World War II Honoree

Kenneth James Garrigan

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Columbus, Ohio

Honored By

Mark E. Garrigan, Mary Ellen Saurers

Relationship

Son, Cousin

HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. NAVY AT SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH ON AUGUST 11, 1941. HE WAS SENT TO THE U.S. NAVAL TRAINING CENTER IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FOR BOOT CAMP BASIC TRAINING, AND THEN SENT TO NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, CORONADO, CALIFORNIA FOR AVIATION RADIO SCHOOL SPECIALIZED TRAINING. IN JANUARY, 1942, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO COMMANDER BATTLE FORCE AT PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII. HE WAS SHIPPED OUT OF PEARL HARBOR IN APRIL, 1942 ABOARD USS LEXINGTON CV-2 AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND ASSIGNED TO EMBARKED SCOUTING SQUADRON TWO ON DIVE BOMBERS. HIS DUAL PURPOSE JOB ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS RADIOMAN AND ALSO GUNNER TO PROTECT THE PLANE FROM ENEMY AIRCRAFT. DURING THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, THE LEXINGTON’S PLANES ATTACKED THE JAPANESE FLEET, AND HIS PLANE LANDED BACK ABOARD TO REFUEL. WHILE HE WAS ABOARD, THE LEXINGTON WAS HIT BY TWO TORPEDOES AND TWO BOMBS FROM JAPANESE AIRCRAFT FLYING OFF THE CARRIERS SHOKARU, AND ZUIKAKU. THE BADLY DAMAGED LEXINGTON WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE LISTING OF THE SHIP, BY COUNTER FLOODING OF COMPARTMENTS, AND LAND THE REST OF HER AIRCRAFT. RAGING FIRES CREATED BY LEAKING AVIATION FUEL TANKS COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED, AND MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED. THE DAMAGED SHIP WAS ORDERED TO BE ABANDONED BY ALL HANDS ABOARD. THE ESCORTING CRUISERS AND DESTROYERS DEPLOYED MOTOR WHALEBOATS AND MOTOR LAUNCHES TO AID IN THE RESCUE OF SURVIVORS. HE AND HIS CREWMATES SCALED DOWN ROPES HANGING FROM THE FLIGHT DECK, AND HE WAS PICKED UP BY A MOTOR LAUNCH FROM THE CRUISER USS MINNEAPOLIS. THE SURVIVORS THAT ABANDONED SHIP WERE TRANSPORTED TO TONGA ISLAND AND SENT ON NAVY TRANSPORTS TO SAN DIEGO. THEY WERE RE-OUTFITTED AND ASSIGNED TO NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO TEMPORARY DUTY AT EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, AND TO LINK TRAINING IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. IN JANUARY 1943, HE WAS SENT TO WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON FOR DUTY AS GUNNER/RADIOMAN IN TORPEDO BOMBER SQUADRON VC-41. THIS NEWLY FORMED SQUADRON WAS EQUIPPED WITH GRUMMAN FIGHTERS AND TORPEDO BOMBERS (TBM’S). HE WAS TRAINED IN NIGHT BOMBING AT HOLTVILLE, CALIFORNIA AND HORIZONTAL BOMBING AT LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA. WHILE ABOARD THE USS CORREGIDOR, A NEWLY DESIGNED CLASS OF CARRIER (CVE-58) LEFT SAN DIEGO, ON OCTOBER 26, 1943, JOINED CARRIER DIVISION 24 AT PEARL HARBOR FOR AIR STRIKES IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS INVASION FROM NOVEMBER 10 THROUGH DECEMBER 6. FROM JANUARY 22 THROUGH MARCH 3, 1944 HE WAS ACTIVE IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS OPERATION, PROVIDING AIR COVER FOR THE INVASION OF KWAJALEIN. ON MARCH 11, 1944 HE LEFT FOR GUADALCANAL, ARRIVING THERE ON 21 MARCH. WHILE WITH THE 3RD FLEET, HE SORTIED ON 30 MARCH TO PROVIDE AIR COVER FOR THE LANDINGS ON EMIRAU ISLAND, AND RETURNED TO PORT PURVIS ON APRIL 14. TWO DAYS LATER, THEY SAILED TO JOIN THE 7TH FLEET FOR AIR OPERATIONS AT HOLLANDIA WHICH OCCURRED BETWEEN APRIL 22 THROUGH 26. THE USS CORREGIDOR PROVIDED AIR PATROL SUPPORT, INCLUDING HIS PLANE, FOR THE INVASION OF SAIPAN FROM 15 JUNE THROUGH 25 JUNE. HE ALSO FLEW SUPPORT OFF ENIWETOK IN EARLY JULY, THEN AIDED IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF GUAM AND PROVIDED AIR COVER FOR THE INVASION UNTIL LATE JULY. THE CORREGIDOR REQUIRED OVERHAUL AND RETURNED TO SAN DIEGO, ARRIVING IN AUGUST 1944. AT THAT TIME HE WAS ASSIGNED SHORE DUTY IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR, WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINING NEW AIR CREWS. HE DID NOT RETIRE FROM THE MILITARY FOLLOWING THE WAR BUT ELECTED TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY BY RECEIVING TRAINING, THEN ACTING AS A NAVAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER. FOR HIS WWII SERVICE, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AWARDED HIM A DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS MEDAL, FIVE AIR MEDALS (5 STARS), A WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND A GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.