World War II Honoree

Thomas Wayland Currah

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Shoshoni, Wyoming

Honored By

Mitch, Dan, Roger, Mark, Tom & Dee

Relationship

Sons

ENLISTED MARCH, 1943 IN LANDER, WYOMING. HE WAS SENT FROM IDAHO TO AMES IOWA FOR DIESEL SCHOOL, THEN TO SOLOMON, MARYLAND FOR AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING. FROM MARYLAND HE WENT TO BOSTON, TO PUT LCS-15 IN COMMISSION AND SAILED FROM BOSTON THROUGH PANAMA CANAL TO SAN DIEGO. FROM SAN DIEGO THEY WERE ORDERED TO WESTLOCK, NEAR HICKAM FIELD, HONOLULU. THEY THEN SAILED TO TULAGI AND ON TO ULITHI ATOLL WHERE 3,000 SHIPS WERE AMASSED FOR THE INVASION OF OKINAWA. THEY INVADED OKINAWA ON 1 APRIL 1945. DURING PICKET DUTY ON 22 APRIL, 1945 LCS-15 WAS SUNK BY A KAMIKAZE. HE WAS AMONG SURVIVORS RESCUED BY THE WICKES AND THE VAN VALKENURG, THEN RETURNED STATESIDE ABOARD THE INTREPID.