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Contact Info
Home Town Roper, NC
Last Address Santa Rosa Sonoma County California
Date of Passing Jan 08, 2009
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
LCDR Cecil Edward "Red" Blount C. E. Blount, USN, designated Naval Aviator (LTA) #6751 in 1940
Cecil ("Red") received his congressional appointment to the U.S.Naval Academy from North Carolina. He graduated with the Class of 1935. Upon graduation, he served on the USS RANGER (CV-4) and then went to ComAirBatFor. In '38 he served on the FARRAGUT and then to NAS Lakehurst, NJ, for his LTA wings. In '40 he served on the TEXAS. In '42 blimp duty took him to Elizabeth City, Santa Ana, South Weymouth, and Trinidad. In '43 he went to the Naval War College. He then went to Brisbane Australia on Com 7th Fleet Staff and then CO of the CARTER HALL (LSD-3) for the Leyte Landing. He was in Pearl Harbor on Com14's staff - Exec of the OBERON and the WRANGELL. In '53 he went to San Juan on ComCarib staff.
LCDR Blount retired in '55 while stationed in Panama. In 1955 he relocated with his family to Corvallis, OR, to pursue a geology degree at Oregon State University. In the '60s and '70s he lived in Rhodesia, Congo, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada returning to Virginia in 1977. In 2006 he relocated to California to be closer to family, and passed away at the age of 97.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Luzon Campaign (1944-45)
From Month/Year
December / 1944
To Month/Year
April / 1945
Description On December 15, 1944, landings against minimal resistance were made on the southern beaches of the island of Mindoro, a key location in the planned Lingayen Gulf operations, in support of major landings scheduled on Luzon. On January 9, 1945, on the south shore of Lingayen Gulf on the western coast of Luzon, General Krueger's Sixth Army landed his first units. Almost 175,000 men followed across the twenty-mile (32 km) beachhead within a few days. With heavy air support, Army units pushed inland, taking Clark Field, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manila, in the last week of January.
Two more major landings followed, one to cut off the Bataan Peninsula, and another, that included a parachute drop, south of Manila. Pincers closed on the city and, on February 3, 1945, elements of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division pushed into the northern outskirts of Manila and the 8th Cavalry Regiment (organized as infantry) passed through the northern suburbs and into the city itself.
As the advance on Manila continued from the north and the south, the Bataan Peninsula was rapidly secured. On February 16, paratroopers and amphibious units simultaneously assaulted the islet of Corregidor. It was necessary to take this stronghold because troops there can block the entrance of Manila Bay. The Americans needed to establish a major harbor base at Manila Bay to support the expected invasion of Japan, planned to begin on November 1, 1945. Resistance on Corregidor ended on February 27, and then all resistance by the Japanese Empire ceased on August 15, 1945, obviating the need for an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands.
Despite initial optimism, fighting in Manila was harsh. It took until March 3 to clear the city of all Japanese troops, and the Japanese Marines, who fought on stubbornly and refused to either surrender or to evacuate as the Japanese Army had done. Fort Drum, a fortified island in Manila Bay near Corregidor, held out until 13 April, when a team of Army troops went ashore and pumped 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the fort, then set off incendiary charges. No Japanese soldiers in Fort Drum survived the blast and fire.
In all, ten U.S. divisions and five independent regiments battled on Luzon, making it the largest American campaign of the Pacific war, involving more troops than the United States had used in North Africa, Italy, or southern France.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
December / 1944
To Month/Year
April / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Carter Hall sailed from Hollandia on 12 October 1944 with the Palo Attack Group of the Northern Attack Force, bound for the landings on Red Beach near Tacloban, San Pedro Bay, P.I. on 20 October. Working efficiently in the apparent chaos that concealed the intricate, smoothly meshed landing plans, Carter Hall's men carried out their key role both in landing their craft and in caring for small craft through 24 October, when she made her retirement as the Battle of Leyte Gulf raged nearby. Her participation in the Leyte operation continued as she carried cargo from New Guinea on a series of runs until 17 November. From then until 30 December, she was stationed in San Pedro Bay as tender and supply ship for landing craft.
Memories Cecil ("Red") received his congressional appointment to the U.S.Naval Academy from North Carolina. He graduated with the Class of 1935. Upon graduation, he served on the USS RANGER (CV-4) and then went to ComAirBatFor. In '38 he served on the FARRAGUT and then to NAS Lakehurst, NJ, for his LTA wings. In '40 he served on the TEXAS. In '42 blimp duty took him to Elizabeth City, Santa Ana, South Weymouth, and Trinidad. In '43 he went to the Naval War College. He then went to the Brisbane on Com 7th Fleet Staff and then CO of the CARTER HALL (LSD-3) for the Leyte Landing. He was in Pearl Harbor on Com14's staff - Exec of the OBERON and the WRANGEL. In '53 he went to San Juan on ComCarib staff.
