The USS West Virginia continued to be in the lead position of the USS Maryland, the USS Mississippi, the USS Tennessee, The USS California and the USS Pennsylvania.  4 of these battleships along with the West Virgina were veterans of Pearl Harbor. 
Willie loved his downtime and being able to read and joke around with his buddies on board...but when it was time to be serious about what was going on around him...he did just that...he served alongside some of the bravest sailors there was.  Being in the lead ship was automatically a dangerous place to be...but he and his comrades did what needed to be done to defeat this enemy. On October 25, 1944 they heard about their PT boat and destroyers being attacked by the Japanese ...they saw on their radar that this Japanese force led by Admiral Nishimura was within 42,000 yards of them.  It was time to take action...no waiting to see what happens next... They  tracked this Japanese force in the black of night, fired missiles in the direction of Nishimura's ships.  By the time the West Virgina ceased fire...there was just a remnant of Japanese left...many of the Japanese ships were on fire.  They had contributed to the end of Yamashiro.  Willie and his comrades were a group of mighty sailors doing what had to be done and moving on.

Willie, on the USS West Virginia had taken part in the last naval engagement fought by a line-of-battle ships. They left from there and headed to the Philippines along with the USS Tennessee and the USS Maryland.
 


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    Paula Tollison Andrews Maupin
    I am married to Bobby and live in the Nashville, TN area, working as Executive Assistant to both the Director of Sales and General Manager of FOX17, MyTV30 & CW58 television
    _I have 3 wonderful sons and daughters in love (Brad & Holly Andrews, Bryan & Stacy Andrews and Brandon & Ashley Andrews) from Tulsa, St. Louis & Springfield respectively. They have given me 9 precious grandbabies.  (Joseph, Cooper, Margo, Sloan, Jonas, Nora, Everett, Lawson and Blythe & Gma loves them so much) I also have 2 great stepsons and daughter in love (Jonathan & Kathryn Maupin and William Maupin) from Lexington, Kentucky.

    As a lady who's lived through both good & bad circumstances in my life, I've learned and continue to learn a lot of "life lessons".  Along the way I have been inspired to be a better me.  God is faithful in ALL circumstances and His love covers all.   My hope is that you will be inspired to be who you were meant to be. 

    I have been writing this blog about my mom and dad since September of 2011.

    You can find their story from the beginning by going to the Stories link.  Happy Reading!!!
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