Commanding Officer – Lt. James R. Hendrix
Left Port Hueneme – 13 October 1943
Locations: Port Hueneme, CA – Barbers Point, T.H. – Tarawa
Campaigns: Operation Galvanic
Known Officers:
*Arcier, Joseph W. Lt(jg) – Coggeshall, Harris M. Lt(jg) – Dillingham, Matthew P. Lt(jg) – Brien, Shirlyn G. Ens – Bush, Ambrou J. Ens – Dew, James C. Ens – Goldman, Virgil L. Ens – Kiraly, Joseph L. Ens – McDonough, George A. Ens – Timmons, Jerome D. Ens*
*From the Muster Rolls of the USS LST #179 dated 15 October 1943 enroute from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor – rank shown as of that date
Other Known Officers:
Akerblom, Iver C. – Anderson, Robert E. – Eddy, Willard T. – Favier, Parker – Hendrix, James R. – Nassimbene, William G. – Quirk, Charles J. – Rusby, Robert C. – Schmidt, Herbert T. – Stevens, Donald R.
Known Enlisted:
Upon Commissioning
Aakhus, Ralph K S2c – Allred, Elton R S2c – Auclair, Omer S F1c – Ball, George R F1c – Belding, Wallace F S2c – Bishop, Dale G S2c – Brooks, “H” A ART1c – Brown, William T S2c – Burton, Francis E S2c – Carman, Robert B S2c – Cassidy, Edward J EM3c – Coe, Robert L StM2c -Crouse, Melvin J S2c -Crouter, Jerry R ART1c – Cutty, Kenneth F RdM3c – Day, Willie G S1c – Defilippis, Joseph E S2c – Deters, Leopold J Jr S2c – Didlake, Patrick H Jr S2c – Doll, Henry W S2c – Dryzmkowski, John J F1c – Duncan, Peyton D Jr S2c – Elkins, Joe G RM3c – Enos, Manuel S2c – Fann, Brooks A F1c – Frank Reuben L ART1c – Foster, Arthur J CK3c – Garry, Bernard V S2c – Gensel, Delissa C CRM – German, Roy J Y2c – Gibson, Charles E RdM3c – Graham, Earnest C S2c – Griffin, Robert L S2c – Hall, Ben B ARM3c – Hans, Osborne E RdM3c – Hanson, Melvin A S2c – Harris, Reginald D S2c – Hayse, Clifford J E S2c – Hildebrand, Willis L S2c – Hoberhouer, Edward F RdM3c – Hyde, James A RdM3c – Holmes, Joseph B PhM3c – Irvin, William F RM3c – Jenkins, Earl L S2c – Johnson, George R Jr RM3c – Jones, Robert L S2c – Kane, Edward J RdM3c – Kern, Ellis L RdM3c – Kilgore, William R S2c – Kisselman, A S2c – Kitson, Bernard J S2c – Lambert, Joseph M Jr RM3c – Landrum, Paqul W. Jr RM3c – Landstrom, Paul N S2c – Lanzarotta, Natale F S2c – Law, Thomas R PhM2c – Leeds, Robert M RM3c – Leffert, Donald E SVS2c – Lewis, George R RM3c – Liedes, Elmer RM3c – Liggett, James H RM3c – Lightfoot, Orie W RdM3c – Lisonbee, Galen A RM3c – Longwell, Robert E S2c – Love, Billy L RM3c – Ludlow, Warren R S2c – Lyman, Frank P Jr RM3c – Maher, William J S2c – Maloney, William W S2c – Mandelco, Arthur D RT1c – Markley, Bill E S2c – Marshall, John O S2c – Martin, Joseph W S2c – McCrury, Curtis O F1c – McFadden, Edward J S2c – McGourty, Robert F S2c – McKeever, Donald W S2c – McKibbin, Bill B S2c – Miller, Melvin A S2c – Morgan, Thomas A S2c – Mowry, Clifford J S2c – Nelson, Donald M S2c – Nordquist, Howard F CK3c – Olberding, Loyal B S2c – Olds, Lester E S2c – Owens, Robert R S2c – Pearson, Norman R S2c – Peterson, Jack M S2c – Petzo, Paul E RM3c – Pierce, Kenneth S RM3c – Pierce, Roby W S2c – Rabb, Roland R S2c – Rainey, Walter D S2c – Reed, Leo F S2c – Richardson, Willard S S2c – Roberg, Robert R S2c – Rogers, William E Jr S2c – Ross, Melvin R S2c – Royal, William E S2c – Rudee, Milton RdM3c – Russell, Maynard M S2c – Schab, Leo F S2c – Schwan, John M Y3c – Smith, Kenneth V. S2c – Smith, Robert Jr S2c – Snyder, Walter H PhM1c – Stamos, Gerald C S2c – Stanley, Matthew F ART1c – Stiffler, Robert R S2c – Strand, Ernest G S2c – Suellentrop, Myron D S2c – Tenbrink, George L S2c -Thompson, James L S2c – Tice, William T S2c – Trega, Frank S RT1c – Trout, Horace I Jr RdM3c – Virchow, Vernon F RM3c – Wagoner, Raymond H S2c – Weeks, James D PhM3c – Welch, William R S2c – Willbanks, Harold L GM3c – Wood, Leonard W S2c – Wright, Walter T RT1c – Wunsch, William T S2c – York, Thomas E ARM3c – Young, William R S2c
