World War II Honoree

Bill B. Graham

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Pawnee County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

VOLUNTEERED FOR SERVICE WITH THE U.S. MARITIME SERVICE (USMS) IN 1943. USMS WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING MEN FOR THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE (USMM). ASSIGNED TO SHEEPSHEAD BAY TRAINING STATION IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK FOR BASIC SEAMAN TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING, HE WAS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY IN THE USMS AND WENT TO SEA IN THE MERCHANT MARINE. THE USMM WAS A CIVILIAN AUXILIARY OF THE U.S. NAVY THAT OPERATED A FLEET OF CIVILIAN-OWNED SHIPS THAT CARRIED CARGO AND PASSENGERS TO ALL FRONTS. HE SERVED DURING THE WAR AS A CARPENTER'S MATE ABOARD SHIPS IN BOTH THE ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN-MIDDLE EAST WAR ZONES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND AWARDED THE COMBAT BAR, ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MEDAL, MEDITERRANEAN-MIDDLE EAST WAR ZONE MEDAL, VICTORY MEDAL, AND HONORABLE SERVICE BUTTON. ISSUED THE MERCHANT MARINE SERVICE EMBLEM. ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN THE U.S. ARMY IN 1945. TRAINED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT CAMP HOOD AT KILLEEN, TEXAS. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES, INCLUDING IN JAPAN ON OSHIMA ISLAND, A SMALL ISLAND OFF-SHORE SOME 100 MILES SOUTH OF TOKYO, WITH OCCUPATION FORCES. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘JAPAN’ CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. REENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.