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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Patricia Trimble Singer

Lloyd Trimble, PHC USN (Ret.)

I enlisted into the Naval Reserve Air Base at Oakland, California on December 19, 1939 and was assigned to Squadron VS-15R. After extensive training, in June 1944, I was designated as First Photographer and Tail Turret Gunner.

In December 1944, I was transferred via troop ship to Pearl Harbor. In January 1945, I was assigned to VPB-111 at Leyte, Philippines Islands.

Our first patrol was on February 18, 1945, when we were assigned to drop leaflets over Swatow, China during a flight time of 14.4 hours. We completed nine combat flights that totaled 120.7 hours while operating from the Tacloban airstrip on the shore of Leyte Gulf.

On April 12, 1945, our squadron began moving to Puerto Princessa, Palawan, Philippine Islands. We began our first of 30 more missions from this base on a 14.5 hour patrol to the area surrounding Singapore. This was followed by assigned strikes and reconnaissance patrols throughout the surrounding Southwest Pacific areas, including Okinawa, Swatow and Amoy, China, Singapore, and all coasts of Borneo and the Celebes, as well as many other areas. My crew members and I destroyed or damaged 12 enemy aircraft and 32 various supply and armed ships.

While on Palawan, we had completed 496.6 more hours of patrols for a total time of 590.3 hours on combat missions. Our last mission was on August 15, 1945; we were two hours outbound when we received a recall to return to base as the war was now over!

I received my Active Duty Honorable Discharge on October 3, 1945. I re-enlisted at the Naval Reserve Air Station, Oakland, California on October 3, 1946 as Photographers Mate First Class and was assigned to Squadron VF-77R. I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Photographer, on December 11, 1948.

All personnel and aircraft were transferred from Oakland to NAS Alameda NARTU in March 1962, and I was then assigned to Air Wing Staff 87-(L). I retired on March 24, 1963.

During my Navy career, I received the Distinguished Flying Cross, nine Air Medals, Combat Aircrew Wings with three stars, American Defense Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign with two battle stars, and many other medals and awards.