World War II Honoree

Rudolph A. Moni, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Jersey City, New Jersey

Honored By

Rudolph A. Moni, Jr.

Relationship

Son

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVY AT THE NAVAL RECRUITING STATION IN NEW YORK AT AGE 20. SERVED AS AN AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE 3RD CLASS OCTOBER 9, 1942 TO DECEMBER 5, 1945. TRAINED AT THE NAVAL TRAINING STATION, NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND AND THE ADVANCED BASED AVIATION TRAINING UNIT, NAVAL AIR STATION, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. ASSIGNED TO SHORE DUTY. HELPED OVERHAUL AND REPAIR GRUMMAN WILDCAT AND HELLCAT FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ENGINES AT THE NAVAL AIR STATION, WILLOW GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA; NAVAL AIR STATION, OTTUMWA, IOWA; AVIATION REPAIR AND OVERHAUL UNIT 1, SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA AND AVIATION REPAIR AND OVERHAUL UNIT 3, NAVAL AIR STATION, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE WORKED ON PRATT AND WHITNEY AND WRIGHT ENGINES. ASSIGNED TO SEA DUTY ABOARD THE USS GARDINERS BAY AVP-39, A SMALL SEAPLANE TENDER, THAT EMBARKED APRIL 20, 1945 FROM NAVAL OPERATING BASE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA TO PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII AND THEN TO ENIWETOK, MARSHALL ISLANDS, SAIPAN AND GUAM. ATTACHED TO HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON, FLEET AIR WINGS 2 AND 1. SERVED AS THE FLAGSHIP OF AN AIR-SEA RESCUE UNIT JUNE 30, 1945 TO JULY 17, 1945. MADE 18 RESCUE MISSIONS OF DOWNED AMERICAN AIRMEN. THE GREATEST THREAT WAS JAPANESE KAMIKAZE PILOTS. PUT UP A SMOKE SCREEN WHENEVER A NAKAJIMA 'OSCAR' FIGHTER PLANE WAS IN THE AREA. ASSIGNED TO TEND PLANES OF RESCUE SQUADRON 6 AT OKINAWA. AUGUST 14, 1945 V-J DAY, INFORMAL SURRENDER OF JAPAN. THE NEXT DAY THEY SET OUT TO SEA AS PART OF THE 3RD FLEET UNDER ADMIRAL 'BULL' HALSEY EN ROUTE TO JAPAN. ENTERED SAGAMI BAY, JAPAN ON AUGUST 28, 1945. TWO DAYS LATER, ASSIGNED TO THE SEAPLANE BASE GROUP OF JAPAN OCCUPATION FORCES. SEPTEMBER 1, 1945 THEY BECAME THE FLAGSHIP OF THE AIR-SEA RESCUE UNIT FOR THE 3RD FLEET. ANCHORED IN TOKYO BAY WITH MORE THAN 250 U.S. NAVY AND ALLIED VESSELS TO WITNESS THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF JAPAN AT 0908 HOURS ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945 ONBOARD THE BATTLESHIP USS MISSOURI BB-63, BENEATH THE AMERICAN FLAG THAT FLEW OVER THE WHITE HOUSE ON 12/7/41, AS A THOUSAND CARRIER BASED GRUMMAN F-6F HELLCAT AND GULL-WINGED VOUGHT F-4U CORSAIR FIGHTER PLANES FLEW OVERHEAD IN FORMATION. BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS IN OKINAWA GUNTO OPERATION, ASSAULT AND OCCUPATION OF OKINAWA GUNTO, JUNE 3, 1945 TO JUNE 30, 1945 AND 3RD FLEET OPERATIONS AGAINST HOMELAND JAPAN JULY 10, 1945 TO JULY 25, 1945. DECORATIONS: GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND A NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE MEDAL WITH ASIA CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT THE U.S. NAVY PERSONNEL SEPARATION CENTER, LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.