S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr (WWII)

Remembering S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr

May 7, 1926 - December 12, 1944

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Note: He is listed in some places as "Lawrence Junior Welch."

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S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr. (Service Number 7561565) was born May 7, 1926, the son of Lawrence and Goldie (Shumaker) Welch. Lawrence was a coal miner, and their family lived in Kingmont, WV. Unfortunately, Lawrence was found dead of tuberculosis in 1928, just 7 short years after he and Goldie married (WV Death Certificate). This left Goldie with two young children to raise by herself- Katherine, 6, and "Junior," 2.

By 1930, Goldie and her kids had moved in with her parents, Wesley and Margaret (Kramer) Shumaker (1930 Census). Her father worked at the coal mine. They remained with her parents while her kids grew up. On November 22, 1943, Goldie married widower James Lee Yoho, when Lawrence was 17 and Katherine was 21.

S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr attended East Fairmont High School, though he enlisted in the military before he could graduate. He's listed in the Memorial Roll Call of the 1946 Orion Yearbook as "Jimmie Welch." 

Military Service:

Lawrence enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve on April 14, 1944 in Huntington, WV (August 1944 Muster Call). He trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center before transferring to the Naval Receiving Station on July 17, 1944 (July 1944 Muster Call). He arrived on July 26, 1944. On August 27, 1944, Lawrence boarded the USS Caldwell.

Ormoc Bay Landings

On December 7, 1944, the 77th Infantry Division began landing on Ormoc Bay, in the Philippines. The USS Caldwell served as an escort ship for the landing craft that were transporting the troops to shore.

 The Caldwell narrowly missed being hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane on December 11, 1944, but was not as lucky the following day. On December 12, 1944, The USS Caldwell was hit by a kamikaze while escorting empty landing craft, losing 33 crewmembers in the process. 40 men were wounded, but the crew of the Caldwell continued firing upon the Japanese and were able to keep the ship afloat.

Unfortunately, S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr. was among the 33 crewmembers killed on the USS Caldwell. The Caldwell's December 1944 muster report reads: "Killed in action at Ormoc Bay, P.I. Buried at sea Lat. 10°24'N, Long. 125°19'E, same day."

Legacy and Survivors:

As he was buried at sea, S2C Lawrence James Welch, Jr. is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. There is also a cenotaph for Lawrence at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, West Virginia.

He is honored on the "Marion County Veterans Killed in Action" Memorial at Veterans Square in Fairmont, WV, and at the  West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. 

Lawrence was survived by his mother, sister (Kathryn Welch Ely), and his grandparents, with whom he'd lived for many years. He was also survived by his step-father, James Yoho, and James' children from his first marriage. Katherine married Robert Ely on November 20, 1944- less than a month before her younger brother's death (WV Marriage Certificate).

Navy Muster Rolls Available Through Ancestry as of Publication:

  • July 1944: Departed the Naval Training Center Great Lakes on July 17, 1944
  • July 1944: Arrived at the Naval Receiving Station in San Diego on July 27, 1944
  • August 1944: Arrived at the Naval Receiving Station in Pearl Harbor on August 15, 1944 from San Diego, aboard the USS Ocelot
  • August 1944: Boarded the USS Caldwell in Pearl Harbor on August 27, 1944
  • September 1944: Aboard the USS Caldwell
  • December 1944: Muster report reads: "Killed in action at Ormoc Bay, P.I. Buried at sea Lat. 10°24'N, Long. 125°19'E, same day."

Sources and More Information:

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