World War II Honoree

Arthur O. 'Art' Biehl

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Shelton, Washington

Honored By

LTC Charles T. Borg, USA-Ret.

SERVED FROM FEBRUARY 1943 TO JANUARY 1946 AS A CARPENTERS MATE IN THE SEABEES 87TH NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION, 'THE EARTHMOVERS,' BUILDING RUNWAYS AND NAVAL BASES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THE 87TH SHIPPED OUT TO GUADALCANAL IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS TO BUILD RUNWAYS CAPABLE OF HANDLING BOMBER AIRCRAFT WHICH ENABLED THE U.S. AIR FORCES TO STRIKE STRATEGIC JAPANESE TARGETS AS U.S. AIR, NAVAL, AND GROUND FORCES MOVED SLOWLY ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTH PACIFIC TOWARD JAPAN. ON STERLING ISLAND IN THE TREASURY ISLAND CHAIN THE 87TH MOVED ASHORE WITH THE 8TH NEW ZEALAND BRIGADE CLEARING JAPANESE DEFENDERS. IN NINETEEN DAYS, THEY CARVED OUT THE JUNGLE AND BUILT A RUNWAY CAPABLE OF HANDLING B-25 AIRCRAFT THUS ENABLING THE U.S. TO ELIMINATE THE KEY JAPANESE INSTALLATION AT RABAL, EAST OF NEW GUINEA. THEY ALSO BUILT A TORPEDO BOAT (PT BOAT) BASE FOR SURFACE INTERDICTION OF JAPANESE SHIPPING. DURING CONSTRUCTION THEY CAME UNDER FREQUENT JAPANESE BOMBING RAIDS. MOVING TO THE ISLAND OF OKINAWA WHILE IT WAS STILL BEING CLEARED OF JAPANESE DEFENDERS THE 87TH MOVED 375 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF CORAL BETWEEN 19 JUNE AND 19 JULY 1945 TO BUILD A RUNWAY FOR THE B-29 SUPER FORTRESS TO SUPPORT THE INVASION OF JAPAN. THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC ENDED IN SEPTEMBER 1945 AND THE INVASION OF JAPAN WAS CANCELED. HE WAS DISCHARGED AT BREMERTON NAVAL YARD IN JANUARY 1946. HE WAS AWARDED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.