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SDPB Homefront Stories

Ellwood S. Wilson, 2007 

  • Branch of Service: United States Navy
  • Highest Rank: Naval V5 Aviation Cadet
  • Military Service: Enlisted, December 3rd, 1942 - April 10th, 1946


Listen to the following sections by scrolling forward to the timecode.

0:00 - Enlisted 12/3/1942 as a Naval Aviation Cadet
0:19 - Landed in Australia and assigned to a submarine
1:15 - War patrol on the submarine 
1:50 - POWs put on his ship
6:17 - 1st and 2nd atomic bombs are dropped, felt on submarine  
7:18 - War ended 
7:58 - Learning experience of having prisoners on board 
9:53 - Navy Day 
11:20 - Surgery for Equilibrium   
13:56 - Experiences/opportunities being in a war 
15:00 - Liberty time in Australia 
16:40 - Brother served in the war also. 
18:43 - What Ellwood would like you to know about his experience 
19:19 - Pray for soldiers in Iraq
20:14 - A day he felt fear 
21:12 - Training 

Ellwood S. Wilson Obituary 

This story was recorded at an SDPB event in Sioux Falls, SD. 


Images Provided by Ellwood S. Wilson 

Ellwood S. Wilson, WWII


U.S.S. Croaker SS246 Crew (Ellwood S. Wilson, Row Six, Third from Left)


Naval Air Cadet Training (Ellwood S. Wilson, Second Row, Second from Right)


Ellwood S. Wilson (left) with Keith Gray, Royal Australian Air Force

Ellwood S. Wilson with United States Senator John Thune

The American Legion, Gold Brigade Membership Award, 2007


Department of Army, Authorization for Issuance of Awards



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and services contact Steven Rokusek at
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