Paul H. Saranen

Paul H. Saranen enterted the Naval Reserve on May 20, 1945. He was born in 1927 in Virginia, Minnesota, the son of Vaino and Ester Saranen. He graduated from high school in 1945.

He served as a Fireman First Class aboard the USS Reeves (APD52), 7th Fleet and the USS Walter S. Gorka (APD114) in the Pacific Theater.

Mr. Saranen was awarded the following: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.

He was honorably discharged on August 5,1946 at Great Lakes, Illinois.

Source: Veterans’ Memorial Hall veteran history form; original entry on VMH website (below):

Mr. Saranen shared the following; “Arrived in Japan late September 1945 and was transferred to Seventh Fleet in October and to the Reeves. We brought a bomb survey from Yokosuka to Nagasaki in October. We were in Nagasaki about five weeks and were exposed to radiation as there were no restrictions about entering the bomb field. Returned to U.S. late December, went to Panama, then to Atlantic coast.”

Source:  Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 282.

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