RM 3/c John Michael Cavallaro
Born: 6 January 1922 – River Forest, Illinois
– the family moved to Forest Park when John was a small child
Parents: Rosario Cavallaro and Angelina Arigo-Cavallaro
– mother died when John was five
Home: 133 Rockford Avenue – Forest Park, Illinois
Employment: Hostess Cake Company – River Forest, Illinois
Siblings: Ben, Leo, Maurice
Selective Service Registration: 26 June 1942
Contact Person: Rosario Cavallaro – father
Married:
– June Hatch – late October 1943
– married her while on a two-week leave
– 10 November 1943 – the ship sailed
– never saw each other again
Home:
– 133 Rockford Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois
Education:
– Grant-White Grade School
– Proviso Township High School
– Class of 1942
Enlisted:
– U. S. Navy Reserve
Inducted:
– U. S. Navy
– 8 December 1941
– left school during senior year
Service Number: 724 89 64
Training:
– Great Lakes Naval Base, Illinois
Rank: Radioman 3rd Class
Serial Number: 7248964
Ship: U.S.S. Pringle
– assigned to ship after it was commissioned
– the ship escorted a convoy to Halifax, Nova Scotia
– 6 February 1943 – sailed for the Pacific Ocean
– 30 May 1943 – arrived at Guadalcanal
Ten Battle Stars:
– Solomon Islands Group Operation
– Southern Solomon Islands – 30 May 1943 – 20 June 1943
– involved in the attack on three Japanese destroyers off Vanga Point, Kolombangara
– shot down a Japanese plane
– Northern Solomon Islands – 27 October 1944 – 15 March 1945
– New Georgia Group Operation
– New Georgia – Rendova – Vangunu Occupation – 20 June 1943 – 31 August 1943
– Vella Lavella Occupation – 15 August 1943 – 16 October 1943
– escorted LSTs through Gizo Straight
– laid mines while in range of Japanese guns
– sunk three Japanese barges between Gambi Head, Choiseul, and Kolombangara
– Treasury-Bougainville Operation
– Treasury Island Landings – 27 October 1943 – 6 November 1943
– shelled Japanese beach installations and barges
– Invasion and Defense of Cape Torokina -1 November 1943 – 15 December 1943
– Bismark Archipelago Operation
– Green Island Landing -15 February 1944 – 19 February 1944
– Anti-shipping Sweeps and Bombardment of Rabaul and New Ireland – 24 February 1944 – 1 March 1944
– Marianas Operation
– Capture and Occupation of Saipan – 27 October 1944 – 6 November 1944
– Capture and Occupation of Guam – 12 July 1944 – 15 August 1944
– Capture and Occupation of Tinian -24 July 1944 – 1 August 1944
– provided fire support
– Anti-submarine Assessment – 27 November 1944 off Leyte, Philippine Islands
– with another destroyer sunk a Japanese submarine while on its way to Leyte Gulf to support troops
– Luzon Operation
– Mindanao Landings – 12 December 1944 – 18 December 1944
– escorted supply ships
– Iwo Jima Operation
– Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima – 17 February 1945 – 4 March 1945
– Okinawa Gunto Operation
– Assault and Occupation of Okinawa – 24 March 1945 – 16 April 1945
– assigned to radar picket duty
– shot down two kamikazes – 15 April 1945
Killed in Action:
– 16 April 1945 – U.S.S. Pringle hit by Japanese Kamikaze in area of its bridge
– the plane penetrated ships superstructure
– bombs on plane explode
– in the violent explosion the ship’s keel buckles
– ship splits in two
– sank six minutes later
– 256 crew members survive
– Time: 9:22 A.M.
– John was one of 69 crew members who went down with the ship
Memorial:
– Honolulu Memorial Courts of the Missing
– National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific- Honolulu, Hawaii
