2ND LIEUTENANT GORDON HERBERT STERLING, JR.; U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS

DOB/DOD: June 30, 1919 (Ilion, New York) – December 7, 1941; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Engaged to 2nd Lt Ada Margaret “Peggy” Olsson (1916-1999), U.S. Army nurse. NOTE: In 1945, then Lieutenant Peggy Olsson was the supervising nurse for the amputation ward at McCloskey General Hospital in Temple, Texas. She never married and died at 83 years old in her hometown of Junction City, Kansas.

2d Lt Ada Margaret “Peggy” Olsson

LOCAL ADDRESS: 56 Argyle Avenue, West Hartford
ENLISTMENT: September 7, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: O-411852
UNIT: 46th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group; Wheeler Field, Hawaii

FAMILY: Born to Gordon Herbert Sterling (1883-1960) and Flossie Chrisler Sterling (1887-1972). One sister, Editha Sterling Osborne (1906-2002). One brother, John (1924-2013).

OTHER: His name is “James Gordon Sterling” in some newspaper articles, his high school yearbook (picture below), and the 1930 census.

DECORATIONS: Received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart Medal. Gordon H. Sterling VFW Post 3840 was at Wheeler Field for a time but has since disbanded.

William H. Hall High School Class of ’37 Yearbook; provided by Terri O’Donnell, Hall High School Library

From FindAGrave.com: Although not a rated pilot, Lt Sterling was a flight engineer and had received some flight training and took off from Wheeler Field with others to face attacking Japanese aircraft on December 7. He was shot down, and his body has never been found. He remains MIA.

Also from FindAGrave.com: Lieutenant Sterling was born in Ilion, New York. In 1927, he and his family moved to Syracuse, NY. He attended John T. Roberts Elementary School and Roosevelt Junior High School before enrolling in Onondaga Valley Academy. After a move to West Hartford, CT, he attended Hall High School there. He attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT from 1937-1939. He entered the military service from Connecticut. He attended and graduated from the Advanced Flying School, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama, in May 1941.

From Army.TogetherWeServed.com

HE DIDN’T EXPECT TO MAKE IT HOME

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Gordon Sterling knew what he had to do.

The young Army Air Corps lieutenant was stationed at Wheeler Field on the island of Oahu on that calm December morning in 1941 when the first wave of Japanese planes launched their attack on Pearl Harbor. During a brief lull, Sterling watched as other American pilots rushed into action.

Quietly watching the drama unfold on 7 December 1941 was Second Lieutenant Gordon H. Sterling Jr., the 46th PS assistant flight engineer. Gordon had passed his flight tests but had not progressed as rapidly as the other pilots had in formation and gunnery. He saw that other P-36s were beginning to taxi out and that the P-36 Norris intended to fly was going to be left behind. The immediate need for a complete formation spurred Sterling to action.

He climbed into the idling plane, determined to fight to the finish. He gave his watch to the crew chief, Staff Sergeant Turner, and said, “Give this to my mother! I’m not coming back!”

Sterling had scheduled an afternoon date with his fiancée, 2nd Lieutenant Ada M. “Peggy” Olsson, a nurse at nearby Schofield Barracks Station Hospital. The Japanese attack canceled it.

When Sanders broke away from Fujita after the initial attack, he gained 2,000 feet of altitude, turned back toward the combat, and saw Sterling behind Okamoto, firing. Sanders immediately knew that Sterling was in serious trouble because Fujita was now on Sterling’s tail and closing fast. With Fujita firing at him, Sterling forgot about Okamoto’s Zero and increased the dive angle. Sanders had his throttle to the stop and latched onto Fujita’s tail, but he was too far away and too late. Fujita got hits all over Sterling’s airplane, and it began to smoke. Fire was streaming from the aircraft as it dived through the cloud bank straight into the bay. Sanders began to register hits on Fujita’s airplane, which was badly damaged. Their race for the cloud bank saved both Okamoto and Fujita and ended the action.

Sanders recalled, “Just as I closed in, he [Fujita] got a burst at Sterling, whose plane burst into flames. Four of us then went into a dive: the Japanese in front [Okamoto]; then Sterling, firing at him; then another Japanese [Fujita], and then me. We plunged into the overcast that way. I was some distance behind, and when I came out, there was no sign of the other planes. The way they had been going, they couldn’t have pulled out, so it was obvious that all three went into the sea.” Later, Japanese records would show that only Sterling crashed. Not knowing that, Sanders gave Sterling a victory credit over Okamoto.

NOTE: A further records investigation by the USAAF reported on March 7, 1949, “In view of the negative results of efforts to correlate this case with unknowns recovered from the pertinent area, it appears that Lt. Sterling was lost at sea, off the Oahu coast, as a result of enemy action, and under such circumstances, as to preclude the possibility of recovery of his remains.”

From The Detroit Free Press December 3, 2016; story by Mark Phelan

On his way to work this Wednesday, Dec. 7, John Michalek, 35, of Plymouth, will walk past the classic Buick in his garage and think of 22-year-old 2nd Lt. Gordon H. Sterling Jr., who drove the 1941 Buick Special to work on a Sunday morning 75 years ago, only to die in a dogfight over the waters of Pearl Harbor.

Sterling, who at the time was a recent graduate of flight school in Montgomery, Ala., was one of just a handful of American pilots who got airborne to protect their comrades that day. He engaged the attackers, following a Japanese fighter into a cloud bank, unaware of another hostile plane on his tail.

Michalek’s deep blue Buick has been owned by members of Sterling’s family since he bought it in May 1941. It was his first new car.

Michalek, an engineer with Detroit Diesel, married into Sterling’s family and has become the keeper of the car and a champion of Lt. Sterling’s memory.

As a child in West Hartford, Connecticut, Sterling had been a Boy Scout and a school athlete. He longed to become a pilot and enlisted in the Army after two years in college. Pearl Harbor was his first post after flight school. Because Sterling was an officer, the Army shipped his car to Hawaii.

Sterling’s grand-niece, Amy Schroeder, 33, grew up in Canton, where her grandfather, John Sterling, had the Buick.

“He took the car to shows and parades, keeping his brother’s memory alive,” Michalek said. “I heard the story from him.”

Michalek liked cars, restoring and working on a couple of classics. As time went by, he went to car shows with Schroeder’s grandfather, driving the Buick when the older man’s health flagged.

“He was prepping me to carry on,” Michalek said. He and Schroeder married, then bought the car after her grandfather died.

