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Conversation around the West holiday table often centered around stories of World War II that were brimming with battle, bravery and tragedy.
In my youth, it didn’t occur to me that my late grandfather, Milton H. West Jr., was the type of hero that is often featured as the protagonist in Hollywood films. As I learned more about the man, his accomplishments and his many militaristic decorations, that image became sharp in my mind.
His law career was put on pause for a five-year period during his service in WWII.
Milton H. West III, my grandfather's eldest son and my uncle, said West Jr., enlisted in the Navy the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor and left shortly after. During his service, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant.
West III said his father was involved in many battles, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf and Coral Sea. He was awarded eight Battle Stars from the Asiatic-Pacific, a star in the Presidential Unit and a star from the Philippine liberation.
His highest honor was the Navy Bronze Star, which he received for his gallant conduct in the Leyte and Lingayen operations, the battle off Samar Island and the action off Luzon.
“He was on the USS Kitkun Bay during the Battle of Coral Sea, and they were hit by a Kamikaze,” West III said, adding that the ship had exploded and was actively burning. “The ship started sinking, and the admiral gave the Abandon Ship signal. … He was the lieutenant in charge of communications. He had to go below deck to the communications room and get all of the codes, put them in a weighted bag, run back up to the bridge–where the admiral was lying wounded–and got the orders to throw the codes overboard. The reason he had to do this was because they were in shallow waters, and Japanese divers could theoretically come back in and obtain the codes.”
West III said West Jr. described exactly what it was like to conduct the act of heroism at the Battle of Coral Sea and the extreme difficulty of the task.
“In his words, ‘It was horrific,’“ West III said. Men were dying. Men were crying because the fighting was so intense. The ship was exploding, and oil was spewing all over the steps that he had to run up and down.”
According to the National World War II Museum, the Battle of Coral Sea occurred on May 4, 1942, when my grandfather was only 25 yearsold.
It was a aircraft carrier naval battle in the waters of the Coral Sea [north of Australia]. It marked the end of the phase of Japanese triumphs in the Pacific War and was strategically significant for the U.S.
In addition to his accomplishments as a United States veteran, West Jr., was a Senior Partner at Andrews & Kurth, a Houston law-firm, where he practiced from 1940 to 1995.
He counseled many clients in taxation including: Humble Oil and Refining, Yturria Ranch, King Ranch and Howard Hughes–the film producer and aviation industry entrepreneur for whom my grandfather assisted in the development, management and ultimately the dismantling of all of his companies.
He passed away at age 98, and the large church where his service was held was filled with hundreds of family, friends and colleagues–a fitting send-off for a war hero who accomplished so much in the decade he spent on this earth. I appreciate my grandfather's service as well as all of the other soldiers who fought for our freedoms.
Happy Veterans Day to all.
