World War II Honoree

Frank L. Allen

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

San Francisco, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Aviation Radioman Second Class. Inducted into the United States Navy from California, with recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from boot camp and Radio Schooling, he was transferred to the USS Liscome Bay Escort Aircraft Carrier, CVE-56 for duty as a Radio Technician and assigned to Composite Squadron 39 Location: Pacific Theater of Operations. On November 19, 1943 the Carrier and her shipmates, along with an armada of U.S. Battleships, Destroyers, Cruisers and other Warships were off-shore of Makin Atoll in support of the impending invasion of Tarawa, Operation Galvanic. Reported missing in action or buried at sea November 24, 1943 when the seagoing airbase was torpedoed and sunk by an Imperial Japanese Submarine. Later his missing in action status ultimately, to read killed in action November 25, 1944. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Honolulu Memorial Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.