World War II Honoree

Horace B. Hamilton

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Caldwell, Texas

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

Relationship

A Grateful American

Pearl Harbor Survivor. He joined the US Navy in June 1941. He trained in San Diego and was deployed to Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Phoenix, a light cruiser. Missions included three escorts of troops ships for reinforcements to Corregidor Island in the Philippines. Arrived in Pearl Harbor, a few days before December 7, 1944. When the Japanese attack began, the Phoenix avoided several near misses and was able to make it out of the harbor. Once at sea, their orders were to search out and engage the enemy. After three days, they returned to Pearl Harbor. They took 40 men, supplies and ammo off the Nevada. Then, they took a convoy of wounded, civilians and dignitaries, back to San Francisco and made two more such trips. One of their last duty assignments was to transport survivors of the Bataan Death March to area hospitals. Ironically, these were the same men that they delivered to Corregidor, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.