World War II Honoree

Albert Joseph Nugon, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

New Orleans, Louisiana

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ASSIGNED IN THE AMERICAN AREA TO THE PATROL TORPEDO (PT) BOAT TRAINING STATION AT MELVILLE, RHODE ISLAND. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING, HE AND OTHER SHIPMATES WERE ORDERED TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA TO PICK UP A NEW PT BOAT AT THE HIGGINS INDUSTRIES PLANT. HE JOINED MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON 19 (RON 19) AND WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ‘PLANK OWNERS’ OF PT-235. SERVED AS AN ENSIGN AND THE CAPTAIN OF PT-235, NICKNAMED 'REBEL'. HIS BOAT SAILED OVERSEAS FROM NEW ORLEANS ON MAY 15, 1943, ACROSS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN TO MIAMI, FLORIDA, CUBA, MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL. HIS BOAT WAS THEN LOADED ONTO AN OIL TANKER AT TABOGA ISLAND IN THE GULF OF PANAMA NEAR BALBOA AND TRANSPORTED TO THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS AND UNLOADED AT ESPIRITU SANTO. HIS SQUADRON SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT (MTB) SQUADRONS SOUTH PACIFIC. SAILED ABOARD HIS BOAT TO TULAGI AND RENDOVA ISLANDS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS EN ROUTE TO THE SQUADRON’S FIRST FORWARD BASE ON VELLA LAVELLA ISLAND. ARRIVED AT VELLA LAVELLA IN EARLY NOVEMBER, 1943. PARTICIPATED IN THE TREASURY-BOUGAINVILLE AND BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO OPERATIONS. FROM BASES AT VELLA LAVELLA AND TREASURY ISLAND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, HIS BOAT 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. MOVED TO A NEW FORWARD BASE ON GREEN ISLAND IN THE SOLOMONS 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. ABOUT MAY 15, 1944, HIS BOAT WAS REASSIGNED TO MTB SQUADRON 20, ALSO LOCATED ON GREEN ISLAND. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.