This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Tim Addington, GM3
to remember
Addington, Norman Eston, Jr., FC3c.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Grand Rapids, MI
Last Address Grand Rapids, MI
Casualty Date Oct 25, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Lost At Sea-Unrecovered
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Leyte Campaign (1944)/Battle of Samar
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Norman was on this USS Hole from the time of Commissioning in July 1943 till the sinking and his death in Oct 25, 1944. Ancestry.com collection of US Navy Muster Reports reflects his arrival and advancement on the ship for almost every month between these dates.
Oct 25, 1944 The USS Hole DD-533
When the Japanese Navy counter-attacked to produce the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf, she was operating north of Leyte. A powerful enemy surface force encountered her task group east of Samar on the morning of 25 October, and Hoel and other destroyers valiantly attacked them with guns and torpedoes in order to cover the escort carriers' retreat. Though Hoel was sunk in this Battle off Samar, with the loss of nearly three-quarters of her crew, one which was Norman Eddington, Jr, her sacrifice helped to save all but one of the escort carriers and to deflect the Japanese from their mission of attacking the Leyte invasion force.
Comments/Citation:
Promted from Seaman 1st Class Firecontrolman (S1c fc) to Fire Controlman Ranger Finder 3rd class petty officer (FCR3c) on 1 June 1944.
Memorial Monuments At:
Fort William McKinley / Fort Bonifacio Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery
Manila, Philippines
USS Hoel, a 2050-ton Fletcher class destroyer built at San Francisco, California, was commissioned in late July 1943. After shakedown operations along the west coast, she departed for the Pacific combat zone in October 1943. A month later, she took part in the Gilbert Islands invasion as part of the screen for U.S. escort aircraft carriers. She performed a similar mission during the Marshalls operation during January and February 1944, also providing gunfire support during landings on Eniwetok. .Hoel was based in the south Pacific from March 1944, escorting convoys, performing anti-submarine patrols and serving with the escort carriers of the Third and Seventh Fleets. She also participated in the Peleliu invasion during September 1944.
Hoel continued to operate with escort carriers during the invasion of Leyte in October 1944. When the Japanese Navy counter-attacked to produce the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf, she was operating north of Leyte. A powerful enemy surface force encountered her task group east of Samar on the morning of 25 October, and Hoel and other destroyers valiantly attacked them with guns and torpedoes in order to cover the escort carriers' retreat. Though Hoel was sunk in this Battle off Samar, with the loss of nearly three-quarters of her crew, her sacrifice helped to save all but one of the escort carriers and to deflect the Japanese from their mission of attacking the Leyte invasion force.
