Port Byron High School - Echo Yearbook (Port Byron, IL)

Page 19 text:

Ex GIS--Ben Lamb and Bob Wilson--Enroll as Seniors under the GI Bill, September, 1946 Port Byron High School was proud to welcome Bob Wilson and Ben Lamb who returned from service overseas and enrolled in the Senior Class on September 2 under the GI Bill. Back in September, 1941, Ben entered hifh school from the grades and completed his first two years in Nay, 1943. In October of that year he joined the Harines and received his basic training at San Diego, California. Fe was sent to Santa Barbara, California, for guard duty and then overseas to Guam for advanced training. He spent some time in Peiping, China, on occupational duty, returned to San Diego California in July and was discharged at Chicago, or August lf, 1945. He enrolled in high school September 2, 1946, under the GI Bill of Rights and graduated in Way, 1947. Bob also entered high school from the grades, but a year lat- er, Septenber, 1942, and completed his Sophooore year in Nay, 1944. He joined the Navy, August 15, 1944, receiving his boot training at Greet Lakes: Fort Pierce, Florida: and Newport, Rhode Island. He sailed from Tampa, Florida, through the Pan- ama Canal to Balboa City, then to the Hawaiian Islands on one of the six largest amphibious ships in operation-all engaged in transporting ships and vehicles from Pearl Harbor to west coast ports. Following service there, he was sent to the Philippines to transport troops of the Sth grny to the city of Sasebo on the Japanese island of Kyushu. He then embarked on the USS Saugus for Portland, Oregon, where his ship under- went minor repairsg then was sent to San Diego, California, to join the inactive 19th fleet of the U.S. Navy. He was shipped back to Great Lakes for discharge on June 10, 1946, enrolled in high school in September under the GI Bill, grad- uated in Nay, 1947.