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Contact Info
Home Town Buffalo, New york
Last Address Brooksville, Florida
Date of Passing Jul 03, 2002
Location of Interment Forest Lawn Cemetery - Buffalo, New York
Clarence "Bill" Abendschein had entered the US Navy at age 16, with a forged birth certificate. I knew him as "Uncle Bill". Not a blood relative, but instead he was a local neighbor who my parents selected as my Godfather.
He entertained me at a young age with stories of his Navy flying. I picked up snippets here and there as I grew older, and I just wish I had more details now. I missed out on getting to know him better while I was an adult, as he moved to Florida after his retirement from the Niagara Mohawk Power Company, where he worked as a "Lineman" and "Line Crew Foreman".
With my growing interest in Navy history, I feel I cheated myself out of a great learning opportunity by not keeping in better contact with him after he moved to Florida. I cherish the interest the man took in me. This sight gives me a small chance to honor him.
AW1 Carl Mottern, USNR, RET
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Other Comments:
Last Duty Station: Naval Air Reserve Unit Niagara Falls NY
Description The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon from 23–26 October 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion, but was repulsed by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The IJN failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.
It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. By the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
October / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Involved in Anti-Sub and Anti-Ship patrols in support of the retaking of the Phillipines.
