World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Vereen McNeill Bell
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Cairo, Georgia
Honored By
Pearl Thomas
He entered the U.S. Navy on April 16, 1943. Served in the Composite Squadron VC-10 on the escort aircraft carrier USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) for navy air combat intelligence duty. Participated in the invasion of Saipan, Tinian and Guam. During the Battle off Samar the ship was sunk on October 25, 1944, the only American aircraft carrier to be sunk by enemy gunfire during the war. Fatally injured, he died the next day and was buried at sea off Samar Island in the Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars.