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 Marine 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 Mariners 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.