World War II Honoree

Charles Francis Baldauf

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Leicester, Massachusetts

Honored By

Robin LaBelle

Relationship

Daughter

ENLISTED AT AGE 20 IN AUGUST, 1942. BASIC TRAINING AT GREAT LAKES TRAINING FACILITY. CONTINUED TRAINING AT THE MACHINIST'S MATE SCHOOL THERE. THEN, IT WAS ON TO NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND FOR MORE TRAINING. FOLLOWING THAT, HE WAS SENT TO THE AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING BASE IN LITTLE CREEK, VIRGINIA FOR FURTHER TRAINING BEFORE BEING ASSIGNED TO THE USS ACHELOUS, A CONVERTED LST FOR THE PURPOSE OF REPAIRING LANDING CRAFTS. AS A SKILLED AUTO MECHANIC, HE SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE SAILING ON THE USS ACHELOUS FOR THE EUROPEAN THEATER. IN 1943, THE USS ACHELOUS HELD ITS SHAKEDOWN CRUISE IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BEFORE STOPPING AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON 22 APRIL TO TAKE ON SUPPLIES. SAILED SIX DAYS LATER WITH A CONVOY BOUND FOR ORAN, ALGERIA. FOLLOWING THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, HE WAS MOORED AT LICATE, SICILY TO PERFORM REPAIR WORK ON LANDING CRAFTS THERE. RETURNED TO BIZERTE, TUNISIA ON 15 AUGUST AND FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS UNDERWENT TWO ENEMY AIR RAIDS. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY (OPERATION HUSKY) IN WHICH ALLIES TOOK SICILY FROM THE AXIS POWERS. SPENT ONE WEEK IN MID-SEPTEMBER AT PALERMO, SICILY, THEN GOT UNDERWAY WITH CONVOY UGS-19 ON 16 OCTOBER, REACHED PORT SAID, EGYPT ON 23 OCTOBER, THEN TRANSITED THE SUEZ CANAL ON 25 OCTOBER. HEADED FOR MASSAWA, ITALIAN ERITREA AND ARRIVED ON 31 OCTOBER. ENTERED A FLOATING DRY DOCK THERE AND ON 4 NOVEMBER GOT UNDERWAY FOR INDIA. ARRIVED IN CALCUTTA IN EARLY DECEMBER AND SPENT ONE MONTH THERE, PROVIDING SERVICES IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER. IN EARLY 1944, LEFT INDIA AND RETURNED TO THE MEDITERRANEAN TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS ALONG THE ITALIAN COAST. REMAINED THERE FOR SEVEN MORE MONTHS. IN JULY, BEGAN PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASSAULT OF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF FRANCE. IN MID-AUGUST, ANCHORED OFF THE FRENCH COAST AND SET UP A PONTOON DRY DOCK TO SERVICE LANDING CRAFT. THESE DUTIES OCCUPIED HIM THROUGH MOST OF 1944. LATE IN THE YEAR, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEGAN THE VOYAGE VIA THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR AND THE PANAMA CANAL. PROCEEDED TO ENIWETOK AND ARRIVED THERE 24 APRIL. WAS ASSIGNED TO SUPPORT THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF OKINAWA. FOR HIS SERVICE ON FOUR CONTINENTS AND FOUR THEATERS OF OPERATIONS, HE WAS AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH THREE BRONZE SERVICE STARS (SICILY, ROME-ARNO AND SOUTHERN FRANCE CAMPAIGNS), ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL PIN. FINAL RANK: SHIP FITTER, FIRST CLASS.