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Contact Info
Home Town Fall River, MA
Last Address Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Nel lived in Fall River for many years and in Tiverton, Rhode Island, for the past 47 years.
Date of Passing Jan 27, 2007
Location of Interment Notre Dame Cemetery - Fall River, Massachusetts
Navy veteran of WW II, USS Halford (DD-480).
Commissioned: 10 April 1943
Decommissioned: 15 May 1946.
Received 7 Battle Stars for service in the Pacific during WWII.
USS HALFORD DD 480
COMMANDING OFFICERS & BATTLE STARS
Lieutenant Commander G.N. Johansen, USN 10 April 1943 to 1 March1944
Lieutenant Commander R.J. Hardy, USN March 1944 to 1 March 1945
Commander R.J. Oliver, USN 1 April 1945 to 1 April 1946
Lieutenant Commander M. Johnson, Jr., USN April 1946 to Inactivation
During World War II, USS HALFORD earned seven Battle Stars on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Medal for participating in the following operations:
1 Star/Consolidation of the Northern Solomon Islands - 1 February 1944
1 Star/Bismarck Archipelago Operation
Green Islands Landing'- 15 February to 19 February 1944
Antishipping sweeps and bombardments of Rabaul and New Ireland - 24 February to 1 March 1944
1 Star/Pacific Raids - 1943
Marcus Island Raid - 31 August 1943
Wake Island Raid - 5-6 October 1943
1 Star/Marianas Operation
Capture and Occupation of Saipan - 14 June to 16 July 1944
Capture and Occupation of Guam - 12 July to 9 August 1944
1 Star/Western Caroline Islands Operation
Capture and Occupation of Southern Palau Islands - 6 Septembe to 14 October 1944
1 Star/Leyte Operation
Leyte Landings - 10 October to 29 November 19
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
Battle of Surigao Strait - 24 October to 26 October 1944
Ormoc Bay Landings - 7 December to 13 December l944
1 Star/Luzon Operation
Mindoro Landings - 12 December to 18 December 1944
Lingayen Gulf Landings 4 January to 18 January 1945
HALFORD has also earned the Navy Occupation Service Medal for the period 7 to 20 September 1945.
Other Comments:
CINCPAC MSG TO PACIFIC FLEET
October 30, 1944
DATE: OCT 30, 44 FROM: RDO HONOLULU TO: PACIFIC FLEET INFO COMMANDER IN CHIEF UNITED STATES FLEET USS HALFORD DD480
THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF PACIFIC FLEET DESIRES TO EXPRESS TO ALL OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE FLEET HIS PRIDE AND GRATITUDE FOR THE COURAGEOUS AND AGGRESSIVE MANNER IN WHICH THEY HAVE DONE THEIR UTMOST TO DESTROY THE ENEMY IN THE RECENT FIGHTING IN THE PACIFIC.
TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN THE AIR ON THE SURFACER AND IN OUR SUBMARINES "WELL DONE".
TO THOSE BRAVE MEN WHO HAVE GALLANTLY GIVEN THEIR LIVES TO ACHIEVE VICGORY FOR OUR COUNTRY OUR REVERED AND LASTING RESPECT X THEIR HIGH EXAMPLE WILL INSPIRE US ALL IN THE COMPLETION OF OUR TASK OF DESTROYING THE ENEMIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)
From Month/Year
February / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal Campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.
In a campaign of attrition fought on land, on sea, and in the air, the Allies wore the Japanese down, inflicting irreplaceable losses on Japanese military assets. The Allies retook some of the Solomon Islands (although resistance continued until the end of the war), and they also isolated and neutralized some Japanese positions, which were then bypassed. The Solomon Islands campaign then converged with the New Guinea campaign.
