World War II Honoree

Cecil Eugene Nelon

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Shawnee, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

ENLISTED IN U.S. NAVY MILITARY SERVICE IN OCTOBER, 1941, AFTER GRADUATING FROM SASAKWA, OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL. TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, INCLUDING AT THE NAVAL BASE AT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, FOR ENTRY-LEVEL 'BOOT CAMP' AND THEN ADVANCED SPECIALTY QUALIFICATION. HE SAILED OVERSEAS AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THE JAPANESE SURPRISE ATTACK ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. HE WAS ASSIGNED OVERSEAS FOR SEA DUTY AS A STOREKEEPER (STORE CLERK) ABOARD THE HEAVY CRUISER USS PENSACOLA (CA-24), NICKNAMED THE 'GREY GHOST,' IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER. HIS SHIP, THE USS PENSACOLA RETURNED TO PEARL HARBOR ON JANUARY 19, 1942, AND PUT TO SEA ON FEBRUARY 5, 1942, TO PATROL THE APPROACHES TO THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. HIS SHIP PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS AT BOUGAINVILLE IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, IN THE SOUTH WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AREA IN 1942; MIDWAY ISLAND IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN AREA IN 1942; SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS, GUADALCANAL, AND THE NAVAL BATTLE OF TASSAFARONGA IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, IN THE SOUTH WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AREA IN 1942; TARAWA AND MAKIN ATOLLS IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS, IN THE WEST CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN AREA IN 1943; AND KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS, IN THE NORTH WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AREA IN 1944. THE VESSEL PATROLLED THE CORAL SEA AND NEAR NEW CALEDONIA IN MARCH-APRIL, 1942, AND SAILED FOR PEARL HARBOR, ARRIVING ON APRIL 21, 1942. USS PENSACOLA DEPARTED PEARL HARBOR MAY 28, 1942, AND ARRIVED NORTHEAST OF MIDWAY ON JUNE 2, 1942. ON JUNE 4, 1942, THE DECISIVE THIRD BATTLE FOR MIDWAY COMMENCED. PENSACOLA RACED FROM SCREENING DUTIES TO AID THE STRICKEN AIRCRAFT CARRIER YORKTOWN DURING THE BATTLE. PENSACOLA ARRIVED AT NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1942, AND DEPARTED OCTOBER 2, 1942 TO STRIKE THE ENEMY IN THE SANTA ISABEL ISLAND-GUADALCANAL AREA. ON OCTOBER 26, 1942, THE BATTLE OF SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS BEGAN. PENSACOLA HELPED FIGHT OFF A COORDINATED DIVE BOMBING AND TORPEDO PLANE RAID. DURING THE BATTLE OF TASSAFARONGA, 1 OF 18 TORPEDOES LAUNCHED BY JAPANESE DESTROYERS HIT PENSACOLA BELOW THE MAINMAST ON THE PORTSIDE. HER ENGINE ROOM FLOODED, TWO PROPELLER SHAFTS BROKE, THREE GUN TURRETS WENT OUT OF COMMISSION, AND HER OIL TANKS RUPTURED AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE OIL-FED FLAMES ENGULFED PENSACOLA’S MAIN DECK AFT WHERE TORPEDOES AND MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION EXPLODED. ONLY GREAT EFFORT AND SKILLED EMERGENCY DAMAGE CONTROL BY HER CREWMEN SAVED THE SHIP. THE FIRE, PUNCTUATED BY EXPLOSION OF 8-INCH PROJECTILES IN HER NUMBER 3 TURRET, GRADUALLY SUBSIDED. PENSACOLA MADE STEADY PROGRESS