World War II Honoree

John Bunyan Gordon, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Gracemont, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, HE SERVED NEAR CASPER, WYOMING WITH THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (CCC), A U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT. THEN ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE DURING THE WAR AND TRAINED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER BEFORE BEING ASSIGNED TO SEA DUTY. HIS SHIP SAILED OVERSEAS FROM NORFOLK, VIRGINIA FOR THE PACIFIC AND REPORTED TO THE PACIFIC FLEET FOR DUTY ON MAY 1, 1945. HE SERVED AS A RADIO TECHNICIAN IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORT SHIP USS BASSETT (APD-73). HIS SHIP CARRIED OUT AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING EXERCISES OUT OF PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII BEFORE ESCORTING CONVOYS TO ENIWETOK, IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS; GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS; ULITHI, IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS; HOLLANDIA, IN NEW GUINEA; AND LEYTE, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. UPON REPORTING AT LEYTE, THE WARSHIP DELIVERED MAIL AND PASSENGERS TO VARIOUS PORTS IN THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO AND TO BRUNEI BAY, BORNEO. RETURNED TO LEYTE ON JULY 26, 1945 AND CONDUCTED ANTISUBMARINE PATROLS OFF THE ISLAND. ON AUGUST 2, 1945 WHILE CARRYING OUT THAT DUTY NORTH OF LEYTE, HIS VESSEL RECEIVED REPORTS OF LARGE GROUPS OF SURVIVORS SOME 200 MILES AWAY AND ALTERED COURSE TO INVESTIGATE. WITHIN 10 HOURS, USS BASSETT JOINED IN THE RESCUE OF SURVIVORS FROM THE HEAVY CRUISER INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35). THAT WARSHIP HAD BEEN TORPEDOED AND SUNK BY A JAPANESE SUBMARINE AFTER DELIVERING COMPONENTS FOR THE ATOMIC BOMBS, TO BE DROPPED ON JAPAN, TO TINIAN ISLAND IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. UPON REACHING THE SCENE, THE HIGH SPEED TRANSPORT RESCUED 154 SURVIVORS IN A FOUR HOUR SEARCH. AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES, HIS SHIP WAS ASSIGNED TO TAKE PART IN THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. THE SHIP SUPPORTED THE LANDINGS AT WAKAYAMA, NEAR THE PORT OF KURE AND AT NAGOYA, ON HONSHU, JAPAN. THEN SERVED AS A HARBOR ENTRANCE CONTROL SHIP AT THE LATTER PORT. DETACHED FROM THESE DUTIES ON NOVEMBER 18, 1945, THE TRANSPORT PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION 'MAGIC CARPET.' THIS WAS THE CODE NAME FOR THE RAPID RETURN OF SERVICE PERSONNEL BY WARSHIPS AND TRANSPORT VESSELS FROM THEATER TO THE U.S.A. THE TRANSPORT EMBARKED PASSENGERS AT SASEBO, JAPAN AND RETURNED THEM TO THE WEST COAST. AWARDED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.