Rank and Name, Seaman Second Class Zerben Jean Badeaux .
Unit/Placed in, USS YMS-24 Minesweeper, United States Naval Reserve.
Zerben is born on 23 August 1923 in Saint Martinville, St. Martin County, Louisiana.
Father, Ulysse Joseph Badeaux.
Mother, Lucy (Castille) Badeaux.
Brother(s), Raymond Joseph Badeaux.
Zerben enlisted the service in Louisiana with service number # 6444845.
Zerben died when his was clearing the harbor entry from German Mines and one exploded on 23 May 1944, he is honored with a Good Combat Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal.
Zerben is buried/mentioned at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Nettuno, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to, https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GD87-LDH
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
WW2 Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Medals Forum, https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
WordPress en/of Wooncommerce oplossingen, https://www.siteklusjes.nl/
Military Recovery, https://www.dpaa.mil/
Palermo Operating Base
With the capitulation of Sicily, elements of the 120th Battalion, some of whom were participants in the original assault, were sent into the city of Palermo, where it was decided to establish the third U.S. Naval Operating Base in the western Mediterranean area, the others being at Casablanca and Oran. The three bases would provide complete naval coverage of the western Mediterranean Sea, with Casablanca and Palermo equidistant from Oran but in opposite directions.
Located on the north shore of the island and commanding a fine harbor which was capable of handling almost any ship afloat, Palermo had long been the major port of Sicily. The waterfront, developed by local enterprise, contained, among other fine facilities, a major ship-repair yard, complete with graving dock and twelve 65,000-barrel underground fuel-oil storage tanks. Moreover, although the city had been severely bombed, there were sufficient buildings of the proper type remaining to preclude excessive new construction on the part of the United States forces. The buildings were badly shattered, however, and it was the task of the Seabees to clear up the debris and do what construction work was necessary.
All utilities had been wiped out, necessitating the rewiring and installation of generators and communication equipment. Several large buildings had to be completely renovated — all had to be rewindowed and plastered. The ingenuity of Seabee personnel was demonstrated in the results obtained, for the base was developed as a remarkably modern and complete establishment. Additional activities were completed as required.
An ammunition depot was set up at Mondello Beach, 5 miles west of palermo. Later, recreation facilities were constructed there.
With the base fully operative, the function of the Seabees became a purely maintenance proposition, so that in February 1944, the 567th CBMU arrived from the United States and replaced the 120th Battalion’s Palermo detachment.
The naval operating base at Palermo remained one of the major United States supply and repair bases throughout the war, rendering aid to Navy and Merchant Marine alike. In August 1945, the 567th CBMU departed for the United States, and on December 15, 1945, after proper settlements had been made, the ship-repair yard was returned to the Sicilian owners. Staff headquarters and operations moved to Naples, and on December 31, 1945, Naval Operating Base, Palermo, was officially decommissioned, the balance of materials being turned over to the Office of Foreign Liquidations