Additional Known Enlisted Personnel Date Assigned To Unit 16
Rating/Rank as of date assigned
Avory, Edward Jr S2c 6 Oct 43
Bartlett, Robert E S2c 6 Oct 43
Coe, Robert L S2c 6 Oct 43
Eulitt, Roy O PhM1c 6 Oct 43
Foster, Arthur J CK3c 6 Oct 43
Griffin, Robert L S2c 6 Oct 43
Heflin, Paul M GM3c 6 Oct 43
Holmes, Joseph B PhM2c 6 Oct 43
Kisselman, Aalexander S2c 6 Oct 43
Leffert, Donald E S2c 6 Oct 43
Ludlow, Warren R S2c 6 Oct 43
Mowry, Clifford J S2c 6 Oct 43
Orr, Donald L S2c 6 Oct 43
Pearson, Eugene E S2c 6 Oct 43
Plaggerman, Richard C S2c 6 Oct 43
Prideaux, Marion C S2c 6 Oct 43
Raper, Lewis F Cox 6 Oct 43
Richardson, Willard S S2c 6 Oct 43
Robertson, Joseph E S2c 6 Oct 43
Reppas, Michael S S2c 6 Oct 43
Russell, Eldridge C S2c 6 Oct 43
Shields Joseph T S2c 6 Oct 43
Sienny, George Jr S2c 6 Oct 43
Smith, James P S2c 6 Oct 43
Smith, Robert Jr S2c 6 Oct 43
Thompson, Harry A S2c 6 Oct 43
Wayman, Kenneth A S2c 6 Oct 43
Whitman, Kenneth L SC3c 6 Oct 43
Wilson, Joseph L S2c 6 Oct 43
Wolfe, Max E S2c 6 Oct 43
Narrative:
Unit 16 commissioned – 1 October 1943
Arrived Pearl Harbor, T.H. – 25 October 1943
Embarked for Tarawa Operations – 15 November 1943
Decommissioned – 15 April 1944
Unit 16’s radio call sign at Tarawa was “Turkey” later changed to “Pastel”
Photos and Documents:
Maps and photos from “This Was Pastel”, courtesy of Larry M.
Recently learned from my uncle Thomas A. Morgan of Alamo, texas that he was a member of Argus 16
My father-in-law, Thomas Morgan, passed away on September 23, 2012 at the age of 89.
My father E.J. Cassidy EM3c was a member of Argus 16. I will see if I can upload some pictures from “This was Pastel”. Dad passed away on 01/05/2002.
Paul,
Thank you for your contact. I have corrected the spelling of your father’s last name as requested. I will send you a copy of the Muster Roll from LST#179 with the incorrect spelling for your records. A check of additional unit muster rolls shows the correct spelling.
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Larry
does anyone know anything about William T. Brown from Troy, Alabama.
Steve,
A check of Argus 16 Muster Rolls shows the following information:
Brown, William Thomas Service number 605 08 57
Entered the service 9 October 1942 at NRS (Naval Reception Station/Naval Receiving Ship) Birmingham
Received 2 Sep 43 by Argus 16 from USNABD (United States Navy Advanced Base Depot) Port Hueneme, CA Rate/Rating Sea2c (Seaman 2nd Class)
Change of Rate 28 Oct 43 to GM3c (Gunner’s Mate 3rd class)
Change of Rate 1 Mar 44 to GM2c (Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class)
Transferred 15 Apr 44 upon Decommissioning of Argus #16 to USN Air Base Mullinix Field – Tarawa
From Mullinix Field Muster Rolls:
Transferrred 17 July 44 to ComAirPac (Commander Air Pacific) for further assignment
I did not find any further information for him after this transfer from Mullinix Field.
