William Corson Cash

William Corson Cash 1944-56 - - Submitted 10/30/18

Howdy,

My father, William Corson Cash was on this ship when Japan signed the surrender. He was a telegraph operator and typed out surrender messages to the world.

He was born September 1926. Born in Winston-Salem NC, lived in Morganton NC as a youth.

One time, he pulled out his old telegraph machine and ticked off Morse Code faster than I could imagine anyone being able to interpret all that clicking noise.    This may have led to his taking up Short Wave Radio as he piddled with that and talked with people all over the globe, sometimes using Morse Code.

I found his Naval Discharge papers:

• Discharged  3-7-1946
• --Radioman  Third Class  V6  USNR
• -Highest  rank held:    RM3c
• Service:   NTS Great Lakes ILL  USS Estes
• Medals:  American Victory WWII, Asiatic-Pacific  &  Two Stars
              Phillippine Liberation

Two memories of his stories:
He witnessed burials at sea from the Estes when sailors were taken on from another ship that had been attacked.
     If the name of that ship were to be repeated to me, I would most likely recognize it.

He also told me that he was in the first wave of telegraph operators to broadcast the Japanese surrender around the world.

On a side note,

Having two older brothers who were B-24 pilots, he wanted to follow suit, lying about his age and joining the Navy at only 17 ½ years of age.

His oldest brother, Frank Boggan Cash, was a B-24 bomber pilot trainer. When on a training mission from Kansas (I believe), his student pilot came in too low at Savannah, in bad weather, clipped trees, crashed and burned. Uncle Frank's father, mother, infant child, and expecting wife were in the tower and witnessed all.

Next oldest brother, Paul Spencer Cash, was also a B-24 pilot and was shot down twice. He was a true hero, taking down a plane to crash land because his navigator had spilled his parachute in the aisle of the plane. Everyone else was ordered to bail out. Uncle Paul went down with the plane to save the navigator's life. They survived, but not before being trapped in the wreckage in snow for a couple weeks.

God bless the WWII  vets!!

Thanks so much,
“Bo” Cash,
Nebo, NC 28761

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