Copyright
© 2020 John
F. Oyler
March
19, 2020
Merchant Marine Casualties in World War II
This week we have a guest columnist, my brother
Joe, with a column I wish I had written. In his words,
When men from our neighborhood
perished while serving in the military during World War 2 and the Korean War it
left a lasting impression on me. Since
2005 I have been involved in five projects that honor men and women who served
our country in the military. In 2011 I
published the book, “Almost Forgotten” which commemorates 116 men from the
Bridgeville and South Fayette Area who perished while serving in the military.
Now I have developed an interest in another area, namely the US Merchant
Marines.
In recent years it has become
a common practice during concerts for
bands to honor the Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard veterans in attendance by playing the Armed
Forces Medley. When their particular military hymn is played they are asked to
stand and be recognized which they proudly do. This is so very appropriate and
heartwarming, but I always wonder shouldn't merchant marine veterans be
similarly honored. The merchant marines who perished during WW2 are especially
forgotten.
Homer Hickham's book, “Torpedo
Junction” discusses Germany's brutal
attack on US merchant marine ships during the first six months of 1942. As they
traveled up and down the east coast of the US, German submarines used the light
of the east coast cities as a backdrop as, uncontested, they sank one ship
after the other, tankers in particular. It was a contest to see which German
submarine could return to port having sunk the most tonnage. At the time the US
Navy was shorthanded in men and destroyers and was more interested in
supporting the war effort in North Africa and supplying our European Allies. On
October 31, 1941, before the US had officially entered WW2 a German submarine
sank the US destroyer Reuben James off of the coast of Iceland with one hundred
men perishing and only 44 surviving. One of the survivors was officer Hamilton
Howe who commanding another destroyer gained revenge when finally in June 1942
it sank the first German submarine off of the coast of the US.
William Geroux's book, “The Mathews Men”, tells the story of a
plethora of merchant marine men from Mathews County, Virginia, who served and
in some cases died during WW2. This book confirms what is recorded in “Torpedo
Junction” regarding the first six months of 1942. After reading it I decided to
look into the merchant marine casualties during WW2 and attempt to commemorate
these men who lost their lives in the war effort just like the men who served
in the armed forces. I went to the internet site www.usmm.org/casualty.html
and this is the profound information that I discovered. During WW2 243,000 men served in the Merchant Marines
with 9,521 perishing in the process. Their casualty rate was higher than any of
the branches of the military with percentages as follows: Merchant Marines
3.9%, Marines 2.94%, Army 2.08%, Navy 0.88%, and Coast Guard 0.24%. This was a
huge surprise to me. More eye opening was the fact that 67 men from Western
Pennsylvania lost their lives. I don't know whether you can call it fortunate
or not but only one man from the South West Suburbs of Pittsburgh lost his
life, that being Frank Tinnion Wilson from Oakdale. Seventeen of the 67 men from Western Pennsylvania perished during
the deadly first six months of 1942.
I acknowledge that this is a feeble attempt to honor
the merchant marines, particularly those who lost their lives, but it is a
beginning. The merchant marines contributed mightily to the WW2 victory and
they need to be given more credit than they ever received. Fortunately, some of
the injustices which the WW2 merchant marines experienced regarding government
benefits were corrected by the Veterans Program Enhancement Act of 1988 and the
HR 154 Act of 2017.
