World War II Honoree

Donald Brent Phillips

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Fairmount, Indiana

Honored By

Donald, George, Alice and Doris

Relationship

Children

ENLISTED JULY 15, 1942 AS A SEAMAN SECOND CLASS IN THE U.S. NAVY AND WENT ON ACTIVE DUTY SEPTEMBER 3, 1942. DISCHARGED NOVEMBER 10, 1945 AS A YEOMAN SECOND CLASS. FIRST DUTY ASSIGNMENT WHEN ARRIVING AT BUNKER HILL NAVAL AIR BASE (NEAR PERU, INDIANA), WAS SEAMAN GUARD. TRANSFERRED FROM GUARD TO THE PERSONNEL OFFICE WHERE HE ADVANCED TO SEAMAN FIRST CLASS, THEN YEOMAN THIRD CLASS AND THEN TO YEOMAN SECOND CLASS, KEEPING RECORDS OF THE SAILORS ASSIGNED TO THE BASE. THE BASE WAS WHERE NAVAL CADETS WERE FIRST TRAINED TO FLY. AFTER TWO YEARS AND ONE DAY, WAS TRANSFERRED TO MELBOURNE NAVAL AIR BASE IN FLORIDA WHERE FUTURE FIGHTER PILOTS WERE ASSIGNED TO F6F HELLCATS. HIS ASSIGNMENT WAS TO THE LEGAL OFFICE. WAS THEN SHIPPED TO SEA; FIRST TO THE WEST COAST AND THEN ON TO OKINAWA TO COMMANDER NAVAL AIR BASE. ARRIVED IN OKINAWA SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL INVASION OF THE ISLAND. SERVED IN PERSONNEL. AT THE END OF THE WAR, INSTRUCTIONS CAME THROUGH THAT ALL FATHERS WITH THREE OR MORE CHILDREN WERE AUTHORIZED FOR IMMEDIATE DISCHARGE. HE WAS ABOARD THE NEXT SHIP COMING STATESIDE, TO HOME.