World War II Honoree

Darrell Leroy 'Blur' Gambill

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Pawnee, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE AND ENTERED ACTIVE DUTY ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1943. TOOK BOOT CAMP TRAINING AT THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA WITH THE RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND. REASSIGNED TO TREASURE ISLAND AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE RECEIVED TRAINING AT THE NAVAL ARMED GUARD CENTER AT THE NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL (ARMED GUARD GUNNERY). ALSO TRAINED AT THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER AT THE NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL (ARMED GUARD VISUAL SIGNALS), WHERE HE RECEIVED SEMAPHORE TRAINING ON THE USE OF FLAGS, AND FLASHING SIGNAL LIGHTS USING THE MORSE CODE, FOR SIGNALLING. MOVED TO TERMINAL ISLAND AT SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE BOARDED HIS FIRST SHIP, WITH DUTIES AS PART OF THE ARMED GUARD ABOARD A MERCHANT MARINE VESSEL. THE ARMED GUARDS WERE U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL PLACED ON BOARD MERCHANT MARINE - CIVILIAN-OWNED SHIPS THAT CARRIED CARGO AND PASSENGERS TO ALL FRONTS. THEIR JOB WAS TO MAN DEFENSIVE GUNS FITTED ABOARD SHIP TO PROTECT AGAINST AIR OR SEA ATTACKS. HIS SHIP SAILED FROM TERMINAL ISLAND AND HE SERVED OVERSEAS AS A SEAMAN AND MEMBER OF THE ARMED GUARD IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AND EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATERS DURING THE WAR. SERVED ABOARD A NUMBER OF MERCHANT MARINE SHIPS OPERATING PRIMARILY FROM WEST COAST PORTS IN CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON. HIS SHIPS OPERATED IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND IN THE NORTH, CENTRAL, AND SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN AREAS. PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN ALASKA, INCLUDING AT TELLER, NORTH OF NOME ON THE SEWARD PENINSULA NEAR THE BEARING STRAIT, AND IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, INCLUDING AT DUTCH HARBOR. ALSO TOOK PART IN OPERATIONS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, AND MARIANA ISLANDS AT SAIPAN AND GUAM. ONE OF HIS WAR MEMORIES WAS WHILE HIS SHIP WAS ANCHORED AT GUAM AND ANOTHER SHIP WAS ANCHORED ALONGSIDE. NURSES EMBARKED ABOARD THE OTHER SHIP HAD TO MOVE ACROSS HIS SHIP TO REACH THE BEACH SHORE AREA. DURING THEIR MOVE, THE AIR RAID SIREN SOUNDED AND ALL HANDS ABOARD, INCLUDING THE NURSES, MOVED BELOW DECKS TO SEEK COVER. AS IT TURNED OUT, IT WAS A FALSE ALARM AND THERE WERE NO ENEMY PLANES DETECTED. HE OFTEN WONDERED IF IT WAS ALL A PRANK TO GET UNDER COVER WITH THE LADIES. HIS SHIP WAS EN ROUTE TO ALASKA WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A RUSSIAN SHIP IN THE DARK OF NIGHT IN THE FOG. HIS SHIP THEN LIMPED INTO PORT AT DUTCH HARBOR FOR REPAIRS. IT WAS ALSO ON THIS VOYAGE THAT THE NEWS OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S DEATH ON APRIL 12, 1945 WAS ANNOUNCED TO THE CREW. HE WAS ON LEAVE IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA WHEN THE WAR ENDED AND PRESIDENT TRUMAN PROCLAIMED VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J) DAY ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. HE RECALLS THE PEOPLE OF THAT CITY CELEBRATING AND TREATING ALL SERVICEMEN AS HEROES. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON APRIL 30, 1946 FROM THE NAVAL PERSONNEL SEPARATION CENTER AT SHOEMAKER, CALIFORNIA WITH THE RATING OF SEAMAN FIRST CLASS, SIGNAL STRIKER AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.