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William Burke Hammond

BRANCH OF SERVICE
U.S. Navy

HOMETOWN
Paoli, IN

HONORED BY
Grateful American
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
ENLISTED ON 12 APRIL 1943 AT LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. DISCHARGED NOVEMBER 1945. REPORTED ABOARD THE USS MAHAN DD-364 ON 12 DECEMBER 1943 IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. BOMBARDED SHORE DEFENSES ON NEW BRITAIN NEAR GLOUCESTER. FEBRUARY 1944, SUPPORTED LANDING ON THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, GUAM, SAIPAN AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 7 DECEMBER 1944, WAS HIT BY THREE KAMIKAZE AIRCRAFT ON THE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND EXPLODING INTO FLAMES. DAMAGE WAS TOO GREAT TO SAVE THE MAHAN AND IT WAS ABANDONED AND SUNK BY A U.S. NAVY DESTROYER. REPORTED ABOARD THE USS CHARLES P. CECIL DD-835 SAILED HER FROM BATH, MAINE TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. DEPARTED HER ON 20 NOVEMBER 1945 FOR DISCHARGE. RATING OF SIGNALMAN SECOND CLASS PETTY OFFICER.