World War II Honoree

Gerald Leigh Phillips, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Harlingen, Texas

Honored By

A Grateful American

HE ENLISTED IN THE NAVY AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE USS CALIFORNIA. IN PEARL HARBOR HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE ASTORIA, WORKING IN THE ENGINE ROOM. HIS SHIP SAILED FROM PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 5, 1941 AND WAS AT SEA ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. THE USS ASTORIA AND THE USS SARATOGA TASK FORCE 11 SET SAIL ON DECEMBER 31, 1941. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, MIDWAY, GUADALCANAL, TULAGI AND THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. ON AUGUST 9TH THE USS ASTORIA WAS SUNK IN A NAVAL BATTLE WITH THE JAPANESE TASK FORCE. HE THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE USS ESSEX, RETURNED TO THE PACIFIC AND TOOK PART IN THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS: MARCUS ISLANDS, WAKE ISLAND, MARSHALL AND GILBERT ISLANDS, TARAWA, KWAJALEIN, TRUK, SAIPAN, TINIAN, GUAM, PALAU, MINDANAO, PELELIU, OKINAWA, LEYTE, FORMOSA, SAKISHIMA, LUZON AND IWO JIMA. DURING THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA HIS SHIP WAS HIT BY KAMIKAZES.