TOWARDS TULAGI, BUT STILL ARRIVED THERE AFLAME. AFTER TWELVE HOURS THE LAST FIRE WAS DOUSED. HER DEAD INCLUDED 7 OFFICERS AND 118 MEN. ONE OFFICER AND 67 MEN WERE INJURED. USS PENSACOLA MADE REPAIRS IN TULAGI HARBOR THAT ENABLED HER TO STEAM TO ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND, A NEW HEBRIDES ISLAND. SHE ARRIVED THERE DECEMBER 6, 1942, FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS, AND SAILED JANUARY 7, 1943, VIA THE SAMOAN ISLANDS TO PEARL HARBOR, ARRIVING ON JANUARY 27, 1943.THE SHIP WAS OUT OF ACTION UNTIL NOVEMBER 8, 1943. ON NOVEMBER 8, 1943, PENSACOLA SAILED FROM PEARL HARBOR. ON NOVEMBER 19, 1943, PENSACOLA MADE BOMBARDMENT RUNS ON BETIO ISLAND AND TARAWA ATOLL. SHE FIRED 600 PROJECTILES TO PUT COAST DEFENSE GUNS OUT OF ACTION, AND DESTROYED ENEMY BEACH DEFENSES AND NUMEROUS BUILDINGS. ON THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 20, 1943, AT TARAWA, THE WARSHIP FOUGHT OFF JAPANESE TORPEDO BOMBERS AND ASSISTED THE TORPEDO-DAMAGED AIRCRAFT CARRIER INDEPENDENCE (CVL-22) INTO FUNAFUTI ATOLL, IN THE ELLICE ISLANDS. ON JANUARY 29, 1944, HIS SHIP BEGAN BOMBARDMENTS TO DESTROY JAPANESE AIR POWER AND SHIPPING IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. THAT NIGHT PENSACOLA HELPED BOMBARD TARAO ISLAND IN THE EASTERN MARSHALLS. THE HEAVY CRUISER THEN FIRED SHELLS ONTO AIRFIELD RUNWAYS, SEAPLANE RAMPS, AMMUNITION STOWAGE AREAS AND BUILDINGS. THE SHIP CONTINUED ENGAGING TARGETS AS AMERICAN GROUND FORCES LANDED ON JANUARY 31, 1944, TO SEIZE KWAJALEIN AND MAJURO ATOLLS. PENSACOLA CONTINUED FIRES AT TAROA ISLAND AND MALOELAP ATOLL THROUGH FEBRUARY 18, 1944, DESTROYING COAST DEFENSES AND AIR FIELDS IN THE EASTERN MARSHALLS. THE SHIP THEN CONDUCTED RAIDS IN THE CAROLINE ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO FROM MARCH 30-APRIL 1, 1944, AGAINST JAPANESE DEFENSE POSITIONS AT THE PALAU ISLANDS, YAP ISLANDS, AND ULITHI AND WOLEAI ATOLLS. PENSACOLA DEPARTED MAJURO ATOLL ON APRIL 25, 1944, SAILING VIA PEARL HARBOR AND MARE ISLAND AT VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA, FOR DUTY IN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC, ARRIVING IN KULAK BAY IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS ON NORTHEAST ADAK ISLAND, ALASKA ON MAY 27, 1944. ON JUNE 13, 1944, HIS SHIP FIRED ON MATSUWA ISLAND, IN THE KURILE ISLANDS, IN THE SEA OF OSHOTSX IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC OCEAN AREA. ON JUNE 26, 1944, THE CRUISER FIRED 300 8-INCH PROJECTILES TO DESTROY JAPANESE NAVAL SHIPPING, AIRFIELDS AND INSTALLATIONS AT KURABU ZAKI, AN ISLAND WITH AN AIR AND NAVAL BASE IN THE ONEKOTAN STRAIT, AND AT PARAMUSHIRU, A STRONGLY-MANNED JAPANESE NAVY AND ARMY FORCE ON A LARGE ISLAND IN THE NORTHERN KURILE ISLAND CHAIN. THE SITE HAD NUMEROUS COASTAL ARTILLERY POSITIONS, FORTIFIED BUNKERS, AIRFIELDS AND A WARNING RADAR FACILITY. THE HEAVY CRUISER RETURNED TO KULAK BAY ON JUNE 28,1944. PENSACOLA CONTINUED PATROLLING IN ALASKAN WATERS UNTIL DEPARTING KULAK BAY ON AUGUST 8, 1944, FOR HAWAII AND ARRIVED AT PEARL HARBOR ON AUGUST 13, 1944. AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. USS PENSACOLA WAS AWARDED 13 BATTLE STARS FOR WWII SERVICE. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN EARLY 1945, WITH THE RATE OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.