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Billy Frank Scarber

Born 22 December 1929 in Jacksboro, Texas

Died 16 December 2006 in Duncan, Oklahoma
Military Assignments from 17 July 1948 to 10 June 1952

Arrived	Unit / Organization	Location
17 Jul 48	Enlisted at Naval Recruiting Station as SR (Seaman Recruit), USN.	Sherman, Texas
17 Jul 48	Transferred to Naval Recruiting Station, Dallas, Texas, for immediate reassignment.	Dallas, Texas
19 Jul 48	Reported to Naval Training Center for Recruit Training.	San Diego, California
2 Sep 48	Successfully completed Recruit Training and advanced to SA (Seaman Apprentice) by authority of BUPERS C/L 155.48.	San Diego, California
11 Oct 48	Passed the test for night vision with Radium Plaque Adapotmeter. Designed to be used to help Navy personnel select night watch lookout that were the least night blinded!	San Diego, California
3 Nov 48	Reported to Flag Administrative Unit, Commander Fleet Air West Coast, Naval Air Station, San Diego	San Diego, California
15 Nov 48	Reported to USS General W. A. Mann (AP-112). In transit to Guam.	At Sea
21 Dec 48	Reported to Commander, Fleet Air Wing ONE. Awaiting FAGADU FFA (First Available Government Aircraft Delivery Unit For Further Assignment).	Guam, Marshall Islands
29 Dec 48	Reported to Naval Air Station Tanapag (Navy #3245).	Tanapag, Saipan
2 Aug 49	Satisfactorily completed the Naval Training Course for SN (Seaman) with a final mark of 3.52	Tanapag, Saipan
9 Aug 49	Advanced to SN (Seaman) from SA (Seaman Apprentice).	Tanapag, Saipan
20 Jun 50	Transferred from NAS Tanapag. Total of 18 months of sea duty credited.	Tanapag, Saipan
21 Jun 50	Reported to Naval Barracks, N.O.B. (Naval Operations Base), Guam. Departed on 25 Jun 50.	Guam, Marshall Island
11 Jul 50	Reported to Receiving Station, San Francisco	San Francisco, California
13 Jul 50	Assigned PNJC (Primary Naval Job Code) SN-0032-64 Deck Hand.	San Francisco, California
17 Jul 50	Reported to NAVSTA (Naval Station) Bremerton. Assigned to the Pre-Commissioning Detachment for the USS Sitkoh (CVE-86).	Bremerton, Washington
29 Jul 50	Reported aboard the USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86). This escort aircraft carrier served in World War II but was placed out of commission in 1946.	Bremerton, Washington
14 Aug 50	Commended at Mass Muster of the crew, for Meritorious Achievement as a member of the initial crew of this vessel, in accomplishing its activation and readying it for sea in the five weeks period 10 July – 14 August 1950.	Bremerton, Washington
9 Oct 50	Reported to US Naval Hospital, Oakland, for hospitalization.	Oakland, California
7 Nov 50	Transferred to US Naval Receiving Station, Treasure Island, FURAS CWSF (For Further Assignment with Commander Western Sea Frontier).	Treasure Island, San Francisco, California
20 Nov 50	Reported to FASRON EIGHT (Fleet Air Service Squadron), NAS (Naval Air Station) Alameda.	Alameda, California
16 Jul 51	Notified that his enlistment is involuntarily extended for twelve months.	Alameda, California
14 Jan 52	Transferred after serving 13 months 25 days of shore duty.	Alameda, California
4 Feb 52	Reported onboard USS Essex (CV-9).	Alameda, California
22 Jan 52	Crossed the International Date Line, East to West.	At Sea
30 May 52	Transferred from USS Essex (CV-9) after serving 4 months at sea. Reported to USN Receiving Station, San Diego for honorable discharge. He was recommended for advancement and retention.	San Diego, California
10 June 52	Honorable Discharge from US Navy. Served 3 years, 10 months, and 24 days. Provided travel allowance to HOR (Home of Record) Gainesville, Texas.	San Diego, California

Decorations and Awards:

