World War II Honoree

Bernard J. Huff

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

West Portal, New Jersey

Honored By

A Grateful American

HE PROUDLY SERVED WITH THE U.S. NAVY IN BOTH THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC THEATERS OF OPERATION. IN THE ARMED GUARD ON THE SS SEA QUAIL A MERCHANT MARINE TROOP SHIP WHICH TOOK HIM TO NAPLES, ITALY, SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND, LE HAVRE, FRANCE AND ALGERIA. HE WENT THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO THE PACIFIC TO CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, WASHINGTON STATE, THEN TO THE PACIFIC WITH A LOAD OF TROOPS, WHERE HE UNLOADED THEM AND MOVED OTHER TROOPS AND SEABEES TO DIFFERENT ISLANDS, SOME WERE SAIPAN, ENIWETOK, LEYTE AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. WHEN THE WAR ENDED IN EUROPE HE WENT BACK THROUGH THE CANAL TO MARSEILLES, FRANCE, PICKED UP MORE TROOPS AND WENT THROUGH THE CANAL AGAIN, THIS TIME TO OKINAWA, EAST OF IWO JIMA. WHEN THE WAR HAD ENDED THERE, HE TOOK TROOPS INTO TOKYO, JAPAN, UNLOADED THOSE TROOPS AND WENT TO YOKOHAMA AND YOKOSUKA AND BACK TO WASHINGTON WHERE HE LEFT THE SEA QUAIL AND RECEIVED 36 DAYS LEAVE. HE HAD TRAVELED WITH THE SEA QUAIL FOR 79,000 MILES. DURING SOME OF THOSE MILES HE CROSSED THE EQUATOR THREE TIMES. HE THEN REPORTED BACK TO DUTY AND WAS SENT TO SHOEMAKER, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE USS BOLIVAR APA-34. HE TRAVELED BACK THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL FOR THE FOURTH TIME AT WHICH TIME THE SHIP WAS DECOMMISSIONED AND HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE.