WWII KIA - "C"

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World War II 1939-1945

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WWII Killed in Action List "C"

	CCMP Homer Cameron was killed in action at Tinian on 18 March 1945 from enemy gunshot wounds to both arms, chest and back. He served with the 135th Naval Construction Battalion. Cameron was buried at the American Cemetery, Tinian Island, and reinterred at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Seattle, King County, Washington. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	SF3c Ralph Wolford Carey was born on July 31, 1923 in Houston Texas. He was killed in action on February 19,1945 in Iwo Jima. . He is memorialized at the WWII memorial for serving as a US Navy Seabee during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Naval Construction Battalion 133. He-was buried at the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima and reinterred at Anderson Memorial Park, Anderson, Indiana. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	ENS Francis Carney was killed in action while a prisoner of war at the Japanese POW camp near Rokuroshi on 25 July1945. ENS Carney graduated from Manhattan College in 1938 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He joined the Civil Engineer Corps, US Naval Reserve in 1940 and was called to active duty on 26 February 1941. On March 24, 1941, Carney reported for temporary active duty to the 12th Naval District as Assistant Civil Engineer. On 9 April, he was assigned to Naval Station Guam where he reported 7 May, and served as Public Works Office, until he was taken prisoner by the Japanese in early December 1941. After Pearl Harbor was bombed, the Japanese started bombing Guam from the air. The Japanese landed after two days of strafing, and the naval governor handed up the American prisoner of war hours later. In January 1942, ENS Carney was sent from Guam to the Zentsuji Prison on Shokaku Island, Japan. The POWs were moved to Mitsu Camp No. 1 in late August 1942, and several other camps in Japan until they were moved to one in the Japanese mountians near Rokuroshi. On 25 July 1945, ENS Carney was killed along with several other POWs when their air raid shelter was hit by a bomb during an air raid. Carney was awarded the Bronze Star Medal "For meritorious achievement while a prisoner of war in the Japanese prison camp at Kawisaki, Japan. During a three-year incarceration period in a Japanese prison camp, Ensign Carney defied the enemy authorities constantly as he bent all his effort toward effecting a more humane adminstration of the camp, and, despite frequent physical beatings by his captors, succeeded in attaining a high standard of health and treatment fo rhis fellow inmates. Unslefish, courageous, and determined in his concern for others, he was killed during an air raid while making a futile effort to secure permission to remove prisoners to a safer area. Ensign Carney was insturmental in achieving better living conditions for the Allied nations interned during the war, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service." He was posthumously awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, Purple Heart, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic- Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the Philippines Defense Ribbon.
	S1c Charles Carlton Carrithers was killed in action at Guam on 16 August 1944 while serving with the 72nd Naval Construction Battalion. Carrithers was buried on Guam and reinterred at Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CCM Elmer Carruthers died from gunshot wounds during the invasion of Bougainville on 20 November 1943. He served with the 25th Naval Construction Battalion was a part of the Third Marine Division, United States Marine Corps. He was fatally wounded while building a jeep trail five hundred yards ahead of the front line. CCM Carruthers was buried at the Army, Navy, Marine Cemetery #1, Bougainville and reinterred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	BM2c Walter Castello was killed in action from wounds received in action at Okinawa on 7 June 1945, while serving with the 20th Naval Construction Battalion. He was working on a ship when Japanese suicide plane dived and crashed into ship. His clothes caught on fire and he dove overboard to rescue drowning mate. A small boat picked up both men. Castello died at the 69th Army Field Evacuation hospital from burns covering most of his body and face. Castello was buried at the 6th Marine Division Cemetery #1 at Okinawa and reinterred at Restlawn Memorial Park, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.
	COX Frank Cataneo was killed in action at Okinawa during the initial invasion on 6 April 1945 while serving with the 11th Special Naval Construction Battalion. Cataneo was buried at the 1st Marine Division Cemetery, Okinawa and reinterred at Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
	MM3c Joseph Chatman was killed in action from enemy gunshot wounds while working an ammunition detail at Peleliu on 15 September 1943. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CM2c Loftus Christianson was killed in action at Vella LaVella on 4 October 1943 while serving with the 58th Naval Construction Battalion. The Battle of Vela LaVella is known as the last victory for the Japanese Imperial Army. Leading up to the end of the battle there was a three-month period of smaller battles that occurred in the Solomon Islands. The battle occurred while the Japanese attempted to remove the 600-person army from Vella LaVella after the conclusion of the ground campaign. On Marquana Bay on the northern extremity of the island, the army had moved into a small area of the island. A force of about 20 support vessels and barges evacuated the trapped soldiers, but to the north of the island, nine Japanese destroyers engaged in a brief but intense combat with six US Navy destroyers, shifting the focus away from the evacuation. The Japanese evacuation effort was effectively finished as a result of the combat. One destroyer was lost by each side. CM2c Christianson was buried at sea and is memorialized at the World War II memorial. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	S2c Hal Clark was killed in action at Bougainville on 20 November 1943 while serving with the 71st Naval Construction Battalion. He was hit in the back by shrapnel from an enemy bomb while in a foxhole. Clark was buried at Army Cemetery #1, Bougainville, and reinterred at Knollkreg Memorial Park, Abingdon, Virginia. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	F1c Garland Clawson was killed in action at Banika on 19 May 1943. He served with the 33rd NCB. He was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
