World War II Honoree

Carl Weller Cleaver

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Boyertown, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Fran and Andrew Cleaver

Relationship

Son and Daughter-in-Law

HE JOINED THE UNITED STATES MARINES, WITH HIS PARENT’S PERMISSION AT THE AGE OF 17 IN JULY OF 1942, INDUCTED IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN JULY OF 1946. HE DID HIS BASIC TRAINING IN PARIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA. HE DID NOT ENLIST WITH ANY FRIENDS FROM BOYERTOWN, BUT REMEMBERED TWO BUDDIES ED BYERS FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND JOE POPSOK FROM CHICAGO. AFTER BASIC TRAINING HE WAS SENT FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA FOR SEVERAL MORE MONTHS LATER IN 1942 HE WAS SENT TO SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA TO AN AIR FORCE UNIT KNOW AS MARINE AIR. HIS DESIGNATION WAS “MAG 23 AND HIS SQUADRON 231, WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM GUADALCANAL. IN 1943 HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO HAWAII WITH THE AIR FORCE COMMAND AND SENT OUT TO MIDWAY FOR TRAINING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS HE RETURNED TO HAWAII TO PREPARE FOR THE MARSHALL ISLANDS INVASION. HIS SQUADRON LANDED ON TARAWA KIRIBATI MICRONESIA IN PREPARATION FOR THE INVASION OF KWAJALEIN ATOLL. CARL’S JOB ASSIGNMENT AT THE AGE OF 17 WAS TO SERVE AS CREW CHIEF ABOARD AIRPLANES. THEY FLEW SBD’S – DIVE BOMBERS WHOSE MISSION WAS BOMBING FORTIFICATIONS. THEY FLEW MISSIONS EVERY DAY FOR SIX MONTHS. HIS SQUADRON WAS 12 PLANES EACH PLANE HAD FOUR CREW A SHIFT WITH TWO SHIFTS, A TOTAL OF 96 MEN. HE CARRIED 500 POUND BOMBS AND FLEW MISSIONS TO BOMB CAMPS OF THE JAPANESE. TWENTY THOUSAND JAPANESE INHABITED THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. JAPAN TRIED TO REFORTIFY BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE BY THAT TIME THE U.S. NAVY HAD ALL BUT DESTROYED THE JAPANESE NAVY. THE MARSHALL ISLANDS WERE A STRATEGIC KEY TO THE CONTROL OF THE PACIFIC. AFTER TAKING THE MARSHALLS, THE AMERICANS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON GUAM. HIS CREW ALSO EVACUATED THE WOUNDED WITH THE BOMBERS WHERE THEY WOULD LAND AND THEN EVACUATE BACK TO TARAWA (THEN THE WOUNDED WOULD BE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL IN HAWAII). IN 1944 THE TROOPS BEGAN MOVEMENT TO THE WEST. CARL DIDN’T TRAVEL, HE STAYED ON MARSHALL ISLANDS. HE RETURNED TO THE STATES THROUGH SAN DIEGO AND RETURNED TO CHERRY POINT. IN CHERRY POINT HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO TRANSPORT R5C (BIG AIRPLANES) AS THE CREW CHIEF. HIS DUTIES INCLUDED MOVING SUPPLIES AND PERFORMING TRAINING. AT THE TIME HE ENTERED THE MARINES HE WAS A PRIVATE AND WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT WHEN HE CAME STATESIDE IN 1944.