World War II Honoree

Floyd Warren Reed

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Glencoe, Oklahoma

Honored By

Pamela Rippe

Relationship

Daughter

FLOYD ENTERED SERVICE WITH THE MERCHANT MARINES SERVING FROM 7/1943 TO 11/20/1945. HE WAS COMMISSIONED ENSIGN IN THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE, AND ALSO RECEIVED A 3RD ASSISTANT ENGINEERS LICENSE. HE SERVED ABOARD OCEANGOING SHIPS SAILING THROUGH WATERS OF THE ATLANTIC, PACIFIC, MEDITERRANEAN, GULF OF MEXICO,AND GULF OF ALASKA. THESE SHIPS TRANSPORTED GASOLINE, DIESEL FUEL AND AVAIATION FUEL AS WELL AS P-47, P-51 AND P-38 AIRPLANES STRAPPED TO THE DECK. HE SERVED AS OILER ON THE TANKERS AS WELL AS ENGINEER. THESE TRIPS OFTEN WERE IN CONVOYS OF 35-50 SHIPS AND SOMETIMES MORE AND INCLUDED TANKERS, CARGO, HOSPITAL, TROUP SHIPS AND LIGHT CRUISERS, WITH 10-15 DESTROYERS OR DESTROYER ESCORTS, AS THEY WERE TRAVELING IN ENEMY WATERS. ONE TRIP IN 1945, WHEN THE US WAS PREPARING FOR THE FINAL ATTACK ON JAPAN, WHEN THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SHIPS WAS BEING ASSEMBLED, FLOYD MADE A RUN FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS IN A CONVOY OF 12-15 TANKERS WITH A DESTROYER OR DESTROYER ESCORT FOR EACH TANKER, WHICH WAS AN UNHEARD OF RATIO. FLOYD MADE 9 TRIPS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, 1 TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND 1 TRIP TO THE PACIFIC, ENEWETOK, MARSHALL ISLANDS AND ULITHI, CAROLINA ISLANDS. FLOYD ALSO SERVED IN THE ARMY TRANSPORT SERVICE TAKING SUPPLIES TO TROOPS IN ALASKA. FLOYD RECIEVED HONORABLE DISCHARGES FROM THE MERCHANT MARINES, ARMY AND COAST GUARD.