World War II Honoree

George "Buddy" Wilbur

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Avoca, Pennsylvania

Honored By

William Fischer, Jr.

ENTERED ACTIVE SERVICE ON 22 AUGUST 1942 AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. SEA SERVICE FROM 29 SEPTEMBER 1942 TO 26 DECEMBER 1942 ABOARD USS CHARLES CARROLL (APA-28) SUPPORTING CENTER ATTACK GROUP LANDINGS AT FEDHALA, FRENCH MOROCCO, THEN HEADED TOWARD THE PACIFIC THEATER BUT PUT IN AT BALBOA, CANAL ZONE, FOR REPAIR AFTER STRIKING A MINE; RETURNED TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOR TRAINING OPERATIONS. REASSIGNED TO THE USS HENRY T. ALLEN (APA-15) FROM 8 JUNE 1943 TO 8 OCTOBER 1943 SUPPORTING TROOP TRANSPORT BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW GUINEA, NARROWLY AVOIDING AN ATTACKING TORPEDO ON 13 JULY 1943. RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES, WAS PART OF THE COMMISSIONING CREW ABOARD THE USS BLUE RIDGE (AGC-2) FROM 8 OCTOBER 1943 TO 8 OCTOBER 1944, SERVING AS FLAGSHIP FOR THE SEVENTH AMPHIBIOUS FORCE, PUTTING OUT FROM BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, FOR AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS ALONG THE NEW GUINEA COAST. FROM 4 DECEMBER 1944 TO 29 NOVEMBER 1945, WAS ASSIGNED TO THE USS BRAXTON (APA-138) COMMISSIONING CREW CONDUCTING AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISES ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST BEFORE MOVING TO PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, AND THEN TO THE MARSHALL ISLANDS AND GUAM, TAKING BATTLE CASUALTIES BACK TO CALIFORNIA. RETURNING TO THE PACIFIC, THE SHIP MOVED TO THE MARSHALLS, SAIPAN, AND OKINAWA, BEFORE HEADING TO HONSHU, YOKOSUKA, NAGASAKI, AND NAGOYA, JAPAN, MAKING SEVERAL TRIPS TO LOAD, THEN DISEMBARK POST-WAR OCCUPATION TROOPS. GEORGE'S LAST VOYAGE WAS USS BRAXTON'S PARTICIPATION IN "OPERATION MAGIC CARPET" BRINGING TROOPS HOME TO SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA. SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE ON 16 DECEMBER 1945 AT US NAVAL SEPARATION CENTER, BAINBRIDGE, MARYLAND.