Most of the planes in Sterling’s unit, the 46th Pursuit Squadron, were destroyed on the ground on Dec. 7, 1941. There were just four surviving P36s — an outdated plane that had been parked off to the side away from the best fighters — when Sterling arrived, still wearing his civilian clothes from the evening before. The first plane off the ground was flown by Sterling’s roommate, 2nd Lieutenant Philip M. Rasmussen, who became famous as the “pajama pilot” because he raced from bed to the airfield when the attack began. Rasmussen and three other experienced pilots grabbed the P36s. Sterling had just passed his flight tests, but when one of the others left a plane to get a parachute, Sterling jumped into the cockpit.

He stripped off his wristwatch, handing it to the crew chief with the words, “Give this to my mother. I’m not coming back.”

Sterling joined the other three P36s in the second wave of the attack and died in combat. He was cited for “conspicuous gallantry in the defense of Hawaii” in a letter the chief of the Army Air Forces sent to Sterling’s parents on December 18, 1941.

Sterling received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart. His remains were never recovered, but there are memorials to his service in Honolulu and at Arlington National Cemetery.

Despite the chaos following the attack, the Army diligently handled Sterling’s effects. His parents gave Lt. Rasmussen his radio and music collection. The rest, including his watch and car, were sent home.

The car was undamaged except for a bullet hole through the windshield. The family replaced the windshield but kept the original in the trunk as part of Sterling’s story.

Michalek took the car to shows after Amy’s grandfather died, but he has spent most of his time recently with he and Schroeder’s 3-year-old son. “He’s starting to be interested in cars,” Michalek said. “Maybe next year we’ll take the Buick out together.”

Sterling Field, 802 Flatbush Avenue, West Hartford is named for Lt Sterling.
Photo by the webmaster.

Memorialized at Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section MI, Site 159. Photo from Arlington National Cemetery’s web page.

Photo by the webmaster

Also memorialized at Courts of the Missing, Court 5, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Picture from FindAGrave.com.

END

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS GEORGE JIG SMITH; U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE

DOB/DOD: December 5, 1919 (New York) – December 7, 1941; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 52 Tilton Street, New Haven
ENLISTMENT: April 10, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 6150664
UNIT: 18th Air Base Squadron, 17th Air Base Group; Schofield Barracks, HI

FAMILY: Born to George M. Smith [Navy veteran; WWI] (1898-1974) and Helen Elizabeth Sanders Smith (1900-1977). PFC Smith was their only child.

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal.

OTHER: Information about Private Smith is scarce. Service number 6150664 on the interment card matches the casualty book for those killed in action from Connecticut. Not much other information was found. NOTE: “T.H.” in the state block of the form below stood for “Territory of Hawaii.”  Hawaii didn’t become a state until 1950. This is why his grave marker reads “Hawaii” rather than “Connecticut.” The burial file can be seen HERE.

PFC Smith is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, 2177 Puowaina Dr, Honolulu, Hawaii; Section O, Plot 22. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

END

SEAMAN FIRST CLASS WILLIAM EUGENE SEELY; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: October 8, 1922 (New London, CT) – December 7, 1941; 19 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Fairview Avenue, Groton
ENLISTMENT: October 15, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 2072956
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to Paul Seely/Seeley (1895-1936) and Francis D. Bailey Seeley (1894-1977). One sister, Jeannette Seeley Goslin (1925-2014). One brother, Paul (1929-1996). William’s father, Paul, drowned on a fishing trip on September 13, 1936. William was 13 years old.

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Armed Forces Defense Medal, Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal.

OTHER: There is some confusion about how to spell his last name. In several places, it’s Seely without an e between L and Y. His birth certificate, all military records, the USS Arizona Memorial and the Honolulu Memorial have the spelling of “Seeley”. The e before the y is a mistake. The rest of the family spelled their last name Seely. The mistake on his birth certificate carried into his military career, as that was the form needed to make sure enlistees are old enough.

From ancestry.com

USS Arizona December 31, 1941; listed as missing

William attended Pleasant Valley School and Robert E. Fitch High School. Those who knew him remembered that he worked after school in a hardware store on Thames Street and went to Sunday School at the Groton Heights Baptist Church. He enlisted in the Navy on his 18th birthday in 1940.

Built in 1954, the now-closed William Seely Elementary School in Groton was named in his honor. Each year on December 7th, Principal Dick Raymond made a special announcement explaining the significance of the day and the part William Seely played in defending his country.  An apartment complex is in design/approval stages for the land the school is on.

William’s childhood home on Fairview Avenue in Groton had to be torn down to make room for the Gold Star Memorial Bridge over the Thames River between Groton and New London.

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com

Memorialized Courts of the Missing, Court 2, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

END

CHIEF RADIOMAN THOMAS JAMES REEVES; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: December 9, 1895 (Thomaston, CT) – December 7, 1941; 45 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 31 Goodwin Court, Thomaston
ENLISTMENT: July 20, 1917
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS California (BB-44)

FAMILY: Born to William Reeves (1850-1938) and Mary O’Riley Reeves (1858-1939), both born in Ireland. One sister, Rosetta Reeves (1882-1905). Four brothers, Joseph (1885-1972), Leo (1889-1967), William (1892-1949), and Frederick (1898-1970).

CIRCUMSTANCES: He enlisted in the Naval Reserve as an Electrician Third Class on July 20, 1917 and was discharged on August 21, 1921. Less than two months later, on October 12, 1921, he reenlisted in the Navy, making it his career. He was serving as Chief Radioman on the battleship USS California when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

USS California after the attack on December 7. Official US Navy photograph 80-G-32740, courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command.

From U.S. Navy cruise book published in 1995 about the USS California

THOMAS JAMES REEVES, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Reeves of Thomaston, Connecticut. He attended local schools and, before entering the service, was the chief operator for Western Union at Waterbury, CT. Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 10, 1917. He saw service in WWI in the Transportation Service. In the following years, he served on the USS American, Whipple, Seattle, Texas, Chicago, Maryland, New Mexico, and California. He also served in the Staff Headquarters of the 3rd Naval District and with the Naval Mission to Brazil. He also taught radio in Rio de Janeiro. Thomas intended to retire in 1939, with more than 22 years of service completed. He had accepted an appointment as a ground engineer with the Civil Service. The day before his retirement was to take effect, President Roosevelt declared a Limited Emergency, and all persons were prohibited from leaving the Navy. Thomas then re-enlisted at San Pedro for another four years. At the time of Pearl Harbor, he was on the Admiral’s staff on board the USS California.  

