SM2c J. D. Naylor

J.D. Naylor was born December 26, 1920 in southwest Louisiana to Carl Welsh Naylor, a salesman, and Celeste Harvey Naylor, a homemaker.

By 1930 the family was living in Opelousas, population 6,299, in St. Landry Parish in south-central Louisiana. By April 1935 they had moved about 80 miles west-northwest to DeRidder, population 3,700, in Beauregard Parish near the Texas border.

The son enlisted in the Navy on Sept. 10, 1938. He was a signalman and petty officer second class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

At least one of his brothers, James, served in the Army during World War II.

Sources: The Times of Shreveport, Louisiana; Census; Navy muster roll; grave markers. Note that various sources list his birth date as either Dec. 25 in Allen Parish [Beauregard Museum] or Dec. 26 [Dept. of Defense]. This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.