My Dad, Clarence Reed Blount, was born May 19, 1925 and died September 24, 1998. At the tender age of 18, in 1943, he was assigned as a signalman, first class, aboard the U.S.S. Ozark. This was a transport ship that left Seattle in the fall of 1943 and headed for the Japanese Campaign. His ship delivered Marines to Iwo Jima. The Ozark served as a transport ship going to take the wounded to Hawaii. He witnessed the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi and the Kamakai suicide bombers crashing into aircraft carriers and battleships. He chose to be a signalman because he would be stationed topside of the ship and made possible that he might escape injury or death if they were torpedoed or bombed. He was present aboard his ship in Tokyo harbor with a thousand other ships as they watched the Japanese leaders board the U.S.S. Missouri to sign the articles of surrender. Being a signalman, he could use his binoculars to see these events better than most. He was discharged from the Navy in December of 1945. He was typical of the Silent Generation. He rarely ever spoke of his experience until the last year of his life. He was guarded about it. I feel so honored that he and thousands like him served their country during the World War II conflict. I love you, Dad. written by David Blount (Muster rolls of the USS Ozark are below) National Cemetery at Little Rock, Ar. The vessel was commissioned on 23 September 1944 with Captain Frederick P. Williams in command. After intensive training the new vehicle landing ship departed 31 December for Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands as a unit of invasion Task Group 79.1. She landed three waves of troops there 19 February 1945 and continued logistic support to the beach until 27 February. After transporting wounded marines to Guam for hospital care, Ozark reported to Transport Squadron 13 at Leyte rehearsing for the invasion of Okinawa. She landed her troops and equipment on Okinawa 1 April and again remained to lend logistic support to beach operations until departing 10 April for Guam. Ozark entered Tokyo Bay 30 August where she debarked her special landing force. USS Ozark Sept 16, 1944