Loren C. Horton
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
Loren C. Horton served in World War II in the South Pacific.
On August 14, 1943, he joined the U.S. Navy and left San Francisco three days before his eighteenth birthday.
He served aboard the Liberty Ships S.S. Antonin Dvorak and S.S. Stephen Furdek, traveling throughout the Pacific. His rank was Seaman 1st Class.
He was discharged on April 18, 1946.
Mr. Horton was decorated with the Philippine Liberation Medal, Bronze Star, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.
He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1925 the son of Verna Vikory and Bernie Horton.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form; veteran’s account
“I shipped out of San Francisco three days before my eighteenth birthday. We went to Guadalcanal and Chile. We went to every country on the west coast of South America, including Panama. Through the Panama Canal twice. Picked up second ship in Panama City, Florida, went back through the canal. Went to New Guinea. Then to Australia and back to New Guinea. Then to Australia and back to New Guinea and up to Tacloban, Leyte (on one of the islands of the Philippines). I saw MacArthur there. Next was Manila. We went to the city and saw the bombed-out churches and the wall around the city. Came back to San Francisco and almost froze to death. Then to Seattle, Washington, where days later we were in t-shirts.”
