World War II Honoree

Owen Rodgers Pearl

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

BEGAN WORKING FOR GLEN L. MARTIN, AN AIRCRAFT DESIGN COMPANY IN DOVER, DELAWARE, AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1938. LATER, WORKED AS A CIVILIAN AT OLMSTEAD FIELD AT MIDDLETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL TRANSFERRED TO HOULTON ARMY AIR FIELD AT HOULTON, MAINE DURING THE WAR. ENLISTED IN U.S. NAVY SERVICE, TRAINED AS A METALSMITH, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO SEA DUTY ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CV-31). SERVED OVERSEAS AS A METALSMITH AND WAS ENGAGED IN AIRCRAFT HANDLING IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. HIS SHIP DEPARTED NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON MARCH 19, 1945 TO JOIN THE PACIFIC FLEET AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON APRIL 5, 1945. FOLLOWING TRAINING IN HAWAIIAN WATERS, THE CARRIER OPERATED OFF OKINAWA IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS BEGINNING JUNE 6, 1945. DURING JUNE 7-10, 1945 THE SHIP JOINED IN THE ATTACKS ON OKINO DAITO JIMA AND THEN TOOK PART IN AIR STRIKES AGAINST JAPAN FROM JULY 2, TO AUGUST 14, 1945, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS. THE CARRIER REMAINED OFF JAPAN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 16, 1945. AFTER TRAINING OFF GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, THE SHIP PROCEEDED TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ARRIVING OCTOBER 20, 1945. THE CARRIER LEFT SAN FRANCISCO ON OCTOBER 29, 1945 AND SAILED TO PEARL HARBOR TO UNDERGO CONVERSION FOR TROOP TRANSPORT DUTY. FROM NOVEMBER 8, 1945 TO JANUARY 16, 1946, THE SHIP MADE TRANS-PACIFIC VOYAGES AS PART OF 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. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE SERVICE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.