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MADE UP FOR DRY RUN ON KISKA ISLAND

 The first action Ernest R. Melvin saw as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II turned into an unexpected dry run, but that was not to be the way the rest of the war was to go for the Farmington man who enlisted in January of 1943. 

Melvin, who was a Seaman 1st Class with the Fifth Amphibious Force, recalls his wartime service in a brief written recollection provided to The Daily Journal.  He now resides in Farmington.

"I took boot training at Government Island off Alameda, Calif., and boarded the LST 69 at Mare Island in early July.  After standing many fire watches for a couple of weeks, we departed for the Aleutian Islands with U.S. soldiers and Canadian rangers.

 "After making stops at Kodiak, Alaska, and Adak Island, we joined other ships and departed for the invasion of Kiska Island, which at the time of the invasion was thought to be heavily defended by thousands of Japanese troops but later was abandoned," Melvin recalls.

What had happened was that the 343rd Fighter Group and other Allied forces who had been in the Aleutians for nearly a year had driven the Japanese back to their last stronghold on Kiska.  As the Allies prepared for what was expected to be a bloody battle on Kiska, the Japanese took advantage of a dense fog to pull off the island. 

"It was also anticipated at the time of the invasion that the Allied force would be engaged by the Japanese fleet - another encounter tht did not occur. 

"After spending about three months in Aleutian waters, our flotilla of LST's and other amphibious ships departed for San Francisco and after a brief stay in San Francisco departed for Santa Barbara, Calif., where we picked up Seabees and transported them to Pearl Harbor for overseas duty." 

Unknown to Melvin and his fellow Coast Guardsmen, they were headed for some of the most intense Central Pacific action of the war. 

"After departing Pearl Harbor our flotilla, together with many other ships, proceeded to Pago Pago, Samoa, to pick up the reinforced First and Second Marine Divisions who had fought at Guadalcanal.  At this time we were unaware that we were heading for the battle of Tarawa and the invasions of the Gilberts and Marshall Islands. 

Melvin notes, "After participating in the battles of Tarawa in the Gilberts and Kwajalein and Eniwetok in the Marshalls, our flotilla of seven LST's was reduced to three ships due to enemy action.   My ship,the LST 69, was severely damaged by a near bomb miss at Kwajalein.  After departing the Marshall Islands, we were forced to proceed all the way back to Pearl Harbor and had many submarine contacts on the way. 

"Upon arriving at Pearl Harbor, we went into dry dock and the ships were repaired and refitted with more anti-aircraft weapons.  On leaving dry dock and being joined by four LST's, we proceeded to Westloch, Pearl Harbor where we took on ammunition and Marine troops.

 "On the day before we were to depart for the invasion of Saipan, which was on a Sunday, my ship and six other LST's which were berthed side-by-side together suddenly began to burn and explode.   Due to the fact that all seven ships were loaded with aviation gasoline and ammunition, the explosions were very fierce and there were a lot of casualties.  It was later learned that the seven LST's hd exploded and sank due to enemy sabotage." 

Melvin concludes, "After the loss of our seven ships, the officers and men who qualified were transferred back to the States to go on leave and stateside duty.  I arrived home on July 4, 1944 and had stateside duty until I was discharged in April of 1946."

 The Daily Journal, St. Francois Co., Wednesday, April 26, 1995

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