World War II Honoree

John F. Geary

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Hudson, Massachusetts

Honored By

Charles B. Church, III

ENTERED THE UNITED STATES NAVY FROM HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS IN 1942.BASIC TRAINING IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. SENT TO ELECTRICIAN'S MATE SCHOOL AT MOREHEAD STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE IN KENTUCKY. THEN ASSIGNED TO USS WAKE ISLAND, CVE-65, AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, IN BREMERTON, WASHINGTON AS PART OF ITS COMMISSIONING CREW. TRANSITED TO THE EAST COAST TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. THEN TO RECIFE, BRAZIL, MADAGASCAR, AND CARACHI, INDIA TO DELIVER 30 FM-2 WILDCAT AIRPLANES. THEN BACK TO NORFOLK TO TAKE ON A LOAD OF BOMBER AIRCRAFT TO BE USED AS SUBMARINE PATROL IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC. THEN BACK TO NORFOLK AND QUONSIT POINT, RHODE ISLAND. SANK ONE SUBMARINE. QUALIFIED PILOTS TO LAND AND TAKE OFF FROM AIRCRAFT CARRIER. BACK THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO SAN DIEGO, HAWAII, AND ON TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC TO PALAU, LINGAYEN GULF. ASSISTED 6TH ARMY AT THE INVASION OF MANILA IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ON TO IWO JIMA CARRYING THE VOC-1 SQUADRON. ON PATROL NEAR OKINAWA, WAS ATTACKED BY KAMIKAZE'S. ONE ATTACK PLANE'S BOMB RIPPED A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE SHIP. NO ONE WAS KILLED. PROCEEDED TO KERRO RETTO AND ON TO GUAM INTO DRYDOCK FOR REPAIRS THEN BACK TO OKINAWA. THAT SHIP WAS DECOMMISSIONED IN SAN DIEGO. WAS AWARDED THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL, THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BATTLE STAR, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BATTLE STARS, AND THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL. AS AN ELECTRICIANS MATE FIRST CLASS RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE IN 1946 AND REMAINED IN THE NAVY RESERVES.