RM 3/c John Michael Cavallaro

    - family moved to Forest Park when John was a small child

Parents: Rosario & Angelina Cavallaro

    - mother died when John was five

Siblings: Ben, Leo, Maurice

Married:

    - June Hatch - late October 1943

         - married her while on a two week leave

         - ship sailed 10 November 1943

         - never saw each other again

Home: 

    - 133 Rockford Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois

Education:

    - Grant-White Grade School

    - Proviso Township High School

         - Class of 1942

Enlisted:

    - U. S. Navy Reserve

Inducted:

    - U. S. Navy

       - 8 December 1941

          - left school during senior year

Service Number: 724 89 64

Training: 

    - Great Lakes Naval Base,  Illinois

Rank: Radioman 3rd Class

Serial Number: 7248964

Ship: U.S.S. Pringle

    - assigned to ship after it was commissioned

    - ship escorted convoy to Halifax, Nova Scotia

    - 6 February 1943 - sailed for Pacific Ocean

    - 30 May 1943 - arrived at Guadalcanal

Ten Battle Stars:

    - Solomon Islands Group Operation

            - Southern Solomon Islands - 30 May 1943 - 20 June 1943

                - involved in attack on three Japanese destroyers off Vanga Point, Kolombangara

                - shot down Japanese plane
            - Northern Solomon Islands - 27 October 1944 - 15 March 1945

    - New Georgia Group Operation
            - New Georgia - Rendova - Vangunu Occupation - 20 June 1943 - 31 August 1943
            - Vella Lavella Occupation - 15 August 1943 - 16 October 1943

                - escorted LSTs through Gizo Straight

                - laid mines while in range of Japanese guns

                - sunk three Japanese barges between Gambi Head, Choiseul, and Kolombangara

    - Treasury-Bougainville Operation
            - Treasury Island Landings - 27 October 1943 - 6 November 1943

                - shelled Japanese beach installations and barges
            - Invasion and Defense of Cape Torokina -1 November 1943 - 15 December 1943

    - Bismark Archipelago Operation
            - Green Island Landing -15 February 1944 - 19 February 1944

            - Anit-shipping Sweeps and Bombardment of Rabaul and New Ireland - 24 February 1944 - 1 March 1944

    - Marianas Operation
            - Capture and Occupation of Saipan - 27 October 1944 - 6 November 1944
            - Capture and Occupation of Guam - 12 July 1944 - 15 August 1944 

    - Capture and Occupation of Tinian -24 July 1944 - 1 August 1944 

            - provided fire support 

    - Anti-submarine Assessment - 27 November 1944 off Leyte, Philippine Islands

        - with the another destroyer sunk a Japanese submarine while on its way to Leyte Gulf to support troops

    - Luzon Operation

            - Mindanao Landings - 12 December 1944 - 18 December 1944

                - escorted supply ships

    - Iwo Jima Operation

            - Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima - 17 February 1945 - 4 March 1945

    - Okinawa Gunto Operation

            - Assault and Occupation of Okinawa - 24 March 1945 - 16 April 1945

            - assigned to radar picket duty

                - shot down two kamikazes - 15 April 1945

Killed in Action:

    - 16 April 1945 - U.S.S. Pringle hit by Japanese Kamikaze in area of its bridge

        - plane penetrated ships superstructure

            - bombs on plane explode 

                - in the violent explosion the ship's keel buckles

            - ship splits in two

                - sank six minutes later

                - 256 crew members survive

            - Time: 9:22 A.M.

                - John was one of 69 crew members who went down with ship

Memorial:

    - Honolulu Memorial Courts of the Missing - National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific- Honolulu, Hawaii

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