World War II Honoree

Glen Leroy Elam

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AT AGE 18. HIS SHIP ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON DECEMBER 18, 1944. SERVED AS A SIGNALMAN IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE ATTACK CARGO SHIP USS STARR (AKA-67). SAILED TO SAIPAN, IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, ON JANUARY 27, 1945, WHERE THE IWO JIMA ASSAULT FORCE WAS STAGING. USS STARR LAUNCHED HER BOATS AGAINST IWO JIMA, IN THE BONIN ISLANDS, ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945. HIS ATTACK CARGO SHIP HAD MULTIPLE DUTIES: SHE WAS A RECEIVING SHIP FOR WOUNDED; AN AMMUNITION SHIP; AND HAD A PRIORITY CARGO OF VEHICLES. AFTER IWO JIMA, SAILED FOR LEYTE, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, ON MARCH 5, 1945. STARR LOADED COMBAT CARGO FROM MARCH 9-27, 1945 AND THEN SAILED FOR THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. ON APRIL 1, 1945, HER BOATS HIT THE OKINAWA BEACHES. AT 0420 HOURS ON APRIL 9, 1945, THE SHIP WAS ROCKED BY AN EXPLOSION. SHE HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY A JAPANESE SUICIDE BOAT. THE EXPLOSION WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF THE SHIP THAT IT CAUSED NO DAMAGE. AFTER RETURNING TO THE WEST COAST FOR OVERHAUL AT SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA ON MAY 5, 1945, LOADED CARGO AT SAN FRANCISCO, AND SAILED ON JUNE 24, 1945. ARRIVED AT GUAM, IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, ON JULY 11, 1945. ON JULY 20, 1945 SHE SAILED TO PEARL HARBOR FOR ANOTHER LOAD OF CARGO FOR GUAM. HE WAS EN ROUTE TO GUAM WHEN WORD WAS RECEIVED THAT HOSTILITIES WITH JAPAN HAD ENDED. AFTER DISCHARGING HER CARGO AT GUAM, THE SHIP WAS ROUTED TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ARRIVED AT LEYTE ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1945. USS STARR OPERATED IN THE PHILIPPINES UNTIL NOVEMBER 29, 1945, WHEN SHE GOT UNDERWAY FOR CHINA AND ARRIVED AT TSINGTAO ON DECEMBER 4, 1945. SAILED FROM CHINA TO SASEBO, JAPAN, AND THEN TO VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA. SHE ARRIVED THERE ON JANUARY 2, 1946, UNLOADED HER CARGO, AND RETURNED TO SASEBO WHERE SHE RECEIVED ORDERS TO PROCEED TO SAN FRANCISCO. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.