World War II Honoree

L. J. 'Louie' Cloud

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Lone Wolf, Kiowa County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1943. TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AND THEN DEPLOYED OVERSEAS AND SERVED DURING THE WAR AS A GUNNER’S MATE IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE DESTROYER USS PHILIP (DD-498). THE SHIP'S FIRST COMBAT MISSION TOOK PLACE ON JUNE 30, 1943, WHEN THE WARSHIP BOMBARDED ENEMY FACILITIES IN THE SHORTLAND ISLANDS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA. THE DESTROYER'S FIRST FIGHT WITH ENEMY FORCES WAS AGAINST JAPANESE AIRCRAFT NEAR VELLA LAVELLA ISLAND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. ENEMY DIVE BOMBER AIRCRAFT ATTACKED HIS SHIP BUT THE BOMBS MISSED AND THE PLANES WERE DRIVEN AWAY. AERIAL TORPEDO ATTACKS CONTINUED INTO NIGHTFALL AND ONE TORPEDO PASSED A FEW YARDS OFF THE STERN AND ANOTHER MISSED ALONGSIDE THANKS TO THE SHIP’S EVASIVE MANEUVERS. THE DESTROYER’S GUNS SHOT DOWN ONE OF THE ATTACKING BOMBERS. WHILE LAYING DOWN A SMOKE SCREEN TO CONCEAL THEIR POSITION, HIS SHIP COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER AMERICAN DESTROYER. BOTH SHIPS WERE DAMAGED BUT THE CREWS FIXED THE PROBLEMS AND THE SHIPS STAYED IN THE FIGHT AND SHOT DOWN ANOTHER PLANE. THE JAPANESE CONTINUED TO PRESS THEIR ATTACK BUT THEIR BOMBS AND TORPEDOS NARROWLY MISSED AND TWO ADDITIONAL PLANES WERE DESTROYED. DURING GUNFIRE AT ENEMY MORTAR POSITIONS ON MONO ISLAND IN THE TREASURY ISLANDS OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, ON OCTOBER 27. 1943, ENEMY DIVE BOMBERS ATTACKED BUT HIS SHIP WAS NOT STRUCK. ON JANUARY 8, 1944, THE DESTROYER BOMBARDED CHOISEUL ISLAND AND IN 10 DAYS PROVIDED GUNFIRE SUPPORT AT BOUGAINVILLE. ON FEBRUARY 15, 1944, THE DESTROYER ESCAPED ANOTHER AERIAL ATTACK AT BOUGAINVILLE WITHOUT DAMAGE. THE WARSHIP’S FINAL MISSION DURING THE SOLOMON’S CAMPAIGN WAS A BOMBARDMENT OF EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY ON BOUGAINVILLE’S WESTERN SIDE. THE DESTROYER THEN SAILED TO TAKE PART IN THE MARIANAS CAMPAIGN. FROM JUNE 17, 1944, UNTIL THE END OF JULY, 1944, THE DESTROYER’S GUNS CONTINUALLY FIRED ON ENEMY POSITIONS ON SAIPAN AND TINIAN AGAINST GUN POSITIONS, ENEMY FORCES AND AIRFIELDS. USS PHILIP THEN SAILED TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BEGINNING WITH AN ASSAULT ON MINDORO ISLAND, OFF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF LUZON ON DECEMBER 12-15, 1944. HIS SHIP ESCORTED A SEA-BORNE RESUPPLY CONVOY BETWEEN LEYTE TO MINDORO AND EXPERIENCED FREQUENT AERIAL BOMBING AND ‘KAMIKAZE’ SUICIDE ATTACKS WITHOUT TAKING SERIOUS ENEMY FIRE. THE DESTROYER TOOK ‘FRIENDLY FIRE’ FROM ANOTHER AMERICAN SHIP THAT WAS SHOOTING AT ENEMY AIRCRAFT. THE ROUND PENETRATED A SHIELD ON A WING OF THE BRIDGE AND KILLED ONE SHIPMATE AND WOUNDED ANOTHER. HIS SHIP SUPPORTED THE INVASION OF LINGAYEN GULF ON LUZON BETWEEN JANUARY 5-12, 1944. FIRE SUPPORT MISSIONS WERE CONDUCTED DURING OPERATIONS AT MINDANAO ISLAND SOUTH OF LEYTE IN MARCH, 1944, AND IN THE SULU ARCHIPELAGO IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PHILIPPINES. THE VESSEL SAILED IN APRIL, 1945, TO THE GREATER SUNDA ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO IN THE DUTCH EAST INDIES TO SUPPORT THE BORNEO ISLAND OPERATIONS. MISSIONS WERE TO COVER MINESWEEPING OPERATIONS AND PROVIDE OCCASIONAL FIRE SUPPORT TO ALLIED AUSTRALIAN FORCES UNTIL JULY 19, 1945. AFTER THE END OF THE WAR, DD-498 WAS SENT TO CHINA ON MINE DESTRUCTION DUTIES UNTIL THE END OF 1945. RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES ON DECEMBER 31, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, CHINA SERVICE MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR AND 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (9 SPECIFIC COMBAT OPERATIONS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘ASIA’ CLASP. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES BETWEEN OCTOBER 17, 1944, AND SEPTEMBER 3, 1945. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RATING OF GUNNER’S MATE SECOND CLASS (RATE OF PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS) AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN. REENTERED ACTIVE-DUTY NAVAL SERVICE AFTER THE WAR AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.