Edgar H. Copp - WW II Veteran

The USS Schley was a  Wickes-class destroyer in the Unted States Navy during both WWI and WWII. She was recommissioned on October 3, 1940 and reclassified in 1943 as APD-14. Edgar H. Copp was a sailor on her.

Schley arrived off New Guinea on March 12, 1944, and conducted convoy operations for the next month. On April 22, she participated in the landings at Aitape, putting troops ashore and providing gunfire support. The next day at Tumleo Island, her boats landed troops from a larger transport while Schley again provided gunfire support. After repairs to a damaged propeller, Schley landed a company of troops on Niroemoar Island to set up a radar unit on May 19. The next day she rescued the crew of a wrecked American gasoline barge of Wakde Island and then sank two Japanese barges and silenced an enemy shore battery. The busy ship landed troops of Biak on May 27 and at Cape Sansapor at the western end f New Guinea on July 30. She then proceeded to Australia for repairs.

After a month of convoy operations, Schley joined the task group which carred out landing on Ormoc Bay on December 7. The group came under intense kamikaze attack. Although her sister ship, Ward, was sunk, Schley escaped damage. She then participated in the landings at Mindoro on December 15, 1944 and at Lingayen on January 9, 1945. During each operation, she evaded an attacking kamikaze. At Mindoro, American planes shot down the kamikaze a scant thousand yards from Schley. At Lingayen, the kamikaze veered off at the last minute to attack another ship, but missed. 

Edgar served well and bravely as the Schley helped win the war for the Allies. He returned home to live a productive life, forever one of the "Greatest Generation."

from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

JoAnne P. Miller