World War II Honoree

Edward Joseph White

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Bronx, New York

Honored By

The Pfersick Family

ENLISTED FOR ACTIVE DUTY ON JULY 16, 1942 AND SENT TO THE NAVAL TRAINING CENTER IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND UTIL FEBRUARY 21, 1943, AND THEN TRANSFERRED AT TRINIDAD TO THE DESTROYER USS OSMOND INGRAM. SERVED ON THIS SHIP IN THE EUROPEAN AND PACIFIC THEATRES UNTIL JANUARY 8, 1946. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE SHIP JOINED THE ANTI-SUBMARINE OFFENSIVE, ESCORTING SHIPS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. PARTICIPATED IN THE SINKING OF A U-BOAT, U-172, FORCING IT TO SURFACE ,THEN FIRING GUNS UNTIL IT SANK AND PRISONERS OF WAR WERE TAKEN ABOARD. HE LATER JOINED AN AMPHIBIOUS FORCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR PRE-INVASION ASSAULTS ON ISLANDS OFF THE FRENCH COAST. HE RETURNED TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA AND WAS ON ESCORT DUTY FROM NEW YORK TO PANAMA, SAN DIEGO, PEARL HARBOR, ENIWETOK AND ULITHI. ON APRIL 2, 1945 HE SAILED WITH AN ASSAULT FORCE FOR OKINAWA UNTIL THAT ISLAND WAS SECURE. DURING JULY, HE WAS ESCORTING SHIPS TO THE PHILIPPINES, NEW GUINEA AND BORNEO. AFTER THE END OF WAR, HE AIDED IN THE OCCUAPTION OF JAPAN, CALLING AT WAKAYAMA, KURE AND NAGOYA UNTIL SAILING FOR HOME. HE LEFT SHIP ON JANUARY 8, 1946 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE TRAINING CENTER, GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS. HE WAS DISCHARGED ON DECEMBER 28, 1946. AWARDED THE AMERICAN THEATRE MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE STAR, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATRE MEDAL WITH 1 STAR, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH 1 BLUE STAR, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION RIBBON AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.