World War II Honoree

James Allen 'Bill' Alford

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Johnston County, North Carolina

Honored By

Arnold Bragg, Jr.

Relationship

Nephew

Enlisted April, 1941. Trained at Norfolk, Virginia Naval Training Station as an aircraft engine mechanic with Aviation Machinist's Mate rating. Served on fleet carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) which was sunk during Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942). Assigned to squadron of Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers, responsible for sinking Japanese carrier Soryu. Was one of 545 USS Yorktown survivors picked up by destroyer USS Balch (DD-363) on June 4, 1942 and transferred to submarine tender USS Fulton (AS-11), arriving at Pearl Harbor on 8 June 1942. Next served on fleet carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) from November 1942 to 1944 on station near Fiji and New Caledonia supporting action against Vila (Solomon Islands), New Georgia, Treasury Islands, Bougainville, Buka, Rabaul, Gilbert Islands, Nauru, Marshall Islands, and Eniwetok. Next served on seaplane tender USS San Pablo (AVP-30) from 1944 to September, 1945 on station near Leyte, Philippine Islands and the South China Sea. Temporary assignment in early 1945 to ACORN 30 (Jinamoc Tacloban, Leyte), a specialized unit for rapid construction and operation of seaplane advance bases. Continued Naval service after WWII.