Steward’s Mate First Class Willie Lee Ford 8400932 KIA

Steward’s Mate First Class Willie Lee Ford 8400932 US Army. He was the son of Mr. Lucile Staker of Gilmer Texas He attended Valley View high School. He entered the Navy, in 1943, trained at Mare Island, Cal. Served in ETO and PTO he served aboard the USS Curtis (AV-4). The USS Curtiss sailed to Okinawa, arriving on May 22, 1945 to serve as flagship for Commander, Fleet Air Wing 1. On 21 June, a kamikaze and its bomb ripped two holes in her hull and detonated on the third deck, killing 35 including Fordand wounding 21 of her crew. Damage control kept her afloat and four days later she was underway for an overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard. He was  killed in Action on June 21, 1945. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal (PHM), The American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal (PTO), European theater of operations Medal with Battle Stars, and the World War Two Victory Medal. 

 

1- Men and women in the Armed Forces from Upshur County Texas

2- https://www.naval-history.net/WW2UScasaaDB-USNbyNameF.htm