AAF KIA Dog Tags

[RDUNE]

Hello all,

 

I just wanted to post a pair of tags I recently added to the collection. I really haven't had a great deal of time for research lately but I'm hoping to find out more about him from the Yakima library when they get back to me. He was killed in the pacific on 11/12/1944 but the details are still unknown to me. I will post more information as I find it. I find it interesting that the tags lack a tetanus date and the NOK address has the wrong state on one tag.

 

Thanks for looking

 

-Ryan

[RDUNE]

Headstone application:

 

[RDUNE]

Headstone:

 

[USdog]

Great set!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AustinO]

Beginning around noon on November 12th 1944, 12 Kamikaze Zeros attacked a merchant convoy at Leyte Gulf. Aboard the SS Thomas Nelson, Carlton would have been waiting for lunch in the number 4 hold (aft) along with other 345th BG men (they were waiting to disembark as the BG was moving forward, mostly groundscrew but also some aircrew). A Zero slipped through the light anti-aircraft fire and made contact with the rigging and deck of the ship before tumbling into the ocean. On contact, the Zero's fuel tanks were ruptured and poured flaming gasoline all along the aft portion of the ship. There were over 100 345th men killed aboard that day.

 

An account of what occurred can be read on this site:

https://www.armed-guard.com/sanborn.html

 

Edit: It looks like the SS Morrison R Waite (also hit by a Kamikaze) was caring 345th men as well, so he could have been on either ship. (Though per the below it looks like the Waite had the 499th and 501st Squadrons aboard.)

http://www.usmm.org/wsa/waite.html

https://500thbsq-b25s.com/mem/waite.html

[RDUNE]

AustinO, Thanks so much for the information. I really appreciate you taking the time to find and post it

 

I'm hoping that my multiple requests for information from the Yakima library, genealogy society and museum will add more information to this service members story.

 

-Ryan