World War II Honoree

Matthew Lewis Coyle

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Spokane, Washington

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Seaman Second Class. Inducted into the United States Navy August 14, 1942 at Seattle, Washington, with recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from boot camp, he was transferred to the USS New Orleans Cruiser, CA-32 for duty as an on-the-job trainee. Friday, August 7, 1942 the Cruiser and her shipmates, along with an armada of U.S. Warships, Rendezvous’ off-shore of Guadalcanal, in support of the impending invasion Location: South Pacific Theater of Operations. Monday, November 30, 1942 he was reported missing in action or lost at sea, when the Cruiser was torpedoed by an Imperial Japanese Destroyer. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Location: Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippine Islands. Later his missing in action status ultimately, to read killed in action Monday, December 1, 1943. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.