World War II Honoree

Cornell Ross Binkley

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Joelton, Tennessee

Honored By

Fay Rogers

Relationship

Sister

SEAMAN 1ST CLASS. SERVED ON LST-965. THE CREW DOWNED TWO KAMIKAZE PLANES. THE SHIP WAS LOADED WITH HIGH OCTANE GAS AND THEY WERE BEING FIRED UPON. THEY NARROWLY ESCAPED, BUT LOST THE SHIP NEXT TO THEM. HE SAID SURVIVING TWO TYPHOONS, MAINLY THE ONE OF SEPTEMBER 1945 AT OKINAWA, WHERE 60 SHIPS WENT BY THEM AT INCREDIBLE SPEEDS, PROPELLED BY THE TYPHOON, WAS INCREDIBLE. THEIR SHIP CREW HAD PREPARED AND WERE SECURED, BUT THE TYPHOON BLEW THEM SIDEWAYS ONTO A LEVY AND TORE A HOLE IN THE BOILER ROOM. SO THEY HAD TO BE TOWED AND THIS WAS WHEN THE SECOND KAMIKAZE ATTACK TOOK PLACE.