World War II Honoree

Oscar J. Zuniga

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS SWORN INTO THE NAVAL SERVICE IN JANUARY, 1944 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. HE ATTENDED BASIC TRAINING AT THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. AFTER BASIC, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY FOR TRAINING IN WEATHER FORECASTING. HE RECEIVED ADVANCED TRAINING AT ALAMEDA NAVAL AIR STATION, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS PROMOTED TO AEROGRAPHER 2ND CLASS UPON GRADUATING. AFTER TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED SEA DUTY AND FLOWN TO HAWAII WHERE HE MET HIS SHIP, THE USS JERAULD (APA-174), AN ATTACK FREIGHTER. HE SPENT HIS ENTIRE TOUR ONBOARD THE USS JERAULD. HIS JOB WAS TO FORECAST TYPHOONS IN THE PACIFIC. HIS SHIP SAW DUTY IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, OKINAWA, IWO JIMA AND OTHER SMALL ISLANDS UNDER COMBAT CONDITIONS. HE WAS OFF THE ISLAND OF LEYTE WHEN THE SECOND BOMB FELL AND THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED. AFTER THE SURRENDER THE USS JERAULD WENT BACK TO HAWAII AND PICKED UP THE OCCUPATION TROOPS AND RETURNED THEM TO JAPAN. HE CAME BACK TO THE STATES VIA PANAMA AND HIS SHIP WENT INTO DRY DOCK. HE SPENT TWO AND ONE HALF YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE PACIFIC, ISLAND HOPPING FROM ONE COMBAT AREA TO ANOTHER. HE WAS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY IN APRIL, 1946 AND PLACED ON A TROOP TRAIN TO FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND FURTHER TRANSFERRED TO HIS HOMETOWN OF LAREDO, TEXAS. HE RECEIVED MANY AWARDS AND MEDALS AND FELT PROUD TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY.