World War II Honoree

Ross 'Bill' Davenport

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Manhattan, Kansas

Honored By

Warren W. Davenport & Monica Davenport Rose

Relationship

Brother & Niece

MOTOR MACHINIST'S MATE 2ND CLASS. SERVED FROM 1941 TO 1947. HE WAS TRAINED AT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN. HE WAS SERVING ON THE USS NARWHAL SS-167 OFF THE COAST OF HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 WHEN THE JAPANESE BOMBED PEARL HARBOR. THE USS NARWHAL SS-167 WAS NOT DAMAGED. IT SERVED IN MANY ATTACKS ON JAPANESE POSSESSIONS. THE USS NARWHAL SS-167 WAS ATTACKED BY THREE JAPANESE DESTROYERS AND HAD TO SINK TO THE BOTTOM FOR REPAIRS BEFORE RETURNING TO PEARL HARBOR AND THEN ON TO SAN DIEGO. AT THIS TIME, HE LEFT THE USS NARWHAL SS-167. HE SERVED ON A TRAINING SUBMARINE OFF THE FLORIDA COAST BEFORE RETURNING TO THE PACIFIC. THE SUBMARINE HE WAS NOW ASSIGNED TO WAS FENCING WITH THE JAPANESE SUBMARINE I-13, THE SECOND LARGEST SUBMARINE IN THE JAPANESE FLEET, IN THE INDIAN OCEAN WHEN WORD CAME DOWN THAT JAPAN HAD SURRENDERED. THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED THEIR SUBMARINE TO HIS SUBMARINE AND HE AND A FEW OTHERS WERE SENT TO BOARD THE ENEMY SUBMARINE TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THE SAILORS COMMITTED HARI-KARI OR ATTEMPTED TO HARM THEIR OWN SHIP. HE SAILED THIS SUBMARINE TO TOKYO AND WAS THERE FOR THE SIGNING OF THE PEACE TREATY IN 1945. ENDED HIS WWII EXPERIENCE SERVING ON MILITARY ALERT AT THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE. HE WAS SENT TO PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FOR DISCHARGE.