World War II Honoree

James J. Rago

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Smithtown, New York

Honored By

Mary Anne Rago

Relationship

Daughter

ENTERED ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE IN THE U.S. NAVY ON 21 FEBRUARY 1944 IN NEW YORK CITY AND TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT U.S. NAVAL TRAINING CENTER, SAMPSON, NEW YORK. AS A SEAMAN, HE TOOK ADVANCED TRAINING IN FIRE FIGHTING AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERY AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND AND THEN SERVED ON BOTH THE USS TICONDEROGA (CV-14) AND USS BENNINGTON (CV-20) BEFORE HEADING FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ON 15 DECEMBER 1944, THE BENNINGTON GOT UNDERWAY FROM NEW YORK, TRANSITED THE PANAMA CANAL AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR ON 8 JANUARY 1945 AND THEN PROCEEDED TO ULITHI ATOLL IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS WHERE SHE JOINED TASK GROUP 58.1 ON 8 FEBRUARY. OPERATING OUT OF ULITHI, TOOK PART IN STRIKES AGAINST THE JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS (16-17 FEBRUARY AND 25 FEBRUARY), VOLCANO ISLANDS (18 FEBRUARY TO 4 MARCH), OKINAWA (1 MARCH) AND THE RAIDS IN SUPPORT OF THE OKINAWA CAMPAIGN (18 MARCH TO 11 JUNE). ON 5 JUNE, THE CARRIER WAS DAMAGED BY A TYPHOON OFF OKINAWA AND RETIRED TO LEYTE FOR REPAIRS, ARRIVING ON 12 JUNE. WITH REPAIRS COMPLETE, THE CARRIER LEFT LEYTE ON 1 JULY AND FROM 10 JULY TO 15 AUGUST, TOOK PART IN AERIAL RAIDS ON THE JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS. HE CONTINUED WITH OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC, SUPPORTING THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN UNTIL 21 OCTOBER. ON 2 SEPTEMBER, THE SHIP PARTICIPATED IN THE SURRENDER CEREMONIES. AT WAR'S END, AS A PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS, HE WOULD ALSO TAKE PART IN OPERATION MAGIC CARPET BEFORE BEING SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE AT LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK ON 11 APRIL 1946. FOR HIS VALUABLE AND HONORABLE SERVICE HE WOULD RECEIVE THE NAVY COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, CHINA SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, NAVY OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ASIA CLASP AND NEW YORK STATE MEDAL FOR MERIT WITH 3 SILVER SHIELDS.