	S2c Lincoln Clement Jr was killed in action at Iwo Jima after being hit by shrapnel. He was killed on 1 March 1945 and served with the 62nd Naval Construction Battalion. Clement was buried at the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, Iwo Jima and reinterred at Lunt Memorial Cemetery, Brunswick, Maine. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation for the Battle of Iwo Jima, and was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	S1c William Coats was killed in action at Tacloban, Leyte on 22 November 1944. While working in a storage dump, Coats was struck by shrapnel that punctured his right chest during an evening air raid. He served with Construction Battalion Detachment 1024. Coats was buried at USAF Cemetery Tacloban #1, Leyte, Philippines and reinterred at Grafton National Cemetery, Grafton, West Virginia. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic- Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the Philippines Defense Ribbon.
	BM1c George Coker was killed in action during an enemy bombing raid at Rendova on 2 Julyt 1943 while serving with the 24th Naval Construction Battalion. He was buried at Cemetery #2, Rendova, and reinterred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	S1c Homer Gerald Cole was killed in action by a bomb explosion at Vella LaVella on 4 November 1943 while serving with the 77th Naval Construction Battalion. Cole was buried at Army, Navy, Marine Cemetery, Vella LaVella and reinterred at Oak Lawn Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hanover, Pennsylvania, he was survived by his parents and brother. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CM3c Walter Scott Coleman Jr. was killed in action at Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945 during the initial invasion. He served with the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion. The 133rd Naval Construction Battalion landed on Iwo Jima they were met with heavy gunfire and artillery fire from Japanese defense forces. It was in this ensuing battle where CM3c Coleman was killed in action. He was 36 years old. Coleman was buried at the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, Iwo Jima and reinterred at Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, Alabama. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	S1c William Connelly was killed in action after a mine exploded in the English Channel near the Normandy Coast on 15 June 1944. He served with the 28th Naval Construction Battalion during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. Connelly was buried at the First American Cemetery, St. Laurent Sector and reinterred at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Department du Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign
	BM2c Charles Conner was killed in action by enemy gunshot wound at Guadalcanal on 16 June 1943. He served with the 4th Special Naval Construction Battalion. Conner was buried at 1st Marine Division Cemetery, Guadalcanal and reinterred at Konawa Memorial Cemetery, Konawa, Oklahoma. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CM2c Claude Cook was killed in action on Kwajalein after being struck by shrapnel during an enemy bombing raid, 12 February 1944. He served with the 109th Naval Construction Battalion. He was buried on Roi Island, Kwajalein and later reinterred at Topeka Cemetery, Topeka, KS. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	SF2c Vincent Corr was killed in action from gunshot wound to the chest received in enemy action on 21 January 1945. SF2c Corr was deployed with the 302nd Naval Construction Battalion near the Gulf of San Pedro, Leyte, Philippines. Corr died aboard the USAHS MARIGOLD at the Gulf of San Pedro. He was interred at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	S2c A.C. "Ace" Cox was killed in action at Iwo Jima on 26 March 1945 from a gunshot wound to the chest. He served with the 90th Naval Construction Battalion. Cox was buried at the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, Iwo Jima and reinterred at Whitebead Cemetery, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation for the Battle of Iwo Jima, and was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CM3c Francis Joseph Craig was killed in action by a shrapnel fragment during enemy engagement at Iwo Jima on 20 February 1945. He served with the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion Craig was buried at the 4th Marine Division Cemetery, Iwo Jima and reinterred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation for the Battle of Iwo Jima, and was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	CF3c Gerald Crittenden was killed in action at Olongapo, Philippines on 11 March 1945 from gunshot wounds received during an encounter with armed Japanese forces. He served with the 102nd Naval Construction Battalion and was part of a search party looking for three lost Army pilots. The detachment encountered a group of armed Japanese and in the ensuing action several Seabees were killed. Crittenden was buried in the field with a marked grave near Olongapo and reinterred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic- Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the Philippines Defense Ribbon.
	CEM Ernest Crockford was killed in action from wounds received from enemy action at Peleliu on 22 September 1944, while serving with the 33rd Naval Construction Battalion. He was buried at sea. Crockford is memorialized at the Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii and at Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, Beaufort County, South Carolina. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, was entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal.
	MoMM2c Charles Curtis was killed in action at Samar at 26 November 1944 while serving with the 93rd Naval Construction Battalion. Curtis was buried at USAF Cemetery, Taclobam, Leyte, #1 and reinterred at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, and entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic- Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the Philippines Defense Ribbon.