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Casualty Info
Home Town Springfield, MA
Last Address 82 Linden St Springfield, MA
Casualty Date Apr 06, 1945
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Long Island National Cemetery (VA) - Farmingdale, New York
Wall/Plot Coordinates J 13864
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On 6 April 1945, USS Morris (DD-417) was patrolling station A-11, a Nakajima B5N "Kate", carrying either a heavy bomb or torpedo, closed in on her. Morris's guns scored hits and set the plane afire, but could not stop it. Shortly after 1815, it crashed into the ship on the portside, between the Nos. 1 and 2 guns. Fires caused by the explosions spread quickly. Two hours were needed to bring them under control with another 30 minutes to extinguish them. Morris then returned to Kerama Retto where temporary repairs somewhat corrected her demolished bow and subsequent draft of 18 feet 3 inches, her large protrusion of plating on the starboard side, and her damaged steering.
COX Labaj was killed in action and originally buried at the ArmyCemetery in Kerama Retto. In 1949, his remains were returned to his family for burial in the US.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 6667007
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
Description The Battle of Morotai, part of the Pacific War, began on 15 September 1944, and continued until the end of the war in August 1945. The fighting started when United States and Australian forces landed on the southwest corner of Morotai, a small island in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), which the Allies needed as a base to support the liberation of the Philippines later that year. The invading forces greatly outnumbered the island's Japanese defenders and secured their objectives in two weeks. Japanese reinforcements landed on the island between September and November, but lacked the supplies needed to effectively attack the Allied defensive perimeter. Intermittent fighting continued until the end of the war, with the Japanese troops suffering heavy loss of life from disease and starvation.
Morotai's development into an Allied base began shortly after the landing, and two major airfields were ready for use in October. These and other base facilities played an important role in the liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945. Torpedo boats and aircraft based at Morotai also harassed Japanese positions in the NEI. The island's base facilities were further expanded in 1945 to support the Australian-led Borneo Campaign, and Morotai remained an important logistical hub and command center until the Dutch reestablished their colonial rule in the NEI.