World War II Honoree

Samuel Leon 'Sam' Hendrix

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Beggs, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

PARTICIPATED IN THE U.S. NAVY RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) PROGRAM WHILE IN COLLEGE. COMMISSIONED AS AN ENSIGN ABOUT FEBRUARY 28, 1944. ENTERED ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY SERVICE IN 1944. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, INCLUDING AT 5 DIFFERENT PORTS ON THE EAST AND WEST COASTS. HIS SHIP SAILED FROM THE MARE ISLAND NAVAL SHIPYARD, NEAR VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII ON JANUARY 19, 1945. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE COMMUNICATIONS SHIP USS TETON (AGC-14). PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT DURING THE OKINAWA GUNTO OPERATION. USS TETON SAILED FROM HAWAII FOR THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON JANUARY 28, 1945, AND ARRIVED AT LEYTE ON FEBRUARY 21, 1945. THE COMMUNICATIONS SHIP SUBSEQUENTLY SERVED AS FLAGSHIP FOR THE ASSAULT AGAINST THE RYUKYUS ISLANDS, AND ARRIVED OFF OKINAWA ON APRIL 1, 1945, THE DAY THE ASSAULT BEGAN. THE SHIP REMAINED THERE FOR SOME 72 DAYS, CONTROLLING THE LANDING OPERATIONS ON THE HAGUSHI BEACHES, AND THEN PROVIDED STANDBY CONTROL OF OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE AIR OPERATIONS. HIS WARSHIP SURVIVED OVER 150 ‘KAMIKAZE’ SUICIDE PLANE ATTACKS ON THE FLEET DURING THE BATTLE FOR OKINAWA. THE SHIP DEPARTED FOR THE PHILIPPINES ON JUNE 11, 1945, ARRIVED AT SUBIC BAY ON JUNE 15, 1945, AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL AUGUST 17, 1945. HIS SHIP WAS LOCATED IN THE PHILIPPINES ON AUGUST 14, 1945, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS. WORLD WAR II FORMALLY ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945, AND VICTORY OVER JAPAN DAY (V-J DAY) WAS PROCLAIMED. AGC-14 EMBARKED ARMY FORCES FOR THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN AND PROCEEDED TO HONSHU, ARRIVING IN TOKYO BAY ON AUGUST 29, 1945. THE VESSEL WAS PRESENT IN TOKYO BAY ON SEPTEMBER 2. 1945, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES ON BOARD THE BATTLESHIP USS MISSOURI (BB-63). HE PARTICIPATED IN OPERATION ‘MAGIC CARPET’ AFTER THE END OF THE WAR. THIS WAS THE CODE NAME FOR THE RAPID RETURN OF SERVICE PERSONNEL BY WARSHIPS AND TRANSPORT VESSELS FROM THEATER TO THE U.S.A. HIS SHIP SAILED FROM TOKYO BAY ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1945, BOUND FOR GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, WHERE THE VESSEL EMBARKED SOME 750 PASSENGERS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO THE UNITED STATES. THE SHIP ARRIVED AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ON OCTOBER 16, 1945, DISEMBARKED PASSENGERS; AND SAILED BACK TO THE PACIFIC AREA ON OCTOBER 19, 1945. THE SHIP CONTINUED ‘MAGIC-CARPET’ DUTY, RETURNING SERVICEMEN FROM PACIFIC BASES TO THE U.S.A. UNTIL EARLY 1946. AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE SERVICE STAR (1 CAMPAIGN), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AS A LIEUTENANT AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.