Lloys EkHis brother, 2nd Lt Bruce Henry
Ek, was a Marine dive bomber pilot who was killed in action during the battle of Midway.
He was awarded (posthumously) the Navy Cross for heroism. Thanks for your consideration.
Best regards, Gerry (G47), CDR, USN (Ret.)
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Fritz Oscar Ek and Nellie Stenquist were married about 1908 and were the parents of at
least four children, all sons; Fritz R., David J., Lloyd William and Bruce Henry Ek.
Shortly after WWII began, Lloyd Ek applied to the US Marine Corps at SDHS, Spokane, WA on
03 Jan 1942. On 13 Jan he enlisted in Seattle as a Private, USMC, and was assigned to
active duty at DHS, Seattle, WA. He was to report to the Recruit Depot, MCB, San Diego.
He was sent to recruit training on 15 Jan and was assigned to the Tenth Recruit
Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Corps Base (MCB), San Diego. After completing recruit
training Private Ek was assigned to Radio Operator School with the Hq Company, Signal
Battlion, San Diego. After completing his radio operator training he was transferred on
01 April 1942 to Radio Company, Signal Battlion, MCB, San Diego. On 10 July Private Ek
was transferred to the Training Center, FMF, New River, NC. On 25 July 1942 Private Ek
was assigned as a radioman to a newly formed unit, Battery "D" 2d Battalion,
12th Marines, 21st Marines (Reinforced) TTC, FMF, MB, New River, N.C. Prior to 01 Oct
1942 Private Ek had been promoted to Private First Class (PFC). By Jan 1943, Ek had
been promoted to Corporal, and his unit had been transferred to Camp Dunlap, Niland, CA.
By April 1943 Corporal Ek had been assigned to Casual Co., Marine Barracks, Camp Elliott,
CA awaiting (awtg) Officer Candidate school. He was transferred to the Reserve Officers'
Class at the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, VA where he was assigned to Company
"C" (Twenty-Ninth Candidates' Class). Corporal Ek completed his course of
instruction as an Student Officer Candidate and was discharged on 13 July 1943 to accept
a commission as a 2d Lt, USMCR (Class III(a)). In Oct 1943 2d Lt Ek was a student at the
Eastern Signal Corps School (ESCS), Fort Monmouth, NJ. He was enroute from the Marine
Base, Quantico, VA to the Training Center, Camp Lejeune, New River, NC. After completing
his courses of instruction at Ft Monmouth and Camp Lejeune, NC 2nd Lt Ek was sent to the
Naval Training School (Communications) at Harvard University. Upon completion of that
duty he was transferred on 6 July 1944 to Company "C", First HQ BN, HQTRS,
USMC, Washington, DC for temp duty in the Division of Plans and Policies.

Later that year 2d Lt Ek was assigned to the Marine Communications Detachment aboard the
USS Panamint (AGC-13) as the executive officer and coding officer. The Detachment
Commanding Officer was Captain Albert J. Gunther. The Panamint was a Mount McKinley-class
amphibious force command ship designed as an amphibious force flagship. On 2 Jan 1945 Ek
accepted a promotion to the temporary rank of 1st Lt. The effective date of his promotion
was 31 Dec 1944. According to Marine records the Panamint got underway from Pearl Harbor
on 28 Jan 1945 enroute Guadalcanal. She was in company with Transport Group Able to stage
for the forthcoming invasion of Okinawa scheduled in April 1945. She was designated the
flagship for Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider, Commander Amphibious Group 4. During
the Okinawa invasion and subsequent operations at Ie Shima the Panamint came under
frequent air attacks from Japanese suicide planes as well as torpedo attacks. She came
through unscathed; but narrowly. In August 1945 with 1st Lt Ek still aboard, the Panamint
sailed for Adak, Aleutian Islands. On 29 Aug Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, Commander
North Pacific Force and Area, hoisted his flag on Panamint. Several days later she left
Adak with the 9th Fleet and headed west for the occupation of northern Japan. On 7 Sept
1945 Panamint pulled away from the anchored task force and proceeded to a rendezvous
point to await the Japanese surrender ship from nearby Ominato Naval Base. On the morning
of 9 Sept 1945 the formal occupation ceremony was held on Panamint's decks. On 20 Sept
Panamint returned to Adak and proceeded to Kodiak on 2 Oct 1945. On 22 Oct 1945 1st Lt Ek
was detached from Panamint and sent to Dofp, San Francisco to await orders from HQMC for
release from active duty. Once he returned to California he was transferred to the Marine
Barracks, US Naval Center, Farragut, Idaho where on 01 Jan 1946 he was released from
active duty to inactive status. His home address was 2627 3rd Ave., Spokane, WA.