World War II Honoree

Clarence Childs Collie, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Little Rock, Arkansas

Honored By

G. H. King

Entered Naval ROTC program at University of Pennsylvania in September, 1940. Degree and ROTC programs were accelerated after Pearl Harbor. Commissioned in summer 1943 as Ensign and assigned to a 2,200 ton Sumner Class destroyer under construction. While ship was being completed he attended Navy radar schools at Virginia Beach, Virginia, St. Simon Island, Georgia and Hollywood, Florida conducted in resort hotels taken over by Navy for training. Was member of the commissioning crew (plank owner) of USS Blue DD-744 on March 20, 1944. After a shakedown cruise in the Atlantic, Blue passed through the Panama Canal and sailed via Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to Eniwetok to join the fast carrier task force in July, 1944. He attended another radar school at Pearl Harbor. Blue operated with Task Force 38/58 of the Third Fleet under Halsey and Spruance until the end of the war. He served as Communication Officer, Radar Officer and Combat Information Center (CIS) Officer on the USS Blue DD-744. The Blue was awarded seven battle stars for action at Palau, Guam, Tinian, Philippine Islands, Formosa, South China Sea, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan. It survived three typhoons and numerous kamikaze attacks while on picket duty at Okinawa. Blue was part of 3rd Fleet which conducted attacks against the Japanese home islands 10 July-15 August 1945. On night of 22/23 July 1945 Blue was one of nine destroyers of Destroyer Squadron #61 operating off Japanese mainland Honshu in Sagami Gulf that participated in a raid on enemy shipping in Tokyo Bay. Raid was credited with sinking 3 or 4 Japanese ships. In late August 1945 he was part of 17 man boarding party from the Blue which accepted surrender of the Japanese submarine I-400. Blue entered Tokyo Bay again on 2 September 1945 and was anchored 1000 yards from the Battleship Missouri for the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender the same day. She returned to the U.S. shortly thereafter. He earned medals for the American Campaign, American Defense, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with six stars, Philippine Liberation Campaign with one star and the WWII Victory. He was detached from the USS Blue in February 1946 and discharged from the Navy at rank of lieutenant junior grade in May 1946 at Millington Air Base, Tennessee.