SS Adoniram Judson
The SS Adoniram Judson was a United States merchant vessel that was instrumental in the defeat of Japan in the Philippines.
On October 24, 1944 the US President Harry Truman awarded the commander of the Judson with the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for heroism[1] in the line of duty during the US invasion to retake the Philippines archipelago from the Japanese forces during World War 2 in the Pacific Theater. The commander, Captain Charles A. Jarvis, said the following in his autobiography concerning the ship and assignment, "[In] New York I was given command. We loaded for the South Pacific and was one of the six liberty's and 18 LST's that made the d2 landing at Leyte." And that they were afterwards, "released by [General] MacArthur..." And, "I stayed with the ship until it was laid up in the Hudson river in 1946."[2]
The ship was also unique in that its crew received the Merchant Marine Gallant Ship Citation, which was awarded to only nine ships during World War II service.[1]
The SS Adoniram Judson, a Liberty ship specifically constructed for WWII duty, had been assigned to supply construction materials for a vital airbase in the Philippines during the US invasion to retake the archipelago from the Japanese forces. And as worded in the award itself, she was "subjected to unrelenting enemy air attacks. Her guns provided the principal air cover for the landing area for two days until joined by other ships participating in the campaign."[1]
Fifty-six individual bombing and strafing attacks were unleashed by Japanese warplanes on the ship during a six-day period. The SS Adoniram Judson fired approximately 8,500 rounds of ammunition in return at the attackers. Heroic decisions and deeds were required to gather up that much ammunition from other ships to carry on such an offensive. The Judson officially shot down two warplane and possibly at least four others.[1]
The ship was named after Adoniram Judson, one of America's first Christian missionaries to travel from America to Asia on a religious mission.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "SS Adoniram Judson Survives 56 Air Raids in Philippines. Delivers Vital Steel Airfield Landing Mats to Tacloban". usmm.org. Retrieved 3 August 2018.[unreliable source?]
- ↑ "Captain Charles A. Jarvis - a brief autobiography". Retrieved 3 August 2018.[unreliable source?]
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