World War II Honoree

Burt R. Geraghty

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Rockville Center, New York

Honored By

Michael J. Lynett

In 1943 at the age of 17, He enlisted in the United States Navy. He was stationed on the USS Monongahela (AO-42) which was assigned to the Pacific fleet during WWII. He and his fellow brothers in arms were part of a long seaborne pipeline continuously operating to provide fuel oil, gasoline, ammunition and various dry cargo for the invasion of the Marshall Islands, every major central Pacific operation, The battle of the Philippine Sea, Leyte, the liberation of the Philippine Islands, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. The Monongahela was one of a group of oilers that made the extremely dangerous journey through the Surigao Straight into the East China Sea to refuel Admiral Halsey’s 3rd Fleet during its raids on the Indochinese and China coasts. He was honorably discharged as a Water Tender 3rd Class.