A remembrance letter written by Thomas Mason. On display at the Town Hall in Thomaston, Connecticut

A remembrance of Chief Radioman Thomas J. Reeves, Medal of Honor

One day in the summer of 1941, Chief Reeves called me over to the supervisor’s desk in the radio room of the battleship California. We were moored to Berth F-3 at the head of the battle line in Pearl Harbor.
“Mason, I’m giving you a promotion,” he said. “I’m sending you to the main top for your battle station.”
“That’s great, chief!” I enthused. “What do I do there?”
“When our planes are up, you copy their spotting reports,” he said. “By hand. They’re used for correcting main-battery fire.”
“What do I do when the planes aren’t up?”
“Enjoy the scenery.” He smiled. “You’re going to like it up there, Mason. Lots of fresh air.”
The chief — who ran the 90-man radio gang of both the ship and the admiral’s flag complement with an awesome competence — had given me more than a promotion. He had, it is quite likely, given me my life. Otherwise, I would have been in the main radio, located on the platform deck below the third deck, port side, on December 7 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. After it flooded and was abandoned following the deadly impact of two torpedoes, I would have been with my best friend, Melvin G. Johnson, near the ship’s service store when a bomb hit there, killing him and about fifty other shipmates. Or — had I been a better man than I probably was — with Chief Reeves in a burning passageway on the third deck.
When the main radio was abandoned, Chief Reeves was the last man out. After helping some men to relative safety, he returned to the burning, rapidly flooding the third deck. Realizing the desperate need for ammunition at the anti-aircraft batteries, he plunged into the smoke and flames with every able-bodied man he could muster. It was there on the starboard side of the third deck, less than fifty feet from the entrance to the radio room he had supervised so long and so ably that he was overcome by smoke and fire, collapsed, and died. He won the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. Of this medal, Harry Truman said: “I would rather have it than be President.”
The last time I saw the chief was on the late evening of December 5, 1941, in front of Wo Fat’s restaurant on Hotel Street in Honolulu.
“He was one of those men of above-medium height and large frame who become corpulent but never look fat,” I later wrote. “He had a round, smooth face under a full head of thick, iron-gray hair that gave him a leonine look despite the military haircut. His piercing, hawk-like eyes could have been those of a surgeon — or a riverboat gambler.
“Even then, he was a near-legendary figure. A pioneer during the primitive days of the arc transmitter, he was a man who scorned the easy shore billet that could have been his for one of the toughest jobs in the enlisted Navy: chief in charge of the radio gang, Commander Battle Force. He ran the C-D Division with a discipline that was firm without being oppressive… Reputedly, he had turned down a commission of at least two stripes, which was certainly understandable, for no junior officer in a battleship had anything like his real authority and prestige. The chief alone decoded when and where you stood watch, what your battle station was when you went on liberty, and when you were ready for a faster radio circuit or an advance in rating. Within his division, he was more feared and respected than the captain himself.”
On this Friday evening of December 5, Johnson and I were nearly broke. Spotting the chief, I ran across the street and explained my problem.
“Well, Mason,” he said without hesitation, “let me make you a small loan.” He pulled the bill from one of his pockets and handed it to me. “That enough?” he asked.
I was holding a twenty dollar bill — a third of a month’s pay for a third-class petty officer. I must have stammered in explaining that I didn’t need so much, that a five would be plenty.
“That’s all right, Mason,” he said with a wave of the hand and a flash from the large diamond ring he wore on his little finger. “Keep it.”
A Japanese task force prevented me from repaying that loan, but I never forgot the obligation. My assignment to the main top by Chief Radioman Thomas J. Reeves of Thomaston, Connecticut, enabled me to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor and later to attend college on the G.I. Bill. Decades later, it made possible the repayment of my debt in a coin of a different kind. When I was asked by the Naval Institute Press to write Battleship Sailor, I was, at last, able to pay tribute to my gallant chief radioman of the California and to include his name in the book’s dedication.
“The battleship Navy was gone as an overwhelming physical force,” I wrote in my memoir, “but I knew that some of its intangible legacies would remain. What would live for others to emulate and for history to admire were the qualities of men like Reeves. To such men, defeat was unendurable; failure was not acceptable.”
I am proud to have known and served with Chief Radioman Thomas J. Reeves, Medal of Honor.

Theodore C. Mason

NOTE: Theodore Charles Mason survived the war and died at 82 years old in 2004.

A letter typed on State of Connecticut letterhead dated June 2, 1942

Mr. Fred Dewey Reeves
31 Goodwin Avenue
Thomaston, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Reeves,

I write this to you with a heart filled with deep sympathy for the family and friends of Tommy Reeves, who died so that we may live. In a brief moment of sublime heroism, at a time when all the laws of Nature and humanity were being violated by a treacherous foe, Tommy Reeves reached out, beyond his duty and beyond his obligations to his fellow men, to make the supreme sacrifice.

That he was the first son of Connecticut to die in battle during this universal war places him high up in the ranks of those other noble souls who, down the years, since the community was first founded, fought and died for freedom’s sake. He has enriched our heritage by becoming part of it.

Words are always inadequate to describe the mingled and profound feelings that the death of such a hero inspires, for nothing that is said or done can ever quite capture that divine spark that was in Tommy Reeves when he went to his death. Of all the acts of heroism, such an act as his is the most heroic. He knew for certain that the task he had assigned himself would be the last of his life on earth. He was not essentially a fighting man but a technician. He was the Chief Radioman on the Battleship California, and when that ship was bombed from the air as it lay at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Thomas J. Reeves helped to keep the guns of his ship blazing at the enemy. Time after time, he carried ammunition up a gas-filled and smoke-filled passageway to the men who manned those guns, and he kept on doing that until the gas and the smoke stopped him. He did not stop at the moment when he could have saved himself, but he continued until it was impossible to do anymore — until he died. Only great and divinely courageous souls are capable of that kind of heroism.


For it, for his immense service above the line of duty, he has been posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military award that is in the power of our country to bestow. And for it, he has been given that place in the hearts of his countrymen, which is open only for those who rise like a phoenix to give light and hope, and courage to the rest of us. What he did shines as an example and an inspiration to all who love liberty. To his family, his friends and comrades, his neighbors, for whom the mark of honor must seem slight compensation for the death of a loved one, I would say that there is deeper consolation in that what Tommy Reeves did was not done futilely. It will not be said that he died in vain, but rather that he died for all people everywhere in the world whose future, whose hopes, whose spirits were being destroyed by brutal forces. It will be said that he died so that the light of God and the air of freedom would not be suffocated by a world tyranny. It will be said that he died so that the promise of God of a world of peace and goodwill was one day fulfilled. It will be said that he died for all those who will come hereafter, in this blessed land, for the families that will come, for the new communities that will come, for the new cities that will come, for all the homes and the schools that will come and so that all of these could blossom and thrive in the clear light of a wonderful and free democracy.

