Harold C. Lacy
R.M.1c
CR Division
USN
USS West Virginia
1944-1945

Harold C. Lacy, RM1/c 393-43-87 aboard the wee vee from 6 October 1944 to 29 October 1944 and from 30 November  1944  to  18 March 1945

 Born November 18, 1923 at Moville, Iowa.  Enlisted at Portland, Oregon November 23, 1940.  Basic Training at San Diego NTS, Company 40-98.  
        Assigned to USS TENNESSEE BB-43, January 6, 1941 in Naval Academy Preparatory Program.
         Transferred to staff of Commander Battleship Division Four aboard USS MARYLAND BB-46.  After USS MARYLAND was torpedoed at Saipan, he was transferred at sea by breeches buoy with Admiral Ruddock's staff to USS SAUFLEY DD-465 for transportation to USS COLORADO BB-45.
         COLORADO was damaged by enemy shore batteries at Tinnian and shortly thereafter COMBATDIV 4 moved from COLORADO back to MARYLAND.  Later on they moved to the USS WEST VIRGINIA BB-48.  Then back to the MARYLAND and back again to the WEST VIRGINIA.
         While aboard the named ships he was in the following battles:  Pearl Harbor, Kiska, Attu, Tarawa, Kwagelin, Enwietok, Kaviang, Siapan, Tinnian, Guam, Pellileu, Leyte Gulf, Surigao Straits, Mindoro, Lingayen Gulf and Iwo Jima.
         He left the USS WEST VIRGINIA in March of 1945.  His 50 months of logged sea time ensured that he had enough points for early discharge at Bremerton, WA on October 6, 1945.  October 10, 1945, he enrolled at the University of Portland in their pre-engineering program.  In 1947 transferred to Oregon State University (then College) and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1949.
         His wife Clara Wanner and he were married May 25, 1946.  Her work at the telephone company kept them in beans and biscuits until he graduated.  They brought forth five children (tow girls and three boys).  In 1959, he started Lacy Engineering in Crescent City, California.  They moved in 1961 to Vancouver, WA and retired in Ridgefield, WA.


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