World War II Honoree

Cletis Jackson 'C.J.' Willis

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Vinita, Oklahoma

Honored By

Sue Thompson Willis

Relationship

Wife

ENLISTED AS A SEAMAN APPRENTICE AT AGE 17 AT THE NAVY RECRUITING STATION IN VINITA, OKLAHOMA ON FEBRUARY 13, 1943. ENTERED ACTIVE DUTY ON MARCH 4, 1943. MOVED BY TRAIN TO THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FOR BOOT CAMP TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION OF 12 WEEKS OF TRAINING, PROMOTED TO SEAMAN SECOND CLASS ON APRIL 20, 1943 AND ENTERED ELEMENTARY TORPEDO SCHOOL AT KEYPORT, WASHINGTON ON PUGET SOUND ON MAY 14, 1943. GRADUATED ON AUGUST 7, 1943, WAS PROMOTED TO SEAMAN FIRST CLASS, AND ASSIGNED TO THE RECEIVING STATION AT TREASURE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA NEAR SAN FRANCISCO. BOARDED A DUTCH FREIGHTER AND SHIPPED OVERSEAS ON AUGUST 25, 1943 FOR NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA, ARRIVING AFTER SOME 31 DAYS AT SEA. REMAINED THERE FOR 2-3 WEEKS UNTIL ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT (MTB) SQUADRONS SOUTH PACIFIC. SAILED ABOARD THE PATROL CRAFT TENDER USS JAMESTOWN (AGP-3) TO GUADALCANAL IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. THERE, FURTHER ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON 19, BASED ON VELLA LAVELLA ISLAND IN THE SOLOMONS, WHERE HE JOINED PATROL TORPEDO BOAT PT-242 ON NOVEMBER 7, 1943. SERVED AS THE PORT TWIN .50 CALIBER TURRET MACHINE GUNNER AND TORPEDOMAN’S MATE OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ABOARD PT-242, NICKNAMED ‘CELESTE’. PARTICIPATED IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, AND TREASURY-BOUGAINVILLE OPERATIONS. FROM BASES AT VELLA LAVELLA AND TREASURY ISLAND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, PATROLLED THE COASTS OF BOUGAINVILLE AND CHOISEUL TO INTERDICT ENEMY RE-SUPPLY VESSELS, ATTACK ENEMY SHORE POSITIONS, SEARCH FOR DOWNED PILOTS, AND PERFORM GUARD AND SPECIAL PATROL MISSIONS. ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 27, 1943, OFF BOUGAINVILLE, HIS BOAT AND ANOTHER ENCOUNTERED THREE JAPANESE BARGES, MOVED IN CLOSE, AND TOOK THEM UNDER FIRE. HE PUT HIS TWIN 50’S INTO ACTION, SAW HIS ROUNDS IMPACT HIS TARGET UNTIL THE BARGE CAUGHT FIRE, AND THE ENEMY STOPPED SHOOTING AT THEM, AND THE JAPANESE CREW WENT INTO THE WATER. THE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN THE SINKING OF THE BARGES; BUT HIS BOAT WAS HIT BY ENEMY FIRE THAT LEFT A LINE OF BULLET HOLES ABOUT 12 INCHES BELOW HIS FEET AT HIS BATTLE STATION AT THE GUN TURRET. ENEMY FIRE ALSO HIT AND SET FIRE TO A TORPEDO WARHEAD IN ITS TUBE SOME THREE FEET FROM HIS STATION. HE HELPED PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE THE WARHEAD COULD EXPLODE, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. MOVED TO A NEW FORWARD BASE ON GREEN ISLAND BETWEEN BOUGAINVILLE IN THE SOLOMONS AND NEW IRELAND IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, ON MARCH 10, 1944. FROM THEIR BASE ON GREEN ISLAND, HIS BOAT PATROLLED NORTHERN BOUGAINVILLE, AND BUKA IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS; AND NEW BRITAIN AND NEW IRELAND IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, TO INTERDICT ENEMY SHIPPING, GATHER INTELLIGENCE, AND HARASS JAPANESE FORCES ASHORE WITH WEAPONS FIRE. PATROLS OFF NEW BRITAIN POSED THE CONTINUAL THREAT OF ENEMY AIR ATTACK AND HIS BOAT WAS ATTACKED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NEAR MISSES; BUT NEVER HIT. DURING AN ATTEMPTED NIGHT RUN THROUGH THE NARROW BUKA PASSAGE, HIS BOAT WAS TAKEN UNDER FIRE BY JAPANESE SHORE BATTERIES, AND WHILE TRYING TO SPEED AWAY, EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. WITH SHELLS EXPLODING ALL AROUND THEM, THE USE OF THE BOAT’S SMOKE GENERATOR HID THEM FROM VIEW UNTIL THE ENGINE COULD BE RESTARTED AND THEY ZIG-ZAGGED OUT OF HARM’S WAY. ABOUT MAY 15, 1944, HIS BOAT WAS REASSIGNED TO MTB SQUADRON 23, ALSO LOCATED ON GREEN ISLAND. AROUND NOVEMBER 1, 1944, AFTER 15 MONTHS OVERSEAS AND 85 PATROL MISSIONS, HE AND HIS CREW WERE RELIEVED OF DUTIES AND ORDERED BACK TO THE UNITED STATES FOR REST AND REHABILITATION LEAVE. HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE PT TRAINING STATION AT MELVILLE, RHODE ISLAND. HE HITCHED A RIDE ON A B-25 ‘MITCHELL’ BOMBER TO THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS AND THEN ON AN AMERICAN ESCORT AIRCRAFT CARRIER; MADE A STOP AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII AND ARRIVED AT THE NAVY PIER AT OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ON DECEMBER 13, 1944. AFTER REPORTING TO MELVILLE, HE WAS SENT TO THE NAVY RECEIVING STATION IN THE FARGO BUILDING IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. SOME TWO MONTHS LATER, ON MARCH 12, 1945, HE RECEIVED ORDERS ASSIGNING HIM TO THE NAVAL RECEIVING BARRACKS AT SHOEMAKER, CALIFORNIA TO AWAIT OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. BOARDED A TROOP SHIP TO SAMAR IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THERE HE WAS STATIONED AT THE MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT BASE BUT WAS NOT ASSIGNED TO A BOAT. HE WAS ON SAMAR WHEN THE ATOMIC BOMBS WERE DROPPED ON JAPAN AND THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS ON AUGUST 14, 1945. TRANSFERRED TO SUBIC BAY ON LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINES ON OCTOBER 10, 1945 TO AWAIT TRANSPORTATION TO THE STATES. ON NOVEMBER 9, 1945, BOARDED THE ATTACK TRANSPORT SHIP USS APPLING (APA-58) AND SAILED TO PORTLAND, OREGON, ARRIVING ON NOVEMBER 27, 1945. THEN MOVED BY TRAIN TO THE NAVY DISCHARGE CENTER AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, ARRIVING DECEMBER 7, 1945. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. COMPLETED 2 YEARS, NINE MONTHS, AND 27 DAYS OF ACTIVE DUTY, INCLUDING 24 MONTHS OF FOREIGN AND SEA SERVICE. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON DECEMBER 9, 1945 AT THE NAVAL BASE IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA WITH THE RATE OF TORPEDOMAN’S MATE THIRD CLASS AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.