Melvin Henry Olson
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
Melvin Henry Olson served in World War II in China and the Pacific Theater. He also served in the Korean War.
He served in the U.S. Navy from November 1935 until July 1955. He enlisted in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
After basic training at San Diego, California, he was sent to radio school for three weeks. He was assigned to the USS Argonne (AP-4/AG-31) out of San Pedro, California.
He was then assigned to the Asiatic Fleet. In 1936-37, he was assigned to the USS Augusta (CA-31), which served in the Philippines. In September 1938, he developed malaria, and he recovered in the 4th Marine Hospital, Shanghai, China. He was then assigned to the USS Monocacy to do patrol of the Yangtze River, then was assigned USS Augusta. Next he served as a radio operator in the American Embassy in Chungking, China, for three-and-a-half years. Mr. Olson served aboard the USS Steamer Bay (CVE-87) and on the USS Columbus (CA-74), which performed occupation duty in Tsingtao, China, in January-April 1946.
Once the war was over, he was assigned to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Complex, Maryland. When the Korean War started, he served aboard the USS Missouri. He was the cryptography operator for Admiral “Smithy” Smith and his staff. He was subsequently transferred to Washington, D.C., in 1951-53, where he worked in the Naval Communication Center. His final assignment was in 1953-1955. He was assigned to Port Lyautey, Morocco. Mr. Olson worked as a Radioman and Communications Specialist. His rank was Chief Petty Officer.
He received the Good Conduct distinction, and the Asiatic/Pacific, China, Japan, and Philippines service decorations.
Mr. Olson was born in 1918 to John and Anna Wedo Olson in Duluth, Minnesota.
Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall History Form; veteran’s account (see below);
uluth News-Tribune, March 12, 1944 (see below); original entry on VMH website (see below)
Veteran’s account: Joined the Navy at 17 years old. Trained in San Diego, California. Asiatic Fleet Flagship, then the USS Monocacy, doing the Yangtze River Patrol. American Embassy Chungking China, then to the Philippines aboard the USS Steamer Bay. Radio stations Patuxent River and Washington DC. Port Lyautey, French Morocco, worked as radio man, communications specialist.
Duluth News-Tribune: “Recently on furlough, visiting his father and sisters in Proctor and Duluth was Chief Petty Officer Melvin H. Olson, who has been in Chungking, China, at the U.S. Embassy for three-and-one-half years. He has returned to the West Coast for reassignment.”
Original entry on VMH website: Melvin H. Olson enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1935. He was transported by China National Airways to Chungking for duty at the U.S. Embassy. Chungking was under continuous Japanese bombardment until December 1941 when the U.S. declared war on Japan. He was ordered out of China in November 1943 and transported by U.S. Army Air Corps over the Burma "hump" to India and then by British Overseas Airways from Calcutta to Bombay. He then went by Army aircraft to Miami, Fla., via Dakar, North Africa, and Brazil. He was then assigned to USS Steamer Bay in the Pacific Theater, serving at Manus Island and the Lingayen Gulf. He was later assigned to the USS Columbus (CA74) and served in the Philippines, China and Japan.
He was separated in 1955.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 232.
