World War II Honoree

John Willis Harmon Griffin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Fitzgerald, Georgia

Honored By

Tanner Guskey

Relationship

Great-grandson

He was a carpenter at a Charleston, South Carolina shipyard before Dec 1942 according to his son. He enlisted at Fort McPherson on Dec 22nd, 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was assigned to the 1052nd Engineers, Port Construction & Repair at Fort Joseph Screven, Georgia. He served in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. In January 1944 he was in Papua New Guinea, being treated for Dengue fever. His son recalls a story of them about to make Coca-Cola from a 55-gallon syrup drum when they were attacked by Japanese planes. He is listed among passengers onboard the Cabildo (LSD-16) on Oct 9th, 1945 departing Batangas, Philippines to Sasebo, Japan. In Sasebo, he photographed the port. His service earned him the Bronze Star, Army Good Conduct, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with 3 stars, WW2 Victory, and Philippine Liberation with 2 stars medals and he would be eligible for the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. The war had such an impact on him that he seldom discussed it and took up drinking when he returned home from the front.