This Purple Heart was awarded posthumously to Seaman First Class Joseph J. Greco, a native of Brooklyn, NY. Greco was an aircraft armaments man aboard the USS Franklin throughout her service in the Pacific.
In June 1944, Franklin steamed via Pearl Harbor for Eniwetok Island where she joined TG 58.2. Franklin served as the flagship of Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison for most of her time in the western Pacific. On the last day of June 1944, she sortied for carrier strikes on the Bonin Islands in support of the subsequent Mariana Islands assault. On 4 July, strikes were launched against Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima, and Haha Jima. On 6 July, Franklin began strikes on Guam and Rota Island to soften them up for the invasion forces that were going to land on Guam, and those strikes continued until 21 July, when she lent direct support to enable safe landing of the first assault waves. On 4 September 1944, Franklin took on supplies at Saipan, and then she steamed in TG 38.1 for an attack against Yap Island which included direct air coverage of the Peleliu invasion on the 15th. On the morning of 24 October, in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, her planes formed part of the waves that attacked the Japanese First Raiding Force (under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita), helping to sink Musashi south of Luzon. on 27 October, her planes were concentrating on a heavy cruiser and two destroyers south of Mindoro. She was under way about 100 miles off Samar on 30 October, when enemy bombers appeared bent on a suicide mission, six broke through the combat air patrol into Franklin’s task group of four carriers. Anti-aircraft guns shot down three of the four kamikazes independently diving toward each of the four carriers; but the one targeting Franklin hit the flight deck and crashed through to the gallery deck, killing 56 men and wounding 60. The Franklin retired to Ulithi Atoll for temporary repairs, and then proceeded to the Puget Sound Navy Yard, arriving on 28 November 1944 for repairs of her battle damage. By March 18, 1945, she was back in action launching strikes against Kagoshima and Izumi on southern Kyushu. Before dawn on 19 March 1945, Franklin, which had maneuvered to within 50 miles of the Japanese mainland, launching fighter sweeps against Honshu and later a strike against shipping in Kure Harbor. A single “Judy” dive bomber approached Franklin without being detected by radar. While the USS Franklin was in the process of launching a second wave of strike aircraft, a Japanese dive bomber emerged from the clouds and released two semi-armor-piercing bombs before the vessel’s anti-aircraft gunners could react. A bomb hit the flight deck’s centerline, penetrated to the hangar deck, and caused extensive destruction, igniting fires across the second and third decks, and disabling the combat information center and air plot. Another bomb struck aft, ripping through two decks. When the Franklin was hit, it had 31 armed and fueled aircraft on the flight deck, which immediately caught fire. The crew of the Franklin suffered 800 men killed and over 400 wounded. Franklin suffered the most severe damage and highest casualties experienced by any U.S. fleet carrier that survived World War II.
The medal is the classic USN award with wrap brooch and type 2 engraving. It is housed in the original navy pattern squared edged case. Included with the finely engraved medal is the ribbon bar and lapel pin still in the package and extra ribbon. There is also a star pin which I am assuming that his wife wore to show a family member in service. A large amount of research paperwork accompanies the medal which includes copies of all his service records and correspondence between his wife and the Navy Department. Condition of the medal and accompanying pieces are excellent. The 3 photographs of the Franklin are not included.
