Military Veterans

John D. Afton

Date of Birth

21 March 1924

Brick Location

Eagle Side

Panel Number

7A

Biography

Johnny Afton served on board the USS Hamlin AV-15 in the U.S. Navy in World War II.

He sailed with the 3rd Fleet into Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese Surrender Treaty.

The USS Hamlin unloaded cargo and passengers in Pearl Harbor and continued to recently won Saipan, arriving on 11 September 1944 to take up her plane-tending duties. During this period, seaplanes tended by Hamlin were making important contributions to the Pacific fighting by engaging in reconnaissance, hunter-killer operations against submarines, and air coverage of fleet cripples. Hamlin's aircraft protected the cruisers Houston and Reno,  damaged on 14 October off Luzon, and flew photographic missions and rescue flights as the Navy pressed home the ever-mounting attack on Japanese-held territory.

The operation next on her schedule was Iwo Jima, necessary to safeguard lines of communication and provide a base from which fighter aircraft could protect B-29s in bombing missions  over JapanHamlin proceeded 15 February to Guam for fuel oil and two days later departed for Iwo Jima. She arrived two days after this historic and bitterly contested landing had begun, and with two other tenders established a floating seaplane base from which search and rescue missions were performed.

She got underway for Saipan on 8 March 1945, and after another voyage to Guam, she returned to prepare for the Okinawa operation and the largest seaplane tending job of the war.

Hamlin sailed on 23 March from Saipan for Okinawa. The tenders arrived Kerama Retto, west of Okinawa, 28 March, 4 days before the main landings on Okinawa. During the operation, Hamlin's planes provided long-range search, antisubmarine patrols, and air-sea rescue services, even providing aviation gasoline and luboil to battleships and cruisers. Her work was performed amid nearly constant air attack by Japanese suicide planes, and, though many ships in the anchorage were damaged by repeated attacks, Hamlin fought off all attacks without injury.

Hamlin received three battle stars for service in World War II.



Branch:

U.S. Navy

Awards and Medals

Rank

Electrician's Mate 2nd Class

Years

World War II, 10 June 1943 - 23 April 1946

Duty

USS Hamlin A-15, Pacific Theater