Joseph Casmer Mika
| Era | WWII |
|---|---|
| Branch | U.S. Navy |
| Rank | Petty Officer Third Class |
| Wall | I |
| Wall Side | 3 |
| Row | 3 |
| Plaque Number | 12 |
MEDALS-RIBBONS: Combat Aircrew, World War II Victory, Aviation Metalsmith, Presidential Unit Commendation, Good Conduct, China Service (Extended), American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, Navy Occupation Service w/Clasp "Asia", Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation w/2 Bronze Stars, Honorable Service Pin
Joseph proudly served his country during World War II with honor and dedication. He received an Honorable Discharge for his outstanding service.
Joe was born June 3, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and attended Ben Franklin High School.
He joined the US Navy in January 1943 at the age of 16 and was assigned to Sampson, NY for boot camp.
After boot camp he moved onto Aviation medal-smith school for 21 weeks at Norman, Oklahoma.
His first duty station was at North Island in San Diego, California. While on shore duty there he was assigned to the USS SANTEE in the beginning of 1944 which was home ported out of Norfolk, Virginia. On October 25, 1944 at 07:40, a kamikaze carrying what was estimated to be a 138 lb bomb - crashed through the flight deck and damaged the hanger deck. At 7:56, a torpedo fired from a Japanese submarine struck the ship, causing flooding of several compartments and creating a 6 degree list. On October 31 , she anchored in Seeadler Harbor for temporary repairs. He continued his career through WWII until May 1947 and received an honorable discharge.
During 1950 he sailed with the Merchant Marines for awhile. After hanging up those sea legs he started driving a truck for Hires Root Beer, which lasted for approximately four years.
In 1954 he purchased a restaurant named JOELS, which he ran successfully for 14+ years
In 1969 he started a Dye-Cutting & Embossing company called the "House of Gold" with his son and later his son-in-law Len Solomon came aboard
In 1969 he retired from House of Gold and now enjoys attending the USS SANTEE annual reunions which are held in a different states each year
He currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida
Plaque Wall Map