We are fighting the war to make that vision of the future a reality, and we will not stop fighting until it is a reality. Tommy Reeves poured his strength and his splendid life into that cause. He has had a hand in the making of a new world, and forever after, in whatever there will be of goodness, of decency, and of human happiness, there will be something of Tommy Reeves.


Let us mourn for him, but let us know, as the poet Shelley knew of his friend Keats:

“Till the future dares forget the past
His fate and fame shall be an echo and
a light unto eternity.”

Believe me to be

Sincerely yours,
Robert A. Hurley
Governor

Citation to accompany the award of the Navy Medal of Honor

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Congressional Medal of Honor to Thomas James Reeves, CRM (PA) USN, Deceased

 For distinguished conduct in the line of his profession, extraordinary courage, and disregard of his own safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. After the mechanized ammunition hoists were put out of action on the U.S.S. California, Reeves, on his own initiative, in a burning passageway, assisted in the maintenance of an ammunition supply by hand to the antiaircraft guns until he was overcome by smoke and fire, which resulted in his death.

Photo of CRM Reeves’ Medal of Honor on permanent display in the Town Hall in Thomaston, Connecticut. Photo by the webmaster.

From The Hartford Courant July 12, 1942

Thomaston, July 11. – (AP) – Thomas Reeves is to have a United States Navy escort vessel named in his memory, according to a letter received today by his brother, Fred D. Reeves, from the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox. Mr. Reeves, whose memory was honored at special ceremonies here on May 30 and who was posthumously awarded the Navy Medal of Honor, died December 7 in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was a Chief Radioman in the Navy. The first Reeves was laid down by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 7 February 1943; launched on 23 April 1943; sponsored by Miss Mary Anne Reeves, niece of Chief Radioman Reeves; and commissioned on 9 June 1943, Lieutenant Commander Mathias S. Clark in command.


USS Reeves (DE-156/APD-52) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, named in honor of Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Reeves (1895–1941), who was killed in action while serving aboard the battleship California (BB-44) during the attack on Pearl Harbor. For his distinguished conduct to bring ammunition to anti-aircraft guns, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

The first Reeves was laid down by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 7 February 1943; launched on 23 April 1943; sponsored by Miss Mary Anne Reeves, niece of Chief Radioman Reeves; and commissioned on 9 June 1943, Lieutenant Commander Mathias S. Clark in command.

Chief Reeves is buried at the National Military Cemetery of the Pacific, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii; Section A, Grave 884. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Also memorialized on his parent’s headstone. The stone is located in St. Thomas Cemetery, 55 Altair Avenue, Thomaston, Connecticut; Section B, Plot 283. Photo by the webmaster.

END

SEAMAN FIRST CLASS MIKE JOSEPH QUARTO; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: May 3, 1919 (Norwich, CT) – December 7, 1941; 22 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 72 Boswell Avenue, Norwich
ENLISTMENT: October 15, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 2072955
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to Giuseppe “Joseph” (1884-1952) and Rosie Greicha Quarto (1894-1971). One brother, James (1924-1993). Two sisters Louise L. Quarto Bargenquast Valenti (1917-2004) and Angelone (1920-1969).

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal

OTHER: Like Stanley Orzech and George Povesko, Seaman Quarto enlisted on October 15, 1940, and records show he arrived aboard the USS Arizona on December 10, 1940 – a short seven weeks after enlisting.

Pictures provided by Joseph Quarto, nephew and
Rozann Valenti-Montminy, niece

From Bobbie Jo Carter, University of Arizona

When Michael “Mike” Joseph Quarto enlisted in the Navy on October 15, 1940, economic times were tough for most American families. He was just 20 and had been working as a laborer for the Works Progress Administration, a federal jobs program. Mr. Quarto was living at home in Norwich, Connecticut, with his parents, Joseph and Rosa, both Italian immigrants. They worked, too, the father as a construction laborer and the mother as a machine operator in a shoe factory. One daughter, Louise, was a clerk at a department store and later worked in the kitchen at Connecticut State Hospital. A granite bench next to the Columbus monument at Broadway and Crescent Street in Norwich is dedicated in honor of the Italian American War Veterans Michael J. Quarto Post #20 (no longer in existence). Source: Special thanks to Bobbie Jo Carter, the University of Arizona for her contribution

From the Norwich Bulletin, December 7, 1976; article below provided by Joseph Quarto, nephew, and Rozann Valenti-Montminy, niece

NORWICH – Michael J. Quarto, who grew up on Boswell Avenue and was among the first Americans to give their lives in World War II, will be honored along with thousands of others today at ceremonies at Pearl Harbor.

   During a surprise air attack by the Japanese 35 years ago today aimed at the heart of the U.S. Pacific fleet, Quarto was among the 1,100 sailors who lost their lives when the flagship USS Arizona was sunk.

   His memory has been honored in several ways in Norwich, including naming Post 20 of the Italian-American War Veterans in his honor. Today, in ceremonies at Pearl Harbor, Frank Sanzo, senior vice commander of the War Vets, will place wreaths at the Arizona memorial.

   Sanzo will lay one wreath on behalf of Italian-American veterans in the state and another furnished by Post 20 to honor Mike Quarto.

   Initially stationed at Newport, RI, Mike was transferred to Puget Sound, Washington, before he was assigned to the Arizona – the flagship of the Pacific fleet.

   In the confusion that followed the dawn attack, Mike’s brother James and sister Louise Valenti said their brother was first listed as missing in action, along with another Norwich native, Harry L. Carlson.

   It was a year before the War Department officially notified the Quarto family of Michael’s death, Mrs. Valenti said. She also has a vague memory of “a big limousine, they said it was the Governor,” stopping at their house and delivering posthumous medals to Mrs. Quarto.

   Mrs. Valenti’s first husband, Arnold Bargenquast, was also at Pearl Harbor that infamous day aboard the USS Pennsylvania. Bargenquast survived that attack but died in the submarine service later in the war, Mrs. Valenti said.

   “We’ve lived through our tragedies,” she said Sunday night.

