World War II Honoree

Donald R. Hanna

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Newark, Ohio

Honored By

C. J. Willis

Relationship

Shipmate

ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT (MTB) SQUADRONS SOUTH PACIFIC. FURTHER ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON 19 (RON 19), BASED ON VELLA LAVELLA ISLAND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. PARTICIPATED IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, AND TREASURY-BOUGAINVILLE OPERATIONS. 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. THERE, HE JOINED PATROL TORPEDO BOAT PT-242 ABOUT APRIL 1, 1944. SERVED AS AN ENSIGN AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ABOARD PT-242, NICKNAMED ‘CELESTE’. 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, HE AND HIS CREW WERE RELIEVED OF DUTIES AND ORDERED BACK TO THE UNITED STATES FOR REST AND REHABILITATION LEAVE. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.