World War II Honoree

Henry Melvin Erdley, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Millmont, Pennsylvania

Honored By

William Fischer, Jr.

Relationship

Grateful Citizen

ENTERED ACTIVE SERVICE ON 25 JULY 1944 AT MIFFLINBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. SEA SERVICE FROM 14 FEBRUARY 1945 TO NOVEMBER 1945 AS PART OF THE COMMISSIONING CREW ABOARD USS FALLON (APA-81). SAILING TO PEARL HARBOR IN APRIL, THE SHIP DELIVERING CARGO AND PERSONNEL TO THE MARSHALL AND MARIANAS ISLANDS, THEN RETURNED TO THE U.S. WEST COAST VIA PEARL HARBOR TO LOAD TROOPS FOR HAWAII BEFORE CONTINUING TO ENIWETOK ATOLL. AGAIN RETURNING TO THE U.S. WEST COAST, THE SHIP UNDERWENT REPAIR, THEN MOVED TO HAWAII, LOADED U.S. MARINES, AND AS THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC ENDED WHILE ALREADY IN THEATER, DISEMBARKED THEM AT SASEBO, KYUSHU, JAPAN FOR OCCUPATION DUTY. STEAMING FOR OKINAWA, THE SHIP EMBARKED AS PART OF MAGIC CARPET TROOP REPATRIATION TO THE U.S. WEST COAST. SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE ON 2 JUNE 1946 AT CAMP SHOEMAKER, CALIFORNIA.