   The memory of Michael Quarto, Arnold Bargenquast, Harry Carlson, and all the war dead will be in the hearts of the Italian-American Vets Wednesday night at a 7:30 p.m. prayer service at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall on Central Avenue.

Provided courtesy of Rozann Valenti-Montminy, niece.

Note: In a tragic footnote to the story of Mike Quarto, his sister Louise married Motor Machinist Mate First Class Arnold “Brick” Bargenquast on April 3, 1943. Arnold was injured on December 7, 1941, by shrapnel aboard the USS Pennsylvania. His request to transfer to submarines was granted, and while attending sub school, he met Louise. MM1c Bargenquast died aboard the USS Seawolf (SS-197). The sub was last heard from on October 3, 1944, in the South Pacific. Louise Quarto Bargenquast lost both her brother and husband in World War II.

Arnold Bargenquast’s Purple Heart Medal was graciously provided by Rozann Valenti-Montminy. Photo by Jeff DeWitt.

Quarto Road in Norwich is named in his honor. His shipmate Harry L. Carlson, also from Norwich, has a street named for him. Photos by webmaster.

Letters and postcards were graciously provided by Rozann Valenti-Montminy. Photos by webmaster.

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Memorialized Courts of the Missing, Court 1, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii.

END

SEAMAN FIRST CLASS GEORGE POVESKO; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: January 27, 1922 (Bridgeport, CT) – December 7, 1941; 19 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 117 Grant Street, Bridgeport
ENLISTMENT: October 15, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 2072963
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to George Povesko [also Paveizko, Pavesko, Pavuisko] (1878-1938) and Elizabeth Zippy Povesko (1885-1958), both born in Czechoslovakia. Four sisters, Anna Povesko Tomchik (1903-1999), Helen Povesko Yansick (1914-1989), Mary Povesko Salamon (1917-1999), Pauline Povesko Blonski (1919-2003). One brother, Michael (1916-1984).

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal.

NOTE: public records on the Povesko family are difficult to locate because their last name was spelled so many ways. They spelled it Povesko or Pavucek, but government records also spell it as Povska, Pivasko, Pavesko, Pavuisko, and Pavuizko.

Attended Harding High School in Bridgeport. Like Stanley Orzech and Mike Quarto, he enlisted on October 15, 1940, and records show he arrived aboard the USS Arizona on December 10, 1940 – a short seven weeks after enlisting.

USS Arizona Muster Roll December 31, 1941; listed as missing

Bridgeport Post March 1, 1942

HOPES TO AVENGE HIS BROTHER’S DEATH
Michael Povesko permitted to join the Navy despite a physical defect

For four years, Michael Povesko, now 26 years old, tried to join the Navy, but they said “No” because he had a slight physical defect. A younger brother, George, however, was more successful and did get in. He was in the thick of things as the Japs took that infamous sucker shot. Michael was disconsolate and hoped to avenge the death of his brother, who never had a chance. He told the Navy about it. And today, he is on his way to the Navy Training Station as word has been received from the Navy Department in Washington that he will get a chance for that vengeance as they waived the physical defect on his behalf. Michael Povesko, son of Mrs. Elizabeth Povesko of 117 Grant Street, went to Barnum School in his younger days and was employed at Remington Arms when notified that he was accepted. His brother George, who had been a pupil at Warren Harding High School, when he joined the Navy, was a Seaman First Class., at the time of his death. He was 19 years old at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. (Article provided by Elizabeth Van Tuyl, Bridgeport History Center)

From the Bridgeport Post May 31, 1942; provided by the Bridgeport Public Library

SAILORS DIED IN ACTION

Sailors, too, have played an important part in the conflict and several among them who are from this city have made the supreme sacrifice, a sacrifice which has brought others into the folds as members of the armed forces. Take the case of George Povesko, who was killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7. He was a pupil at Warren Harding High School when he joined the Navy and was a seaman first class at the time of his death. He was only 19 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. There, the story might have ended, but George had brothers who also had the fighting spirit. Michael, his 26-year-old brother, tried to get into the armed forces for four years. He was rejected because of a slight physical defect. However, now he really had something to fight for and the Navy must listen to his plea. For every man who dies, another must fill his ranks, and Michael wanted to fill the space left open by his brother. Finally, on March 1, the Navy let down the barriers, and today, another son of Mrs. Elizabeth Povesko, now a Gold Star mother, of 117 Grant Street, is serving Uncle Sam as a Navy man. His whereabouts are a military secret, but it goes without saying that he, too, will give a good account of himself.

Bridgeport Telegram December 5, 1957

MEMORIAL TO HONOR SHIP DEAD; BRIDGEPORTER WAS ON ARIZONA

Sixteen years ago, on December 7, 1941, a Japanese aerial armada roared in and laid waste to the United States’ big Pearl Harbor naval base. George Povesko, son of Mrs. Elizabeth Povesko, of 117 Grant Street, serving aboard the USS Arizona as a Seaman First Class, was among the 1102 persons who perished as the battleship sank. He was 19 years old and had attended Harding High School prior to enlisting in the Navy. The sinking of the Arizona was, for the U.S., the war’s biggest single tragedy. The bodies of many of those who died, including 24 New Englanders, still rest in the shattered, rusting hulk at the bottom of the harbor, their graves unmarked except for a crude wooden platform supporting a flagpole and a plaque. A color guard daily raises and lowers the national ensign, because the ship still is in commission, technically. But, belatedly, something is about to be done about it. On Saturday, December 7, a campaign will be launched to raise $500,000 to encase the Arizona in steel and concrete, as a permanent memorial. The venture, sponsored by the Pacific War Memorial Commission of Honolulu, has the blessing of Admiral Arleigh Burke, Chief of Naval Operations: “I wish nothing but success to those engaged in this memorial effort.” Connecticut servicemen listed in the Arizona’s casualty list include William T. O’Neill Jr, Glenbrook; Harry L. Carlson, Norwich; Henry J. Lanouette, Wallingford; Stanislaus J. Orzech, Meriden; Richard Patterson Jr., Berlin; Mike J. Quarto, Norwich; William E. Seely, Groton, and Ensign Ulmont I. Whitehead, Hartford. (Article provided by Elizabeth Van Tuyl, Bridgeport History Center)

