World War II Honoree

Roland Darwin Wilkinson

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SAILED FROM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA IN JUNE, 1944 VIA PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII, FOR ENIWETOK ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. HE SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS FRANKLIN (CV-13). CARRIER AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE BONIN ISLANDS, AT IWO JIMA, CHICHI JIMA, HA HA JIMA, AND OTOTO JIMA FROM JUNE-SEPTEMBER, 1944, AND CONDUCTED STRIKES AT GUAM AND ROTA IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, AND IN THE PALUA ISLANDS IN JULY, 1944. ATTACKED YAP ISLAND IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS AND PROVIDED DIRECT AIR COVER FOR THE INVASION OF PELELIU IN THE PALAU ISLANDS IN SEPTEMBER, 1944. WHILE OPERATING OFF LEYTE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON OCTOBER 13, 1944, HIS SHIP WAS ATTACKED BY A JAPANESE ‘KAMIKAZE’ SUICIDE PLANE THAT GLANCED OFF THE DECK, SLID ACROSS THE FLIGHT DECK AND PLUNGED INTO THE SEA. THE SHIP WAS ATTACKED BY THREE ENEMY AIRCRAFT OFF LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON OCTOBER 15, 1944. ONE PLANE DROPPED A BOMB THAT STRUCK THE DECK AND KILLED 3 AND WOUNDED 22, BUT THE SHIP CONTINUED IN ACTION. HIS SHIP ENGAGED IN COMBAT OPERATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH STRIKES AT MANILA BAY; IN SUPPORT OF INITIAL LANDINGS AT LEYTE; IN THE BATTLE OF THE SIBUYAN SEA WHEN HER AIRCRAFT HELPED SINK A JAPANESE BATTLESHIP, DAMAGE TWO OTHERS, AND SINK A DESTROYER; IN THE BATTLE OFF CAPE ENGANO WHERE HER AIRCRAFT DAMAGED AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND SANK A SMALL CARRIER. ON OCTOBER 30, 1944, WHILE SUPPORTING LEYTE OPERATIONS, HIS SHIP WAS ATTACKED BY THREE ENEMY BOMBERS IN A SUICIDE RUN. ONE STRUCK THE FLIGHT DECK KILLING 56 AND WOUNDING 60. AFTER DEPARTING BREMERTON, WASHINGTON ON FEBRUARY 2, 1945, HIS SHIP SAILED TO STRIKE THE JAPANESE HOMELAND IN PREPARATION FOR THE INVASIONS OF IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA, IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. ON MARCH 15, 1945, CONDUCTED STRIKE OPERATIONS AGAINST SOUTHERN KYUSHU IN THE JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS. WHILE OPERATING WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE JAPANESE MAINLAND, HIS SHIP WAS ATTACKED ON MARCH 19, 1945 BY A SINGLE ENEMY PLANE THAT HIT THE FLIGHT DECK AND AFT WITH TWO ARMOR-PIERCING BOMBS. THE BOMBS PENETRATED THE FLIGHT DECK TO THE HANGER DECK AND SECOND AND THIRD DECKS. THE COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER, AND AIR PLOT WERE KNOCKED OUT AND FIRES SET THAT TRIGGERED SECONDARY EXPLOSIONS OF AMMUNITION AND FUEL. THE SHIP LAY DEAD IN THE WATER, WAS LISTING, LOST ALL COMMUNICATIONS, AND WAS ENGULFED IN FIRE. MANY OF THE CREW WERE BLOWN OVERBOARD, TRAPPED OR DRIVEN OFF BY FIRE, AND 724 DIED AND 265 WERE WOUNDED. COURAGEOUS ACTIONS BY THE CREW AND ASSISTANCE BY OTHER WARSHIPS SAVED THE CARRIER, WHICH WAS TOWED TO PEARL HARBOR AND RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES ON APRIL 28, 1945. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.