World War II Honoree

Floyd Sterling Herron

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Peru, Indiana

Honored By

Katherine Farmer

Relationship

Daughter

JOINED THE U.S. NAVY ON FEBRUARY 27, 1940; INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. SERVED ABOARD THE USS PENNSYLVANIA AS A GUNNER'S MATE AND PART OF A 4 MAN TEAM THAT FIRED A 5"/25 CALIBER ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN. WAS IN DRY-DOCK IN THE NAVY YARD AT PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. STANDING ON DECK, HE WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO SEE THE INCOMING JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES AND WITNESSED THE EXPLOSION OF THE FIRST BOMB DROPPED ON FORD ISLAND. REALIZING IT WAS AN ATTACK HE RAN TO HIS GUN AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED DELIVERING AMMUNITION TO HIS ASSEMBLING TEAM. HE WAS THE LOADER. HE MAINTAINED HIS BATTLE STATION DURING THE 90 MINUTE ATTACK. AS THE BATTLE CONCLUDED, THE USS PENNSYLVANIA EMERGED AS ONE OF ONLY 2 FUNCTIONAL BATTLESHIPS IN THE FLEET, SAILING TO SAN FRANCISCO FOR REPAIRS. AFTER PEARL HARBOR, HE TRAVELED 150,000 MILES IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN ONBOARD THE USS PENNSYLVANIA. PARTICIPATED IN OVER 30 BATTLES, INCLUDING THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, THE BOMBARDMENT OF SAIPAN, TINIAN AND GUAM AND THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THREE DAYS BEFORE THE END OF WAR, THE SHIP WAS TORPEDOED IN OKINAWA. FOLLOWING HIS SERVICE, HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON MARCH 9, 1946; BREMERTON, WASHINGTON.