Bridgeport Post December 28, 1958

WAR MEMORIAL TO HONOR DEAD ENTOMBED IN SUNKEN ARIZONA

The memory of a Bridgeport sailor – George Povesko – entombed with 1,101 of his Navy and Marine Corps shipmates aboard the sunken battleship the USS Arizona, is to be preserved for posterity. Congress this year authorized the establishment of a permanent memorial to the men who gave their lives at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This memorial will be located on the hulk of the famed battle wagon resting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor. A nationwide program to raise a $2 million fund to provide the memorial was launched on December 3 in Tucson, Arizona, and much newspaper, radio, and TV space has been given to inform the public of the drive. Mayor Samuel Tedesco proclaimed this past week as “USS Arizona Week,” and in a ceremony, at City Hall, he received the gift of a model of the battleship from Mrs. Michael Tomchik of 751 Ogden Street, the former Anna Povesko, sister of the entombed Bridgeporter. The arrangements had been made through the local Navy recruiting office, and one of its staff, Chief Quartermaster Harry J. Lemkey, was present for the ceremony. The model had been assembled by Arthur Gaines, 12, of the North End Boys’ Club. Donations may be sent to the USS Arizona Memorial Fund at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Seaman 1/C Povesko was born in Bridgeport and left his studies at Harding High School upon reaching 17 in January 1941 to enlist for a “minority cruise” with the Navy. His family had received Christmas cards and letters indicating that he planned to get leave and be home for Christmas in 1941 but, like many others, never made it. He was one of nine Connecticut men who died aboard the USS Arizona. The other Fairfield County resident was Ensign William T. O’Neill Jr., Stanley Road, Glenbrook district, Stamford. Others of the state were: Ensign Ulmont I. Whitehead of Hartford, Harry L. Carlson, Storekeeper 3/C and Mike J. Quarto, Seaman 1/C, both of Norwich; Stanislaus J. Orzech, Seaman 2/C of Meriden; Henry J. Lanouette, Coxswain, of Wallingford; Richard Patterson Jr., Shipfitter 3/C of Berlin, and William E. Seely, Seaman 1/C of Groton. Povesko’s parents were George and Elizabeth Povesko of 117 Grant Street. Both are now deceased. He had four sisters and a brother. They are Mrs. Harry (Pauline) Blonski of 27 Mead Street, who was unmarried and living at home at the time; Mrs. Joseph (Mary) Salamon of 1057 Briarwood Avenue; Mrs. Helen Yansick of 606 Trumbull Avenue. (Article provided by Elizabeth Van Tuyl, Bridgeport History Center)

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Memorialized Courts of the Missing, Court 1, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii

Memorial marker at Lakeview Cemetery, 885 Boston Ave, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Sunnyslope Section, Tier 4, Grave 66. Photo by webmaster.

END

WATERTENDER FIRST CLASS STEPHEN PEPE; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: November 29, 1898 (Bridgeport, CT) – December 7, 1941; 43 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Lillian Mabel Carter on January 6, 1932, in Portsmouth, Virginia
LOCAL ADDRESS: 295 Hamilton Street, Bridgeport (house no longer there)
ENLISTMENT: First enlistment, July 10, 1919 – March 8, 1921. The second enlistment started on December 29, 1924.
SERVICE NUMBER: 2063596
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

FAMILY: Born to Francesco “Frank” (1862-1919) and Maria “Mary” Parisi Pepe (1869-1934), both born in Italy. Sisters Katherine “Carrie” Pepe Cisero (1895-1938), Pascalina “Lena” Pepe Pellecia (1896-1976), Christina Pepe Montecalvo (1898-1974), and Marietta Pepe Manzo (1900-1985). One brother, James (1905-1971).

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

OTHER: He served aboard the newly commissioned USS Northampton (CA-26) from May 17, 1930, until his transfer to the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1940, exactly one year prior to his death. NOTE: The USS Northampton ended up being sunk during the Battle of Tassafaronga (Guadalcanal) in November 1942.

The navy file lists him as 5’3″ and 161 lbs.
Report of Changes from the USS Oklahoma December 31, 1941. Listed as Missing.

From The Hartford Courant October 8, 2018

A Bridgeport sailor who died aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma when it was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was laid to rest with full military honors Monday at the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Cape Cod.

Stephen Pepe, a water tender first-class, was a 43-year-old career sailor who tendered the oil-fired boilers on his ship. He was below deck when the Japanese attack propelled the United States into World War II.

A few minutes before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, the first Japanese torpedo slammed into the Oklahoma, one of seven battleships moored along Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor. As many as eight more torpedoes, launched by torpedo bombers, would strike the Oklahoma, ripping open its port side, flooding compartments below deck, and causing the massive dreadnought to roll over.

The order was quickly given to abandon ship. Within 20 minutes of the first torpedo strike, Oklahoma had capsized. More than 400 sailors and Marines were trapped inside the thick, steel hull.

In the days after the attack, rescue crews got 32 men out alive. The remaining 406 were declared missing, among them Pepe. Of the 1,353 sailors and Marines aboard the Oklahoma, 899 survived, 22 were killed, and 26 were wounded in the attack.

The widow of one of Pepe’s shipmates told a reporter in 2011 that Pepe saved many of his crew mates’ lives as water filled the doomed Oklahoma. Working with a sailor who’d gotten through a porthole, Pepe shoved men through, sometimes breaking their collarbones but saving their lives. As the water rose, Pepe disappeared.

In 1947, 388 sailors and Marines who served on the Oklahoma remained unaccounted for. The remains of the unknown dead were combined and buried in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began working to identify all of the unknown remains from the USS Oklahoma, and since then, many of the remains have been returned to families. Scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, anthropological analysis, and other evidence to identify Pepe.

WT1c Pepe is buried in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave, Bourne, MA; Section 56, Plot 4.

From The Defense POW/MIA Agency press release October 1, 2018

WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman accounted for from World War II are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Navy Water Tender 1st Class Stephen Pepe, 43, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, accounted for on March 19, 2018, will be buried on October 8 in Bourne, Massachusetts. On December 7, 1941, Pepe was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Pepe.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Pepe.

In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Pepe’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as material and circumstantial evidence.

DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs for its partnership in this mission.

USS Oklahoma Memorial, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, HI; photos from FindAGrave.com

The horrendous number of deaths on the USS Oklahoma—429— was second only to the 1,177 men who perished aboard the USS Arizona. For almost 60 years, there was no memorial to commemorate the men or their ship. Part of the Oklahoma sat submerged near Ford Island while many of her crew lay in unidentified mass graves. At the Punchbowl cemetery, where countless young servicemen rest, no one knew exactly where the Oklahoma crew was buried. Beginning in 2000, USS Oklahoma survivors, members of the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor Committee, and hundreds of others came together to create the memorial. On December 7, 2007, the memorial was formally dedicated as an enduring reminder of the Oklahoma and her crew.

