Grayson County TXGenWeb

Tommy C. Allen

Grayson Marine Back After
32 Months in Pacific Zone

VAN ALSTYNE - First Sgt. Tommy C. Allen of the marines, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Allen, is visiting his parents after 32 months overseas. He wears the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with one silver star for fighting in five major battles, two blue stars on his presidential citation ribbon, a pre-war ribbon and a good conduct medal.
He has been stationed at Guadal-canal, New Zealand, Tarawa, Hawaii, Siapan and Tinian. He saw a Jap submarine sunk on his way from the states and said he was most scared at his first battle on Guadalcanal.
Sergeant Allen praised New Zeland highly. Men sent to New Zealand from Guadalcanal for a rest, were often guests in private homes. It was in New Zealand that he met his brother, Howard.
After the battle of Tarawa he was sent to Hawaii for five months rest and training. Then arrived two days after the inital landing at Saipan. His company's mascot was a little dog called "Saipan Sally." She could detect an air raid long before any one else and would start to the entrance of a bomb shelter.
It was here that Sergeant Allne had 12 negroes under supervision. They were the first of the race to enter the marines and were the happiest men in the group. The battle of Saipan was their first battle and they asked to be taught to throw hand grenades and took it as a game.
The island of Tinian was seized in 10 days, then came the news "go back to the U.S.A." and he said the lights of San Francisco were wonderful after 32 months of blackout.
Sergeant All is a 1938 graduate of Tom Bean high school, where he lettered in football one year and played on the basketball team. His cousin, Billy Allen, now a prisoner of the Japs, was a center for the Van Alstyne team.