Today we are sharing the service story of WWII Staff Sergeant Charles Sexton. Like many Army and Air Corps veterans of WWII, Sexton’s military service records were lost in the 1973 fire. Sexton’s family knew very little about his service during WWII and had only his discharge papers and a single letter that Sexton had written during the war. Using archived records, the research specialists at Golden Arrow Research were able to reconstruct much of Mr. Sexton’s WWII service history. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Sexton’s career during WWII.
Sexton served with the 35th Fighter Squadron which was one of the oldest squadrons of the Army’s Air Service. Activated in 1917, the unit served in France until the conclusion of the First World War (after which it adopted the motto ‘first to fight’). During WWII the 35th would distinguish itself as one of the finest units in the Army Air Forces. As was common with most American units in the Pacific Theater, the 35th Fighter Squadron moved its headquarters with great frequency as the Allies turned the tide of the war against the Japanese. The American “Island Hopping” campaign certainly took its toll on the men of the 35th Fighter Squadron as it was nearly constantly moving its headquarters and relocating to remote areas with few living comforts and frequent treacherous weather conditions. The 35th Fighter Squadron had more than a dozen different home air bases during Sexton’s WWII service.
Sexton was a vital member of the squadron, providing many important services to the pilots as an Air Operations Specialist. In that capacity, Sexton prepared flight routes, logged the position of incoming and outgoing Aircraft, obtained weather information, maintained flight records, prepared operations orders for missions, and prepared aircraft accident and damage reports. By the summer of 1942, the already battle-fatigued squadron was sent to Australia for rest. In the Spring of 1943 malaria was rampant among the members of the squadron and it was again forced to Australia for rest. Despite the difficult conditions, the 35th was one of America’s better fighter squadrons. During Sexton’s service, the squadron was awarded four Distinguished Unit Citations and many of its pilots were highly decorated.
By the end of 1944, Sexton was a battle-hardened veteran who had at times been subjected to almost daily enemy air raids and even a shelling from a Japanese naval task force. But nothing could prepare him for the ordeal he underwent beginning on 26 December 1944 as he boarded LST 916 to deliver supplies as the squadron deployed to a new location in the Philippines. For more than two days, the Japanese threw everything they had at Sexton’s convoy including aerial bombing, mines, and numerous kamikaze attacks.
Sexton was chosen by the unit HQ to write an account of his journey aboard LST 916. That lone letter that Sexton’s family possessed was actually part of the squadron’s official history for the month of December 1944. Sexton’s account of the harrowing journey (below) brings in to sharp focus the dangers which the men of the 35th Fighter Squadron faced on a near daily basis.
The 35th Fighter Squadron continued to conduct offensive operations from the Philippines and Japanese islands through the end of the war. Pilots from the 35th Fighter Squadron are actually credited with shooting down the last Japanese plane of the war. Thankfully, Staff Sergeant Sexton went on to survive the war. He was discharged from the army air forces in September of 1945.
It is hard to imagine how veterans like Sexton were able to readjust to civilian life after going through so many traumatic experiences during the war. We feel it is important to not only reconstruct the service history of veterans whose records were lost in the 1973 fire but also to share their stories so that the memory of their service will be preserved. Please let us know if we can help you to gain a better understanding of the experiences of your veteran.
