World War II Honoree

Clayton M. Cotten

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Hotchkiss, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: RADIOMAN 3RD CLASS. HE ENTERED THE U.S. NAVY APRIL 1944. COMPLETED BASIC MILITARY TRAINING AT THE U.S. NAVAL TRAINING STATION, FARRAGUT, IDAHO, WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT THE U.S. NAVAL BASE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AND THE U.S. NAVAL BASE, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. SERVED AS A RADIOMAN ABOARD SHIP IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES: IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA AND LATER SERVED WITH THE OCCUPATION FORCES IN JAPAN WHEN ALL HOSTILITIES HAD CEASED WITH THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE BATTLE STARS AND THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION RIBBON. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN NOVEMBER 1945.