Larry
I am just finding this site through a family member and have already learned more than i did when contacting the navy records department directly. My grandfather was Edward j. Kane RM3C of ARGUS unit 16 on Tawrawa during operation Galvantic. I have limited information aside from his discharge papers and would like to find out more about the details of his time on the island. If anyone has suggestions on how to find out more it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to all that have served and or posted information and keeping this history alive.
Jason,
Thank you for contacting the site. I am glad you found the information here of value.
I will check my references for additional information about your Grandfather’s service with Unit 16 and contact you by e-mail. I do have some additional information regarding Unit 16’s operations and will discuss this with you also.
Larry
I’m pretty excited to find this forum! I have a treasure trove of photographs and other memorabilia that my grandfather, Raymond Wagoner, had from his time here, including many original photographs that were included in the “This Was Pastel” 1947 sort of “yearbook” that was produced after the war (a complete copy of which I also have). His wife, my 96 year old grandmother, is still living and in fabulous mental condition – remembers every detail (she was a B-2 bomber assembly crew member – a real Rosie the Riveter in Berkley California). This past weekend while helping my grandma declutter the home she and my grandpa built in Rochester, MN after the war, we uncovered a trunk and a box from WWII that my grandpa shipped home. It includes pristine condition woven items from the islands (grass skirts, mats, handbags, wallets, etc.) as well as a near mint condition model of an outrigger canoe.
I will be happy to share the original photographs from the collection if helpful to anyone here! There are many handwritten notes (and names) in my grandpa’s handwriting identifying others in the unit!
Scott,
Thank you for your message. I will contact you by e-mail regarding your offer.
Larry
Nice find Scott. My father told me lots of stories about Tarawa and Argus 16. I have a complete “Pastel” book also. He said he was known as “Fast Eddie” because he could dig a foxhole faster than anyone there. He was also in the Battle of the Lingayen Gulf where his escort carrier the USS Salamaua was hit by a Kamikaze and almost sunk. The USS Salamaua was the only “escort carrier” in Tokyo Bay at the surrender ceremony.
I am William R. Welch. I was a member of Argus Unit 16 until just before the unit shipped out to Tarawa. I was advanced to GM 3rd before I was transferred out of the Unit. does anyone have any information on my record with Argus Unit 16?
William,
Thank you for contacting the Historical Group. And “Thank You” for your service with the Navy.
Argus 16 Muster Rolls and Report of Changes show the following:
You were transferred to Unit 16 on 2 Sep 1943 from US Navy Advanced Base Depot Port Hueneme, California
– were promoted to GM3c (Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class) on 28 Oct 1943
– were transferred from Unit 16 to the Receiving Station , Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, for assignment to ComSerPac (Commander Service Pacific) on 13 Nov 1943
Nothing else was found related to Unit #16.
I am sending you copies of these documents via e-mail shortly. Let me know if you have any questions.
Again, thank you for your service.
Larry
Thank you, Larry for your quick reply. The information you provided was accurate. You may be interested in learning that I was transferred aboard the Battleship USS Idaho and received 5 Battle Stars for action on 8 enemy held Islands in the Central & South Pacific Ocean.
So glad to find this page! I’ve been searching for info on my grandpa’s (F. Earl Burton) service during WWII. I believe they shipped out the day after he and my grandma were married. He didn’t talk much to me about his time in the military, but I do remember him saying there is no atheist in a foxhole. We had always thought he was a Seabee, but looks like we were wrong. Thanks for keeping this record!
Colleen M,
Thank you for contacting the Historical Group site. I did a quick check of my resources for information related to you grandfather’s service and found the following:
Entered the service 6 May 1943 at Salt Lake City, Utah
Attended boot camp (basic training) at Farragut, Idaho 15 May 1943 to 30 Jul 1943
Sent to the ARGUS Training Detachment, Port Hueneme 30 Jul 1943
Assigned to ARGUS Unit 16 2 Sep 1943 to 15 Apr 1944
Assigned to Mullinix Field, Tarawa 15 Apr 1944
Assigned to Hawkins Field, Tarawa 16 Jun 1944
Transferred to Fleet Air Command West Coast 12 Jun 1945
His rating was Radarman (Rdm) . Based on these documents it does not appear he was ever assigned to a CB unit.
I hope you find the information on the site of value.
Larry
How can I get a copy of This Was Pastel?
*************Information being sent via e-mail. 22 July 2022***********