Memorialized at the Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Courts of the Missing, Court 1

Buried in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave, Bourne, Massachusetts; Section 56, Plot 4. Photo by webmaster.

END

SHIPFITTER THIRD CLASS RICHARD PATTERSON, JR.; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: February 15, 1920 (Newburyport, MA) – December 7, 1941; 21 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Lower Lane, Berlin
ENLISTMENT: October 14, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 2072954
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to Richard Sr. (1896-1972) and Pauline H. Colby Patterson (1894-1977). Sisters Sarah E. Patterson Hadley (1922-1985) and Anne Patterson Beain (1931-2022).

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal.

OTHER: He is one of three namesakes of Bolton-Kasica-Patterson American Legion Post 68 in Berlin, CT. Member of the Berlin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Berlin High School Class of ’39 yearbook entry

From Bobbie Jo Carter, University of Arizona.

More than 75 years after his death, Richard Patterson Jr.’s alma mater, Berlin High School in Berlin, Connecticut, still gives an annual award in his name to one of its athletes. In his senior year, Mr. Patterson was the captain of the football team and the intramural basketball and baseball teams. He also played varsity baseball and was on the student council. After graduating in 1939, he worked at the New Britain Welding Company. He was survived by his parents, Richard and Barchie. The elder Mr. Patterson, a World War I veteran, set the cornerstone for a war memorial in Berlin, Connecticut. Source: Special thanks to Bobbie Jo Carter, the University of Arizona for the contribution

From ussarizona.org

A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, Richard Patterson moved to Berlin in 1934. In September of 1935, Berlin High School opened its doors for the first time as a high school. Richard Patterson was a member of the incoming freshman class, graduating in 1939. During his high school career, Patterson was a three-sport athlete. He was captain of the football team during his senior year. That year, the football team had their best season in the short history of Berlin High School, losing only two games during that season. He also captained the baseball and basketball teams. Patterson was also active in the student council, serving as its vice president.

Upon graduation, Patterson worked for a year at the New Britain welding company, and on October 15, 1940, he enlisted in the Navy. While in the service he continued to practice the welding trade and was classified as a ship fitter third class petty officer. He was serving on the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, and was among the first sailors killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; and was entombed on the Arizona as a result of the attack and the ship’s sinking. To honor his memory and dedication to his country, an annual award is given in his name to honor a deserving Berlin High School athlete, the Richard Patterson Award. This award continues to this day to honor Richard Patterson.

From The Hartford Courant December 22, 1941

Berlin, Dec. 21 – (Special) Richard Patterson Jr., USN, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Patterson of Hudson Street, was killed “on duty” during the Japanese surprise attack on Hawaii two weeks ago, his parents were informed Sunday in a Ward Department message. He was the second resident of this town reported killed since hostilities opened in the Pacific. Private Edward Getzwich, son of Mr. and Mrs. Getzwich, was also killed in Hawaii, according to earlier advices reaching here. The War Department’s message gave no details of Patterson’s death but he was known to have been on the USS Arizona in Hawaiian waters at the time of the attack. He enlisted in the Navy on October 14, 1940, after working a year at the New Britain Welding Company and was a steamfitter third class. Prominent in athletics while at Berlin High School, he captained its football team in 1939. A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, he was a resident here since 1934. Besides his parents, he leaves two sisters, Mrs. Sally Hinton and Miss Ann Patterson of this town.

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Memorialized on the Courts of the Missing, Court 1, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

END

SEAMAN SECOND CLASS STANISLAUS “STANLEY” JOSEPH ORZECH; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: May 5, 1921 (Meriden, CT) – December 7, 1941; 20 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: 256 Pratt Street, Meriden
ENLISTMENT: October 15, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: 2072961
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to Louis (1897-1972) and Frances Muszek Orzech (1893-1943), both born in Poland. Brothers, Bronislaw “Benjamin” (1918-1998) and Joseph (1933-2014). Sisters Antoinette “Anna” (1909-2006), Mary H. Orzech Smith (1925-1969), Theresa L. Orzech Lemke (1927-2008), Frances Orzech Pallatto (1929-2011), Veronica Orzech Muszynski (1932-1990), and Genevieve I. Orzech Gawel (1937-2012).      

OTHER: He enlisted on October 15, 1940, and records show he arrived aboard the USS Arizona on December 10, 1940 – a short seven weeks after enlisting.

From The Record-Journal, Meriden, Connecticut on May 5, 1942

STANLEY ORZECH’S DEATH IN ACTION WAS LISTED BY THE NAVY
Killed At Pearl Harbor, First Meriden Casualty

Stanley Joseph Orzech, the 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Orzech of 256 Pratt Street, who was reported missing in action resulting from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, was yesterday listed officially as dead in a casualty list published by the U.S. Navy which gave the names of 2,991 officers and men of the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard who gave their lives in the first four months of the war. Orzech, who was a seaman second class, enlisted in the Navy in November 1940 and was at Pearl Harbor when the Japs opened the unprovoked war by attacking without notice. Until the list was published yesterday, Seaman Orzech was listed officially as “missing” and his inclusion in the casualty list establishes him as the first Meriden native and resident known to be killed in action in the present war.

Excerpt of December 7, 2007 article in the Record-Journal in Meriden, Connecticut

“That’s a bad day for me – December 7,” said Joseph Orzech of Meriden. Orzech was 5 years old when a Western Union worker approached him, asking to speak to his parents. His mother came to the door crying, he said. “As soon as she saw him, she knew,” said Orzech. “I remember it just like it was yesterday.” The Orzech family no longer has the telegram that was delivered. “That was destroyed that day, I think, from being crushed,” he said. It was a few years until Orzech realized what the visit from the Western Union worker meant. He remembers always asking when his brother, Stanislaus Orzech, would return from his trip to Hawaii. The answer was always the same, but for a young boy, the reality that his 20-year-old brother, a seaman 2nd class, died on the Arizona, was difficult to grasp. At 75, accepting his brother’s death is not much easier for Joseph Orzech; sometimes, he questions whether Stanislaus Orzech may have survived. Without a body to identify, there is no closure, he said. “To this day, I still wonder,” Joseph Orzech said. “What kills me is I know they suffered.” To honor his brother, Orzech named his oldest son after him. He also refuses to buy anything that is made in Japan.

