Welcome to ELMO's Family Tree
Researching the Families of Eckard, Lail, Moody, & Owl
Website Last Updated: Mon., 8 May 2023
Passings 2016: G. Johnson, R. M.Cooper, Mu Sun Jimenez, V. Wease
Upon his completion of his courses at Princeton, Dad's first assignment, officially dated on February 19th, 1943, was with the Landing Craft Group, Amphibious Forces, Solomons, MD. (To learn about some of the aspects of the the Solomons' role during World War II, please visit: http://www.stat.virginia.edu/bougbttl.txt)
Five months later, on July 10th, 1943 he was assigned to the USS LST 31 (USS Addison County), pictured left on the shores at Enowetok in a photo obtained at Wikipedia. His transfer in hand, Dad traveled to New Orleans to await additional orders.
Research located at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Addison_County_(LST-31) about the ship's history revealed that LST-31 was laid down on 2 February 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 5 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Maurice Endres; accepted by the Navy and placed in reduced commission on 10 July 1943; and sailed to New Orleans where she was placed in full commission on 21 July 1943 with Lieutenant John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR, in command. The new tank landing ship got underway on 29 July for Panama City, Florida where she conducted a series of beaching exercises. LST-31 returned to New Orleans on 7 August to take on cargo for transportation to the Pacific. After a brief port call at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba the vessel transited the Panama Canal on 24 August and joined the Pacific Fleet. She then continued on to San Diego, California where she arrived on 13 September.After participating in beaching exercises in the San Diego area, the ship stopped at Port Hueneme and at San Francisco, California to take on cargo. She left the west coast on 15 October bound for Hawaii, reached Pearl Harbor on the 25th, and began unloading. When this task was completed, LST-31 again weighed anchor on 5 November and shaped a course for the Gilbert Islands. As a member of 5th Amphibious Force, the ship was slated to take part in the assault on Makin Island. LST-31 arrived off Makin on the 20th and began discharging troops and cargo ashore. She remained off that atoll until 3 December, when she got underway to return to Pearl Harbor. Shortly after her arrival, the vessel entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs and alterations. While her engines were being overhauled, additional 40-millimeter and 20-millimeter guns were installed. The yard period ended in early January 1944, and the refurbished vessel then took part in training exercises off Maui in preparation for the forthcoming invasion of the Marshall Islands.
LST-31 was laid down on 2 February 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation; launched on 5 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Maurice Endres; accepted by the Navy and placed in reduced commission on 10 July 1943; and sailed to New Orleans where she was placed in full commission on 21 July 1943 with Lieutenant John D. Schneidau, Jr., USNR, in command. The new tank landing ship got underway on 29 July for Panama City, Florida where she conducted a series of beaching exercises. LST-31 returned to New Orleans on 7 August to take on cargo for transportation to the Pacific. After a brief port call at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba the vessel transited the Panama Canal on 24 August and joined the Pacific Fleet. She then continued on to San Diego, California where she arrived on 13 September.
After participating in beaching exercises in the San Diego area, the ship stopped at Port Hueneme and at San Francisco, California to take on cargo. She left the west coast on 15 October bound for Hawaii, reached Pearl Harbor on the 25th, and began unloading. When this task was completed, LST-31 again weighed anchor on 5 November and shaped a course for the Gilbert Islands. As a member of 5th Amphibious Force, the ship was slated to take part in the assault on Makin Island. LST-31 arrived off Makin on the 20th and began discharging troops and cargo ashore. She remained off that atoll until 3 December, when she got underway to return to Pearl Harbor. Shortly after her arrival, the vessel entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs and alterations. While her engines were being overhauled, additional 40-millimeter and 20-millimeter guns were installed. The yard period ended in early January 1944, and the refurbished vessel then took part in training exercises off Maui in preparation for the forthcoming invasion of the Marshall Islands.
Based upon his handwritten notes and according to his next set of orders was aboard this vessel and was actively involved in the activities the ship undertook until it arrived at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard and he transferred off on January 3rd, 1944.
NOTE: Unfortunately, on July 12th, 1973 the National Archives in St. Louis, MO, where many personnel records spanning from 1912 - 1964 were housed, suffered a severe fire (photo obtained from Wikipedia) in which approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files were lost. My Dad's official file was among those burned. In my posession, I have Dad's copies of his official transfer orders, his promotions, and documentation of his awarded medals
and citations but, because these records were lost, I was unable to obtain the specifics of many of his assignments. However, to provide some general history of some of the campaigns in which he fought or about the groups to which he was assigned, I have researched them and that information and the results of which are included, along with the resource for that information. To learn more about the 1973 fire, please visit: