AFTER 4 YEARS SERVICE HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AS A PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS SHORTLY AFTER THE PEACE TREATY WAS SIGNED.