World War II Honoree

William H. Gibbs, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Nashville, Tennessee

Honored By

Barbara Gibbs Patterson

Relationship

Daughter

ON HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY, MARCH 29, 1945, MY FATHER DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND JOINED THE U.S. NAVY. HE WANTED TO JOIN BECAUSE HIS TWO OLDER BROTHERS HAD ALREADY JOINED UP. HIS DAD TOOK HIM TO UNION STATION IN NASHVILLE AND HE RODE BY TRAIN TO BOOT CAMP IN GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS. HE SAW ACTION IN THE PACIFIC. HIS SHIP, THE USS WARREN, CARRIED A NUMBER OF TROOPS. THEY LANDED THE FIRST GROUP OF SEABEES (NAVY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS) AT OKINAWA. THEY WERE SENT THERE TO BUILD AN AIRFIELD FOR THE B-29 SUPER FORTRESS BOMBERS. HE FACED EXTENSIVE DANGERS SUCH AS KAMIKAZES (SUICIDE PLANES) SENT BY JAPAN AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT TO DESTROY U.S. SHIPPING AND AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN THE PACIFIC AND A FEW TIMES, HE ENCOUNTERED SNIPERS, WHO TIED THEMSELVES TO PALM TREES AND SHOT DOWN AT THE U.S. TROOPS LANDING BELOW. HE OBSERVED ALSO THE MASS JAPANESE CIVILIAN SUICIDES THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND. AMERICANS TRIED, BUT COULD NOT STOP OR PREVENT IT. THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE END OF THE WAR FOR HIM. AFTER THAT, HE WENT TO CHINA AND SAW THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. HE COMPLETED HIS TWO YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE NAVY AS A SEAMAN ON A TUGBOAT IN GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA. HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE NAVY AT THE AGE OF 21.