World War II Honoree

Ventura Thomas Moreno

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

San Francisco, California

Honored By

Son

HE WAS CALLED TO SERVICE (DRAFTED) IN EARLY 1944 AND WAS SENT TO FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA WITH THE 7TH DIVISION. HE THEN WAS SENT TO FORT LEWIS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON FOR INFANTRY TRAINING. HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WAS TO FORT CUSTER, MICHIGAN FOR TRAINING AS A MILITARY POLICEMAN. HE THEN WAS SENT TO CAMP ROBINSON IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS FOR MORE INFANTRY TRAINING. HIS LAST TRAINING ASSIGNMENT WAS AT SCHOFIELD BARRACKS ON OAHU, HAWAII FOR JUNGLE TRAINING. HE THEN SERVED ON THE FOLLOWING ISLANDS: SAIPAN, GUAM, KWAJALEIN, ENIWETOK AND OKINAWA. FINALLY HE WAS SENT INTO THE INVASION OF OKINAWA WITH THE 184TH DIVISION 10TH ARMY. IT WAS THERE THAT HE DESTROYED A MACHINE GUN NEST AND MORTAR THAT HAD SEVERAL SQUADS OF MEN PINNED DOWN. IN THIS ACTION HE WAS WOUNDED AND WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR AND PURPLE HEART FOR HIS ACTION. DURING HIS SERVICE HE ROSE TO THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT AND HELD THE POSITIONS OF INFANTRY RIFLEMAN, MILITARY POLICEMAN, PRISONER OF WAR GUARD AND SQUAD LEADER. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED FROM THE TIME HE WAS 20 UNTIL HIS 21ST YEAR OF BIRTH. HE WAS AWARDED THE FOLLOWING MEDALS FOR SERVICE: BRONZE STAR FOR BRAVERY, PURPLE HEART FOR BEING WOUNDED IN ACTION, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL LEADING TO HIS PROMOTION TO SERGEANT, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR SERVING DURING WWII, WWII VICTORY MEDAL FOR THE VICTORY OVER THE AXIS POWERS, AND THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE PACIFIC THEATRE OF THE WAR.