The 67 WW2 casualties are listed as follows:
Name Ship Date Title Hometown
August
Anderson Caddo 11-23-42 Messman
Kane
George
Lewis Bittel Meriwether Lewis 3-2-43 O.S. Pittsburgh
Robert
Harry Black Robert Gray 4-22-43 Oiler New Kensington
Francis A
Broslet Malanta 3-9-43 Radio Officer
Coudersport
Fred West
Brown Samuel J Tilden 12-2-43 Messman McKeesport
Dixie
Burton West Portal 2-5-43 Chief Steward Pittsburgh
Stephen
Paul Byers Azalea City 2-21-42 Radio Officer Indiana
James
Paul Campbell American 6-11-42 F/W Aliquippa
Harry
Davis Chase Henry Knox 6-16-43 Steward Homewood
Robert
John Craig Fort Lee 11-2-44 F/W Fredonia Pa
George E
Curma Robert Gray 4-22-43 Oiler North
Braddock
Ray E
Davis E A Bryan 7-17-44 F/W Cresson
Thomas J
DeCesare Wichita 9-19-42 Messman Swissvale
Raymond W
Enlow John A Poor 3-19-44 F/W Washington
Charles J
Fisher Liberator 3-19-42 F/W Pittsburgh
Paul
Richard Geyer Jacksonville 8-30-44 Pumpman Pittsburgh
Theodore
R Gibson Samuel Heintzelman 7-9-43 Utility Fredonia Pa
Gilmore G
Gifford Pan New York 10-29-42 Chief Engineer Munhall
George M
Hamilton Puerto Rican 3-9-43 Jr 3rd Mate Sewickley
Thomas L
Hoffman West Portal 2-5-43 F/W Sharpsburg
James
Arthur Hope Edward B Dudley 4-10-43 Engine
Cadet Pittsburgh
John M
Hotochen Harry Luckenbach 3-17-43 Wiper Monessen
Milford K
Hallihen Halo 5-20-42 Messman Bradford
George W
Hutton John Harvey 12-2-43 Utility Jeannette
Martin D
Irvin Esso Gettysburg 6-10-43 F/W State College
Adam
Koket Robin Goodfellow 7-25-44 Cook Meadville
Henry
Joseph Krupa Samuel J Tilden 12-2-43 F/W Etna
George J
Kulonis Coama 12-9-42 Pantryman Mt Oliver
Edward B
Lafferty Harry Luckenbach 3-17-43 O.S Elizabeth
Homer R
Landefeld Jacksonville 8-30-44 Wiper Irwin
John E
Lawton Connecticut 4-23-42 O.S. Erie
Andrew C
Liskay West Lashaway 8-30-42 O.S. Duquesne
William E
Loucks Sun Oil 4-5-43 Wiper Youngwood
Robert E
McCaffrey Henry R Mallory 2-7-43 F/W East Pittsburgh
James N
McDonough Louisiana 8-17-42 F/W Charleroi
Walter F
Meisner Meriwether Lewis 3-2-43 Messman Pittsburgh
Stephen
Mihalik Henry R Mallory 2-7-43 F/W Pittsburgh
Wayne B
Miller C J Barkdull 1-10-43 Messman Beaver
Falls
Jacovas
Monios Mary Luckenbach 9-13-43 F/W Monessen
Fabian D
Moore Halo 5-20-42 Wiper Bradford
Joseph P
Molchan W D Anderson 2-22-42 A.B. Unity
John
Mrvan Jr John Harvey 12-2-43 F/W Braeburn
Steve
John Paulo Gulfpenn 5-13-42 Wiper Sharon
James L
Pennell Steel Age 3-7-42 Oiler Warren Area
John
Quinlan Yorkmar 10-9-43 1st Engineer Pittsburgh
John J
Radosh J N Pew 2-21-42 Pumpman Trafford
William V
Robbins Jacksonville 8-30-44 Wiper Pittsburgh
James G
Ropose Joseph M Cudahy 5-5-42 F/W Johnstown
Frank
Peter Sage Dan Beard 12-10-44 A.B. Holsopple
William J
Secunda John Straub 4-19-44 3rd Engineer Butler
Edward H Shearer John L Motley 12-2-43 3rd
Engineer New Kensington
Joseph H
Steinberg Syros 5-26-42 Messman
Pittsburgh
John
Supancic Atlanta Sun 2-17-43 O.S. Boswell
Herman W
Swogger Dorchester 2-3-43 A.B. Brownsville
Steve J
Sikora Coama 12-9-42 Wiper St Benedict
Richard W
Todd Kahuka 6-15-42 A.B. Meadowlands
Philip
Turi Quaker City 5-18-42 A.B. Scalp
Level
Joseph C
Turzak Robin Goodfellow 7-25-44 O.S. Braddock
George A
Urpin Charles Pinckney 1-28-43 Deck
Engineer Gallitzan
Charles M
Vickerman Velma Lykes 6-4-42 Radio Officer Farrel
James E
Walker Harry F Sinclair Jr 4-11-42 O.S. Franklin
Eugene W
Walters Louise Lykes 1-9-43 Dock Cadet Brownsville
Edwin C
Ward Mary Luckenbach 9-13-42 Radio
Officer Espyville
Francis H
Weber Samuel Huntington 1-29-44 Cook Pittsburgh
Frank T
Wilson Jacksonville 8-30-44 Messman Oakdale
Clifford
L Wilson Sun Oil 4-5-43 Junior 3rd
Mate Blandsburg
George L
Zeis Lake Oswego 2-20-42 Messman Smock
*footnotes
A.B. Able Bodied Seaman
O.S. Ordinary Seaman
F/W Fireman/Water Tender
My thanks to
Joe for this information and for his continuing commitment to memorializing our
local members of “the Greatest Generation”. The original, longer version of
this column, including a tabulation of Western Pennsylvania mariners who died
in World War II, will be archived on “bridgevillehistory.org” under menu
heading “Water Under the Bridge” and on my blog site, mywutb@blogspot.com.
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