World War II Honoree

Harold Leon Alexander, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Honored By

H. Leon Alexander, Jr.

Relationship

Son

HIS ACTIVE SERVICE BEGAN ON MAY 4, 1945 WHEN HE WAS SENT TO THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING CENTER IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. AFTER BASIC TRAINING, HE TRAVELED BY TRAIN TO CAMP ELLIOT AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AND IN EARLY AUGUST OF 1945 WAS PUT ON A APA TROOP SHIP BOUND FOR SAMARA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, WHICH TOOK ABOUT 2 WEEKS. HE WAS FIRST ASSIGNED TO THE BATTLE-HARDENED USS WASATCH AGC-9, A 459 FOOT MOUNT MCKINLEY CLASS AMPHIBIOUS FORCE COMMAND SHIP, AND THE FLAGSHIP OF AMPHIBIOUS GROUP 8 OF THE PACIFIC FLEET AS AN ORDERLY ON REAR ADMIRAL NOBLES STAFF. ONCE ABOARD THEY SAILED TO THE ISLAND OF BORNEO WHERE THEY ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE OF BORNEO. AFTER THE BATTLE OF BORNEO, A NUMBER OF CAPTURED JAPANESE OFFICERS WERE BROUGHT ON BOARD SHIP AS PRISONERS OF WAR. THEY SAILED NEXT TO MANILA BAY, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEEN LIBERATED IN 1944, THE BAY WAS STILL LITTERED WITH DAMAGED AND DESTROYED SHIPS. THEY WERE STATIONED IN MANILA FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE SAILING TO SAMAR ON LEYTE, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. WHILE HE WAS STATIONED AT SAMAR, THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC ENDED ON AUGUST 14, 1945. HOWEVER, USING THE CONTINGENCY PLANS TO INVADE JAPAN, AMPHIBIOUS GROUP 8 OF THE PACIFIC FLEET SAILED FOR JAPAN AND LANDED THERE ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1945 AT NAGOYA, JAPAN AND LATER YOKOHAMA, JAPAN TO BECOME PART OF THE ALLIED OCCUPATION FORCES. BY OCTOBER 27, 1945, THEY HAD REACHED TOKYO, JAPAN. AFTER LEAVING JAPAN, THEY SAILED TOWARD CHINA, AND ON NOVEMBER 10, 1945 THEY LANDED AT TIENTSIN, CHINA. UPON HIS ARRIVAL AT TIENTSIN, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE USS BLUE RIDGE, AGC-2, A 459 FOOT COMMUNICATIONS SHIP OF THE APPALACHIAN CLASS. THIS SHIP WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 5 INCH GUN AND 40MM AND 20MM GUNS. SHE HAD RECEIVED TWO BATTLE STARS FOR THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND WAS THE FLAGSHIP OF THE SEVENTH AMPHIBIOUS FORCE, AMPHIBIOUS GROUP 1 OF THE PACIFIC FLEET; AND WAS NOW ASSIGNED TO THE WESTERN PACIFIC IN SUPPORT OF THE OCCUPATION. THIS SHIP WAS LATER USED OFF THE COAST OF THE BIKINI ISLANDS IN 1946 FOR TWO ATOMIC TESTS. HE WAS STILL ASSIGNED TO REAR ADMIRAL NOBLES STAFF, WHICH RESULTED IN BETTER CONDITIONS FOR HIM ABOARD SHIP. THEY WERE HARBORED AT TIENTSIN UNTIL DECEMBER 19, 1945 WHEN THEY LEFT FOR SHANGHAI, CHINA, ARRIVING THERE DECEMBER 20, 1945. THEY WERE STATIONED THERE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AS PART OF THE OCCUPATION FORCES.