World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Martin William Bender
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Long Beach, California
Honored By
Mary Bender & Gloria M. Rampelt
Relationship
Wife & Cousin
MASTER MACHINIST'S MATE, CAREER NAVY MAN, PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR ON THE BATTLESHIP USS CALIFORNIA BB-44. ASSIGNED TO THE USS ASTORIA CA-34 SUNK AT SALVO ISLAND AUGUST 9, 1942. PICKED UP BY THE USS HELM DD-388 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE USS O'BRIEN DD-415 SEPTEMBER 1, 1942. TORPEDOED ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1942, SHIP SUNK ON OCTOBER 19, 1942. ASSIGNED TO MANUS IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS WITH SQUADRON FROM NOVEMBER 10, 1942 TO MID-SUMMER 1944. ASSIGNED TO USS HANCOCK CV-19 SEPTEMBER 1944 AND FOUGHT IN 9 COMBAT OPERATIONS IN WHICH SHE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY KAMIKAZE ON APRIL 1, 1945. SERVED ON THIS SHIP UNTIL HE ARRIVED HOME TO U.S. NOVEMBER 1945.