Charles William Gay Full Narrative

Charles "Bill" William Gay was born on February 4, 1924, in Worland, Wyoming. He graduated from Worland High School, where he was a member of both the boxing and football teams, in 1942. He attended one semester at Washington State College (WSC) in the fall of 1942 and joined the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity for agriculture majors. He married Alice Joy Bailey on October 9, 1943, in Worland, and their daughter Kathleen Oro Gay was born on August 24, 1944. Gay registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, before later enlisting in the United States Naval Reserves as an Electrician's Mate, 3rd Class. He was assigned to the submarine USS Bullhead  SS-332. The Bullhead was launched on July 16, 1944, and commissioned December 4, 1944, with Commander W.T. Griffith at the helm. The submarine traveled via the Panama Canal to the Pacific, beginning on February 11, 1945. On March 9, 1945, the Bullhead began patrolling in the South China Sea. After ending their second war patrol at Fremantle, Australia on July 2, 1945, the submarine headed for the Java Sea. The last anyone heard from the Bullhead was August 6, 1945. Gay was reported missing in action on August 23, 1945, and since his body was never recovered his date of death was listed one year later, on August 23, 1946. The Bullhead was the last US Navy ship sunk by enemy action in World War II.  Gay is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, along with the WSU Veterans Memorial. He posthumously received the Purple Heart, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and the Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia.