Ross Kelly

Personal Information

Birthplace: Cornith, Kansas

Service Information

Branch of Service: Navy

Unit: Command Naval Air Base #3205

Theater of Operation: Pacific

Enlisted / Commissioned: May 25, 1944

Discharged: Jun 12, 1946

Honored By: Wife, Maxine Kelly; Daughter, Nancy; Sons, Norman and Kyle

Biography

I served in the Asiatic-Pacific area, Admiralty Islands, Manus Island at Commander Naval Air Base. Boot camp was at Farragut, ID, then the Admirality Islands for the duration of the war (2 years). He witnessed the ammunition ship, Mount Hood, blow up in the harbor very near, while on Manus Island. Our Entertainment was listening to Radio Talk show host Tokyo Rose. She’d play popular songs, but also peddle propaganda such as quotes from Dear John letters or asking what your girlfriend was doing back home – ‘running around with the 4-Fers?’ Manus Island is on the equator. They always had hot cokes and water to drink. Once a shipment of ice cream came in. The natives were so close behind the camp They saw the navy men standing in line for the ice cream and they came and got in line for some, too.