 |
|
| |
Drafted into the Navy.
|
| |
McKinley was on a LST 663 and drove the LCVP Boat or most commonly known as the Higgins boat to transport troops ashore during beach landings. First landing was in Peleui then Leyte in the Philippines. He was moving troops back and forth from New Guinea to the Philippines.
|
| |
McKinley never lost a soldier on his LST.
|
| |
Invasion of Okinawa was McKinley’s last battle. McKinely never went ashore as his new position was to load 14” and 5” Battleship shells into the LST that were used to shell Okinawa. McKinley was with the fleet and they blew Okinawa apart for 2 or 3 weeks before they invaded on 4/1. McKinley enjoyed moving from the LST to the Battleship because they had freezers with lots of ice cream.
|
| |
Exited the service.
|