Service Photo |
Service Details |
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Last Rank
Fireman Apprentice
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Last Primary NEC
FN-0000-Fireman
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Last Rating/NEC Group
Fireman
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Primary Unit
1945-1945, USS Kidd (DD-661)
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Service Years
1944 - 1945
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Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Order of the Golden Dragon
Neptune Subpoena
Panama Canal
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Last Photo |
Personal Details
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Home State
 Alabama | |
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Year of Birth 1927 |
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This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Bersley H. Thomas, Jr. (Tom), SMCS
to remember
Heaton, Fredric B., FA.
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
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Casualty Info
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Home Town Not Specified |
Last Address Castleberry
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Casualty Date Apr 11, 1945 |
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Cause Hostile, Died |
Reason Other Explosive Device |
Location Okinawa |
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Okinawa Gunto Operation |
Location of Interment Not Specified |
Wall/Plot Coordinates Not Specified |
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Last Known Activity
USS Kidd (DD-661)

Kidd sailed 19 February 1945, to join Task Force 58 (TF 58) for the invasion of Okinawa. Trained and battlewise, Kidd played a key role during the first days of the Okinawa campaign, screening battleships, bombarding key targets ashore, rescuing downed pilots, sinking floating mines, providing early warning of raids, guarding heavily damaged Franklin (CV-13), and shooting down kamikazes.
While on picket station 11 April 1945, Kidd and her division mates, USS Black, USS Bullard, and USS Chauncey, with the help of Combat Air Patrol, repelled three air raids. That afternoon a single enemy plane crashed into Kidd, killing 38 men and wounding 55. As the destroyer headed south to rejoin the task group, her effective fire drove off enemy planes trying to finish her.
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Comments/Citation Not Specified
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