World War II Honoree

Carl Kermit Greene

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

HIS SHIP DEPARTED SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ON FEBRUARY 25, 1944 FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC, VIA PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII. HE SERVED AS A SOUNDMAN THIRD CLASS OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE DESTROYER USS MORRISON (DD-560). IN MID-APRIL, 1944, THE DESTROYER PERFORMED SCREENING OPERATIONS OFF SEEADLER HARBOR, AT MANUS ISLAND, IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. THE VESSEL RETURNED TO PEARL HARBOR ON MAY 9, 1944 TO TRAIN FOR AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. IT DEPARTED MAY 31, 1944 AND ARRIVED EAST OF SAIPAN ON JUNE 13, 1944. THERE, SUPPORTED INITIAL LANDINGS ON SAIPAN WITH GUNFIRE ON JUNE 15, 1944 AND PROVIDED CLOSE FIRE SUPPORT THEREAFTER. THE WARSHIP FOUGHT OFF NIGHT AIR ATTACKS FROM JUNE 17-19, 1944. OF 40 ENEMY PLANES THAT APPROACHED ON JUNE 17, 1944, USS MORRISON SHOT DOWN THREE. THE DESTROYER SUPPORTED FLIGHT OPERATIONS OFF GUAM IN THE MARIANNA ISLANDS FROM AUGUST 2-10, 1944. HIS SHIP ARRIVED OFF MINDANAO, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1944 AND LED A FORCE TO INTERCEPT AND DESTROY A JAPANESE CONVOY OF 50 SAMPANS AND FREIGHTERS. THE VESSEL THEN SUPPORTED AIRSTRIKE OPERATIONS ON PELELIU IN THE PALAU ISLANDS; THE CAROLINE ISLANDS; AND LUZON, MANILA, AND SAMAR IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 1944. ON OCTOBER 2, 1944, USS MORRISON SAILED FOR PICKET DUTY OFF OKINAWA AND OTHER ISLANDS IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS AND CONTINUED ON SCREEN AND PLANE GUARD OPERATIONS OFF FORMOSA AND NORTHERN LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM OCTOBER 12-17, 1944. DURING THE BATTLE FOR LEYTE GULF IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM OCTOBER 23-26, 1944, HIS SHIP OPERATED OFF LUZON. ON OCTOBER 24, 1944, THE DESTROYER CAME TO THE AID OF THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS PRINCETON (CVL-23), WHICH WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY A JAPANESE BOMB. HIS SHIP PICKED UP APPROXIMATELY 400 SURVIVORS, AND THEN PULLED ALONGSIDE THE CARRIER IN FOUL WEATHER AND ROLLING SEAS TO ASSIST IN FIGHTING FIRES. ONCE ALONGSIDE, THE PITCHING AND ROLLING CARRIER WEDGED ITSELF ON USS MORRISON'S MAST AND FORWARD STACK. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE SHIPS SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET CLEAR OF EACH OTHER; AND SOME TEN MINUTES LATER THE CARRIER MAGAZINES EXPLODED AND THE AFT THIRD OF THE CARRIER BLEW OFF AND HAD TO BE SUNK. AS THE USS PRINCETON SANK, HER MAST SWEPT OVER THE DESTROYER AND THE ‘FOX TROT’ SIGNAL FLAG, USED BY THE CARRIER TO SIGNAL OTHER SHIPS ABOUT THE STATUS OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS ABOARD, WAS TORN LOOSE AND FELL ON THE DECK OF HIS VESSEL. HE RECOVERED THE FLAG AND ON HIS NEXT LEAVE, PRESENTED IT TO HIS PARENTS AS A WAR SOUVENIR. HIS SHIP WAS AWARDED THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN COMING TO THE AID OF THE DOOMED CARRIER. AFTER TAKING SURVIVORS TO ULITHI ATOLL IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS, HIS DAMAGED VESSEL GOT UNDERWAY FOR SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AND ARRIVED ON NOVEMBER 17, 1944. AFTER REPAIRS, HIS SHIP SAILED ON FEBRUARY 9, 1945 TO HAWAII. THEN, ARRIVED OFF OKINAWA ON MARCH 25, 1945 TO SUPPORT THE INVASION OF OKINAWA AND JOINED IN THE PREPARATORY BOMBARDMENT OF THE ISLAND. ON MARCH 31, 1945, THE WARSHIP SANK JAPANESE SUBMARINE I-8. SHE DROPPED A PATTERN OF CHARGES WHICH FORCED THE SUB TO THE SURFACE WHERE IT WAS SUNK BY GUNFIRE. THE SHIP CONTINUED SHORE BOMBARDMENT, NIGHT ILLUMINATION, AND SCREENING OPERATIONS OFF OKINAWA AND ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 11, 1945 TOOK PART IN ILLUMINATING AND SINKING ENEMY LANDING CRAFT ALONG THE BEACH. ON APRIL 14, 1945, MORRISON BEGAN SUSTAINED RADAR PICKET DUTY AND ON APRIL 30, 1945, WAS SHIFTED TO THE MOST CRITICAL STATION ON THE PICKET LINE AS THE FIGHTER DETECTION SHIP. ON MAY 4, 1945, A FORCE OF ABOUT 25 JAPANESE PLANES HEADED TOWARD MORRISON, AND SOME GOT THROUGH THE COMBAT AIR PATROL DEFENSES. AFTER EVADING TWO SUICIDE ATTACKS, A THIRD AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THROUGH INTENSE ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE TO CRASH INTO A STACK AND THE BRIDGE AT 0825 HOURS. THE BLOW INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES AND KNOCKED OUT MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. THE NEXT THREE ENEMY PLANES, DESPITE HEAVY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE, ALSO CRASHED INTO THE DAMAGED SHIP. WITH THE FOURTH HIT, USS MORRISON, HEAVILY DAMAGED, BEGAN TO LIST SHARPLY. THE ATTACKS HAD BADLY DAMAGED COMMUNICATIONS ABOARD HIS VESSEL, WHICH DENIED TRANSMISSION OF THE ORDER TO ABANDON SHIP. TWO EXPLOSIONS THEN OCCURRED ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE BOW LIFTED INTO THE AIR, AND BY 0840 HOURS, THE SHIP PLUNGED BENEATH THE SURFACE. THE SHIP SANK SO QUICKLY THAT MOST MEN BELOW DECKS WERE LOST. SOUNDMAN KERMIT GREENE AND 151 OTHER SHIPMATES WENT DOWN WITH THEIR SHIP. HIS SHIP WAS AWARDED A SECOND NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION FOR HEROISM IN ACTION ON THE PICKET LINE OFF OKINAWA. HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION WITH BRONZE STAR DEVICE, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, 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.