World War II Honoree

William W. 'Bill' Mosley

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Reed, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 24, 1944. ASSIGNED TO HIS FIRST SHIP, AND FOLLOWING TRAINING IN PUGET SOUND, USS MATANIKAU STEAMED TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA ON JULY 25, 1944. HIS SHIP DEPARTED ON AUGUST 1, 1944 ON A FERRYING RUN TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC WITH 191 MILITARY PASSENGERS AND 56 PLANES ABOARD. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE ESCORT AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS MATANIKAU (CVE-101). THE WARSHIP SAILED VIA ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND IN THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS AND FINSCHAFEN ON NEW GUINEA, AND REACHED MANUS ISLAND IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ON AUGUST 23, 1944. AFTER DISCHARGING MEN AND PLANES, THE VESSEL CARRIED 112 SAILORS AND 41 DAMAGED AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE WEST COAST, ARRIVING AT SAN DIEGO ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1944. THE CARRIER'S RUN TO THE ADMIRALTIES AND BACK WAS THE CLOSEST THE SHIP CAME TO COMBAT AT SEA IN THE PACIFIC. ON OCTOBER 14, 1944, THE VESSEL EMBARKED A TRAINING SQUADRON AND BEGAN DUTY AS A QUALIFICATION CARRIER FOR NAVAL AND MARINE AVIATORS. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER OPERATED ALONG THE WEST COAST OUT OF SAN DIEGO DURING THE CLOSING MONTHS OF WORLD WAR II; AND CONDUCTED FLIGHT TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION LANDINGS FOR MORE THAN 8 MONTHS. CVE-101 DEPARTED SAN DIEGO ON JULY 28, 1945 AND CARRIED 65 PLANES AND 158 TROOPS TO THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. REACHED ROI ISLAND, IN THE KWAJALEIN ISLANDS ATOLL ON AUGUST 10, 1945; THEN RETURNED TO PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON AUGUST 16, 1945. ON AUGUST 31, 1945, SAILED FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC TO SUPPORT OCCUPATION OPERATIONS IN JAPAN AND REACHED OMINATO NAVY BASE ON NORTHERN HONSHU, JAPAN ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1945. DURING THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, THE SHIP SUPPORTED OPERATIONS ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONSHU, INCLUDING LANDINGS BY THE EIGHTH ARMY AT AOMORI ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1945. AFTER STEAMING TO YOKOSUKA NAVY YARD ON TOKYO BAY, JAPAN, HIS SHIP DEPARTED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1945, SAILED VIA GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS AND PEARL HARBOR, AND ARRIVED AT SAN FRANCISCO ON OCTOBER 23, 1945. THE ESCORT CARRIER WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO 'MAGIC CARPET' DUTY. THIS WAS THE CODE NAME FOR THE RAPID RETURN OF SERVICE PERSONNEL BY WARSHIPS AND TRANSPORT VESSELS FROM THEATER TO THE U.S.A. BETWEEN NOVEMBER 3-19, 1945, THE CARRIER STEAMED TO SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS WHERE SHE EMBARKED MORE THAN 1,000 RETURNING VETERANS. DEPARTED FOR THE WEST COAST AND REACHED SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA ON DECEMBER 5, 1945. SIX DAYS LATER, SAILED FOR THE MARIANAS AND ARRIVED AT GUAM ON DECEMBER 27, 1945. THERE, EMBARKED 795 TROOPS OF THE 3RD MARINE DIVISION, DEPARTED THE NEXT DAY FOR CHINA, AND ARRIVED AT TAKU ON BOHAI BAY IN NORTHEASTERN CHINA ON JANUARY 3, 1946. IMMEDIATELY DISEMBARKED THE COMPLEMENT OF MARINES WHO WERE PART OF AN AMERICAN FORCE SUPPORTING THE CHINESE NATIONALISTS IN THEIR STRUGGLE AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS FOR CONTROL OF CHINA. SAILED FOR THE UNITED STATES ON JANUARY 9, 1946 AND ENTERED SAN DIEGO HARBOR ON JANUARY 29, 1946. BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1-5, 1946, THE SHIP STEAMED TO TACOMA, WASHINGTON, AND REMAINED THERE DURING THE NEXT 8 MONTHS IN AN INACTIVE STATUS. HIS SHIP, USS MATANIKAU WAS DECOMMISSIONED ON OCTOBER 11, 1946. AWARDED THE CHINA SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON MAY 9, 1946 AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.