204890 William George Turner US Navy from:Washington State, USA I am writing an autobiographical history of some of my experiences. I had an uncle (my mother's brother) named William Turner who served in the Pacific theater with the US Navy during WW II. I would like to identify the ship he served on and to know more about its mission and history during the war. William Turner was originally from the Montgomery County area of Texas, but joined the Navy in Washington state. Two paragraphs out of my book follow:
Uncle Bill was in the Navy during WW II and had been stationed on a ship in the Pacific Theater. The Ship, possibly an LST, was hit by aircraft fire; it was severely damaged but did not sink. Many sailors were killed or severely wounded during the attack. The carnage was extensive.
Uncle Bill seldom talked about his experience in the Pacific. Occasionally he would tell a little when questioned, but would always just break down and cry. He was always easy to cry; his wife called him “Weeping Willie.” Even so, Uncle Bill would, from time to time, tell of strange things related to his navy experience. For example, he once told of some sailors who had been in the thick of combat that had strings of Japanese ears that they wore around their waists like belts or around their necks like necklaces.
This may be a fairly common story, but I would like to identify the ship if possible. I have an idea that the event occured in 1943, but that is just an impression.
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