Charles J. Semrad
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
Unit Info: Naval Reserve
Charles J. Semrad entered the Naval Reserve on January 5, 1943.
He was a Commissioned Lieutenant. He served aboard aircraft carriers with air groups: USS Mission Bay (CVE 59) on escort duty and antisubmarine countermeasures in the Atlantic.
While onboard the carriers USS Yorktown (CV 10) and USS Wasp (CV 18), planes participated in dropping radar countermeasures such as "window," a metal foil strips used to confuse Japanese radar. USS Yorktown planes also attacked Kyushu, Japanese air fields, Tokyo, and supported the Iwo Jima invasion.
Mr. Semrad recalls; "Wasp planes struck Kyushu air fields and Kune naval base, Honshu, Japan. Ship was bombed by Japanese Kamikaze pilot March 19, 1945 and was back in service with her planes in less than an hour. 102 men died. The ship was operational for two or three weeks after the bomb hit before proceeding to the United States for repair. Wasp planes struck the Kyushu air fields and Kune naval base, Honshu.
"During the week of her bomb hit, the ship's planes destroyed fourteen enemy planes in the air and six on the ground, scored two 500-pound bomb hits on two Jap aircraft carriers, dumped two 1000-pounders on a Jap battleship, another 1000-pounder on a second battleship and probably sank a submarine. Wasp fired more than 10,000 rounds at attacking Jap planes and was not bombed again."
He was discharged from the service on April 19, 1946.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 290.
