Bill served in the U. S. Navy
Reserve during W.W. II. After enlisting for the duration in July
1943, he was shipped to Bainbridge
Naval Training Station,
in Bainbridge, Maryland. Upon graduation from boot camp he traveled
a short distance to the U.S.
Naval Amphibious Training Base located in Solomons, Maryland. Recently it was
discovered that Bill was also sent to Great Lakes Navy Base for
Anti-aircraft gunnery training.
Having obtained
all the training the Navy could provide and still meet its ultimate
goal to expeditiously prepare sailors for a raging war, Bill
shipped out to Evansville, Indiana to serve as a Coxswain on
LST 493. Until April 1945, he served
on the Landing Ship, Tank in the States and Europe. The 493 made
over 30 landings in France, including the Normandy
Invasion, while
supporting Operation Overlord. Unfortunately, LST 493 was eventually
grounded on the outer breakwater of Plymouth
England Harbor; thus, all of the ship's crew was dispersed to
other duty stations.