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Memorialized Courts of the Missing, Court 1, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

END

ENSIGN WILLIAM THOMAS O’NEILL JR.; U.S. NAVY

DOB/DOD: November 28, 1914 (Stamford, CT) – December 7, 1941; 27 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
LOCAL ADDRESS: Stanley Road, Glenbrook (Stamford)
ENLISTMENT: July 17, 1940
SERVICE NUMBER: O-095975
SHIP ASSIGNED TO: USS Arizona (BB-39)

FAMILY: Born to William O’Neill (1889-1957) and Lillian Ross O’Neill (1892-1975). William was their only child.

DECORATIONS: Received the Purple Heart Medal.

From honorstates.org
Stamford High School, Class of ’42 yearbook
Stamford High School, Class of ’42 yearbook

In the article below, Ensign O’Neill is said to have graduated from Northwestern University. The webmaster requested a yearbook photo from the university. Through that request, it was discovered that he graduated from the Naval Reserve program, not the university itself.

Thanks to Charla Wilson from Northwestern’s library for the clarification.

“Northwestern’s stated objective was to use its entire resources to aid in winning the war. To this end, an accelerated program of study incorporating the quarter system was adopted, which allowed students to graduate in three years by attending summer sessions. Students who had completed three years of high school with high standing were allowed to enter the university so that they could complete their college degree before reaching the minimum draft age of twenty.”

From The Stamford Advocate, December 12, 1941; contributed by Ellen Sullivan, Senior Reader Services Librarian, The Ferguson Library One Public Library Plaza, Stamford

Second Stamford Man War Victim, Third Is Wounded
Ensign William T. O’Neill Jr., 27, Reported Killed in Action by Navy Today

Ensign William T. O’Neill Jr., 27, son of Mr. and Mrs. William T. O’Neill of Stanley Road, Glenbrook, was killed in action during the Japanese attacks on the United States, according to a notice received by his parents from the Navy Department at 3 a.m. today. The supreme sacrifice by the former Stamford High School and Fordham University student and the wounding in action of Everett J. Hyland, son of Mrs. Anny Hyland of 408 Atlantic Street, a Seaman Second Class, boosted the casualty list among Stamford young men in service, to three. The first reported death of a Stamford youth was that of Sergeant Vincent M. Horan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Horan of 300 Hubbard Avenue. Ensign O’Neill graduated from Stamford High School in 1933 and from Fordham University in 1937, later attending Northwestern University, where he was prepared for service with the U.S. Navy. He won his commission and left Stamford last Christmas Day for duty in Pearl Harbor. That was the last his parents saw him. However, they have received letters right along and only a few days ago received a message from him accompanied by portrait photographs, which showed him as a smiling, handsome officer of the U.S. Navy, resplendent in dress uniform. The young officer was the only child. Until his entry into the service, he made his home with his parents on Stanley Road, just off Middlesex Road in the Glenbrook section of Darien. His mother is the proprietor of a beauty shop in Harrison, New York. An uncle of the youth is Policeman Thomas O’Neill of the Stamford Police Department; another uncle is George C. O’Neill of High Ridge Road.

From The Hartford Courant December 13, 1941

Stamford, Dec. 12 – (AP) – Mr. and Mrs. William T. O’Neill were notified today by the Navy Department that their son William Jr., 27, an ensign, was killed in the Japanese raid at Pearl Harbor.  O’Neill was the second Stamford resident whose death in the Hawaiian attack was announced, that of Sergeant Vincent Horan, Army Air Corps, at Hickam Field having been reported earlier. A graduate of Stamford High School, O’Neill attended Fordham and Northwestern Universities. Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1940, he was commissioned an ensign in the Navy.

From The Stamford Advocate November 13, 1943

The launching of the destroyer escort O’Neill, in which a Stamford mother is to have a part, is, of course, important as an addition to the Navy of the United States. It has another importance, however, as a tribute to a Navy man who made the supreme sacrifice for his country. Ensign William Thomas O’Neill Jr., of Stanley Road, Glenbrook, met his death in the initial event that launched the United States into the present war. He was one of two Stamford men in the service who met their death at Pearl Harbor. The other was Sergeant Vincent Horan of the United States Army, who was killed at the airfield called Hickam Field. Sometime when the entire story of Pearl Harbor is told, we shall find out whether the Navy and Army authorities were unduly remiss in neglecting to take proper precautions against a possible Japanese attack. What we do know is that these two Stamford men were at their posts and lost their lives in the lines of their respective duties. The Army has given partial recognition to the loyalty and devotion of Horan by the award of the Purple Heart. The Navy is in a position to give more adequate recognition to such sacrifices on behalf of the United States. Since those two deaths at Pearl Harbor, where the first casualties among Americans occurred, many other Stamford men have met their deaths in the line of duty during this war. In a sense, this recognition is accorded to all the Stamford men who have suffered or who will suffer because of the war. We are proud of them all, and the sympathy of every resident of Stamford goes out to the bereaved families of this war’s casualties. We are sure that Mrs. Lillian Ross O’Neill, the mother of Ensign O’Neill, will realize that Stamford is proud of the honor that is being done to her son. We are sure also that when she goes to Kearny, New Jersey, to sponsor the launching of the ship which will bear her son’s name out upon the high seas as a part of the country’s Navy, she, on her part, will realize that she is representing all the families where sons have met their death in this war.

From The Hartford Courant November 15, 1943

Newark, New Jersey, November 14 – (AP) – The destroyer escorts O’Neill and Bronstein were launched today in the yards of the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Port Newark. They were named for the late Ensign William Thomas O’Neill Jr., of Glenbrook (Stamford), Connecticut, and the late Lieutenant Ben Richard Bronstein of Manchester, New Hampshire. Mrs. Lillian Ross O’Neill of Stanley Road, Glenbrook, Connecticut, christened the O’Neill for her son, who was declared officially dead as of December 7, 1941, when the battleship Arizona was torpedoed and bombed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.




USS O’Neill (DE-188) named in Ensign O’Neill’s honor, was laid down 26 August 1943 by Federal SB and Drydock Corp., Newark, N. J., launched 14 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. W.T. O’Neill; commissioned 6 December 1943, Lt. David S. Bill, Jr. in command.

Allen – O’Neill Drive in Darien, Connecticut, is partially named in his honor.

USS Arizona Memorial. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

Memorialized on the Courts of the Missing, Court 1, Honolulu Memorial, 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo from FindAGrave.com.

END