World War II Honoree

Jack E. Musgrove

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Vancouver, Washington

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

VOLUNTEERED FOR SERVICE WITH THE U.S. MARITIME SERVICE (USMS) IN 1944. USMS WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING MEN FOR THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE (USMM). ASSIGNED TO THE MARITIME SERVICE TRAINING STATION AT AVALON ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, OFF LONG BEACH IN CALIFORNIA FOR BASIC SEAMAN TRAINING AND THEN TO THE MARITIME SERVICE RADIO TRAINING STATION, ON HOFFMAN ISLAND, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK. 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. SERVED DURING THE WAR AS A RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD CARGO SHIPS IN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEAN AREAS, AND IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION ‘MAGIC CARPET’ AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES. 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 ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MEDAL, MEDITERRANEAN-MIDDLE EAST WAR ZONE MEDAL, PACIFIC WAR ZONE MEDAL, VICTORY MEDAL, AND HONORABLE SERVICE BUTTON. DISCHARGED IN 1945 AND ISSUED THE MERCHANT MARINE SERVICE EMBLEM.