Vereen McNeill Bell

Conflicts & Campaigns

• Southwest Pacific; Invasion Saipan; Invasion Tinian; Invasion Guam
• Invasion Leyte Island; Philippines

Significant Duty Stations

• Composite Squadron VC-10 operating from USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73)

Decorations & Citations

• Purple Heart; Presidential Unit Citation
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars

Notes

Born in Cairo, Georgia. Lieutenant Vereen McNeill Bell US Navy was the son of Georgia State Supreme Court Judge Reason Chestnutt Bell. Vereen graduated from Davidson College in 1932 and later studied writing in Louisiana. He served as associate editor of American Boy/Youth's magazine for two years, then he became a freelance writer. Among many short stories Vereen had two novels published, "Swamp Water" and "Two of a Kind" Swamp Water was made into a movie starring Dana Andrews, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond and Anne Baxter. The story: A young girl and her father, who are unjustly accused of murder, seek refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp. Until they are befriended by a trapper who penetrates the swamp searching for his dog. Vereen's last story appeared in the November 11, 1944 issue of Collier's Magazine. In 1943 Vereen volunteered for the US Navy and was commissioned as a pilot for the Navy's F4F Wildcat. Assigned to carrier Composite Squadron 10 (VC-10) aboard the Escort Carrier Gambier Bay (CVE-73), and soon saw action. Was the only United States Aircraft Carrier sunk entirely by enemy surface warfare. Lieutenant Bell, who was serving as VC 10's Air Combat Intelligent Officer. Bell rushed to the ready room to put on his flying gear but was ordered by Commander Huxible to remain on board. Bell survived the sinking of the Gambier Bay but succumbed to exposure and delirium sometime during the evening of the 26th.. Instead of fleeing from a much more powerful force the Carriers had launched most all of its 400 planes and along with the destroyers, led by the USS Johnson (DD-557) went on the attack. The results of the engagement, the US Navy two escort carriers, two destroyers and one destroyer escort sunk, the Japanese three heavy cruisers and one destroyer sunk. The Japanese force broke off contact and retired. Presidential Unit Citation. " For extraordinary heroism in action against powerful units of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Samar, Philippines October 25, 1944. Silhouetted against the dawn as the Central Japanese Force steamed through the San Bernardino Strait toward Leyte Gulf. Task Unit 77.4.3 was suddenly taken under attack by hostile cruisers on its port hand, destroyers on the starboard and battleships on the rear. Quickly laying down a heavy smoke screen, the gallant ships of the Task Unit waged battle fiercely against the superior speed and fire power of the advancing enemy swiftly launching and rearming aircraft and violently zigzagging in protection of vessels stricken by hostile armor-piercing shells, anti-personnel projectiles and suicide bombers. With one carrier of the group sunk, others badly damage and squadron aircraft courageously coordinating in the attacks by making dry runs over the enemy Fleet as the Japanese relentlessly closed in for the kill, two of the Unit's Valiant destroyers and one destroyer escort charged the battleships point-blank and, expending their last torpedoes in desperate defense of the entire group, went down under the enemy's heavy shells as a climax of two and one half hours of sustained and furious combat. The courageous determination and superb teamwork of the officers and men who fought the embarked planes and who manned the ships of Task Unit 77.4.3 were instrumental in effecting the retirement of a hostile force threatening our Leyte invasion operations and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service MISSING in ACTION Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila Philippines.