World War II Honoree

Orville L. 'Larry' Quillen

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

New York, New York

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, AFTER THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941, HE VOLUNTEERED FOR AIR RAID WARDEN SERVICE. HE WAS GIVEN FIRST AID TRAINING,TAUGHT HOW TO FIGHT INCENDIARY BOMB FIRES, ISSUED A HELMET AND ARMBAND, AND ASSIGNED A PATROL AREA WHERE HE WAS TO LOOK FOR BLACKOUT VIOLATIONS. HE JOINED HIS SCHOOL'S RIFLE TEAM AND LEARNED HOW TO PROPERLY HANDLE A RIFLE AND MARCH IN FORMATION. DURING HIS SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, IN FEBRUARY, 1943, AFTER HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY, HE RECEIVED HIS DRAFT NOTICE AND REPORTED TO THE INDUCTION CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. NAVY AND SENT TO THE RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND, NAVAL TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER AT CAMP PEARY AT WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING, HE WAS FURTHER ASSIGNED TO NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION MAINTENANCE UNIT 531 (CBMU 531) AT THE U.S. NAVAL BASE, ADVANCE BASE DEPOT AT PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA. HIS BATTALION SAILED FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ABOARD A 'LIBERTY' SHIP AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII. SERVED AS A SEABEE OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. CBMU 531 SHIPPED OUT OF PEARL HARBOR AND ARRIVED IN THE MIDWAY ISLANDS, A CORAL ATOLL AND A U.S. TERRITORY IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC AREA. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO EASTERN ISLAND, WHICH WAS A NAVY SUBMARINE BASE AND INCLUDED AN AIRFIELD. HE PRIMARILY PERFORMED MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION DUTIES AND WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO MAN A 37MM CANNON AS AN ADDITIONAL DUTY. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR ON MIDWAY, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE ISLAND OF OAHU, HAWAII, WHERE HE WAS STATIONED AT MARINE AIR STATION EVA. AFTER TAKING LEAVE IN THE UNITED STATES AND BEING REASSIGNED TO THE 56TH NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION, HE REPORTED TO BAYONNE NEW JERSEY FOR OVERSEAS TRANSPORTATION. HE SAILED TO GUAM, A U.S. TERRITORY IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, VIA THE PANAMA CANAL, ABOARD THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), AND LANDED AT AGANA, GUAM. HE SERVED ON GUAM FOR SOME 3 MONTHS BEFORE BEING RETURNED TO THE STATES. AWARDED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN MARCH, 1946 AT LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.