National Defense Service Medal	Awarded for honorable active service of any length, during the national emergency. Eligible period include 27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954.
Korean Service Medal	Awarded to members of the US Armed Forces for service in the Korean Theater of Operations from 30 Jun 1949 to 27 Jul 1954.
United Nations Service Medal	The medal was earned for serving one day under United Nations' command in Korea or adjacent areas, including Japan and Okinawa. The medal could also be awarded for an aggregate of thirty days, which need not have been consecutive, spent on official visits of inspection to the qualifying area. The qualifying period was 27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954.
Korean War Service Medal	Awarded by the Republic of Korea to all members of the United Nations Command who served between 25 June 1950 and 27 July 1953. To receive this award, the member must have been assigned within the territorial limits of Korea for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days.
Navy Rifle Marksman	The U.S. Navy has issued the Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon since 1920. To earn this award, the Sailor must score a minimum level using the current service wide rifle. In the 1950’s, the weapon was the M1 Garand semi-automatic .30 Caliber Carbine.
Navy Pistol Marksman	The U.S. Navy has issued the Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon since 1920. To earn this award, the Sailor must score a minimum level using the current service wide pistol. In the 1950’s, the weapon was the Colt M1911 semi-automatic .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol).

Miscellaneous information about different elements of his career.

USS General W. A. Mann (AP-112)

From 2 November 1945 to 5 January 1946 she made a round trip voyage from Seattle to Nagasaki and Wakayama, Japan, setting the pattern of a series of "Magic Carpet" passages and "Diaper Runs" in which servicemen and their families were carried to and from the Far East. She stood duty as a "Guam Ferry" and continued to transport men and material until transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service in October 1949.

USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86)

In January 1945, the South Pacific was dropped from Sitkoh Bay's itinerary, and she concentrated on replenishing the 3rd Fleet in the Central Pacific. Her ports of call included Apra Harbor, Guam, in the Marianas; Roi Harbor, Roi Island, and Eniwetok in the Marshalls; and Ulithi Atoll in the Western Carolines. Her missions in early 1945 were in support of the campaigns in the Philippines, the assault on Iwo Jima, and the preparations for the invasion of Okinawa.

Sitkoh Bay's only action came on 7 April 1945 while she was delivering Marine Air Group 31 to Okinawa. At 1528, a Yokosuka P1Y "Frances" dove at the carrier. Sitkoh Bay's anti-aircraft gunners combined with an F4U Corsair on combat air patrol from Breton to splash the interloper about 100 yards off Sitkoh Bay's port beam. The next day, she cleared the area for Guam en route to Pearl Harbor and a return to her replenishment routine.

After the cessation of hostilities with Japan on 15 August, Sitkoh Bay joined Task Group 30.8 (TG 30.8), the replenishment group for the 3rd Fleet, and cruised with it off the southeastern coast of Honshū from 25 August-5 September. On 10 September, she entered Eniwetok and departed the next day for Guam. For the next month, she made voyages between Guam, Samar Island in the Philippines, and Okinawa, returning to Pearl Harbor on 18 October and San Diego on the 26th for an availability period. After further voyages to the Central Pacific, Sitkoh Bay returned to the United States and was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 30 November 1946 at Bremerton, Wash.

On 29 July 1950, Sitkoh Bay re-commissioned, Captain C. W. Lord in command. She was assigned to the Military Sealift Service, and for the next four years, she sailed between the west coast and Japan, supporting U.N. forces in Korea. Her major ports of call were San Francisco, San Diego, and Pearl Harbor and Yokohama and Yokosuka in Japan. Sitkoh Bay departed from this west coast-to-Japan routine three times over those four years.

As the situation became desperate in the Pusan perimeter in Korea, General Douglas MacArthur requested Marines to help in the defense. The 1^st Provisional Marine Brigade was formed and its air arm consisted of two squadrons. FMG-323 and VMF(N)-513 (Night Fighter Squadron) were loaded aboard the USS Sitkoh Bay and sailed on 24 August 1950. This load of F4U-5Ns and their pilots and maintenance crews were the first shipment of the newly commissioned CVE-86. This air arm of the Marines was delivered to Japan on

In March 1951, she delivered a load of F8F Bearcats to the French forces at Saigon in French Indochina and then visited Manila, P.I., before returning to California-to-Japan runs. In September, she visited Pusan, Korea. Sitkoh Bay ventured from her normal sea-lanes again in May 1952, when she sailed back to San Francisco from Yokosuka.

Naval Air Station Tanapag (Navy #3245)

From 11 May 1945 to 16 July 1945, the 39^th Naval Construction Battalion (SeaBees) was located on Saipan and building the Naval Air Base at Tanapag. The NAS was established 1 October 1944. After construction, the airfield was used by the Army Air Corps and Naval aircraft. Later, the Naval Technical Training Unit was built on the base and became a front for the CIA as a training base for Chinese nationals.

Any errors on this page were transcription errors made while reading the copied official record of Billy Frank Scarber.