Dorchester Illustration 2693 John Edward Maloney
John Edward Maloney, 1925-1945. Maloney was born on Aug. 16, 1925. His draft registration card for World War II, reports that he was living at 47 Chickatawbut Steet in Dorchester. At the time, he was working for the Watertown Arsenal. He was described as 5 feet nine inches, 155 pounds, with a light complexion, brown hair and blue eyes.
Maloney served in World War II as a gunner’s mate, 3rd class, in the U.S. Navy. He was killed on April 16, 1945, off Okinawa Shima on a littoral combat ship, a small surface vessel, designed for near-shore operations.
Maloney Circle was named by an act of the Legislature in 1949 to honor Maloney. The monument was installed the following year at Neponset Circle.
The following is from https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwii/wwii-pacific/okinawa/ie-shima-invasion.html
“Okinawa Campaign: Invasion of Ie Shima: April 16, 1945
The second phase of the Okinawa Campaign consisted of the objectives of Ie Shima, which housed the big airfield of the islands, and Motobu Peninsula. With Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider, USN, commanding the attack group, the U.S. Army’s 77th division landed on April 16, 1945. The invading force thought that the Japanese had abandoned the airfield due to aerial photo reconnaissance, but they met about 3,000 men as they moved towards the center of the island. Not unlike the Battle for Iwo Jima, the island had networks of underground tunnels enhanced by Mt. Gosuki, but the island was secured on April 21.”