Wallace William Waldron, my dad’s sister, Lorene E. Hork’s future husband, served in the United States Navy during World War II. Wally was born in Vallejo in 1922 but grew up in San Francisco where he graduated from Lowell High School in 1939. In 1940, he worked as a messenger until he enlisted in the Navy on 11 October 1940. From the database on Ancestry of World War II muster rolls, I discovered he served on two ships.[1]
USS Argus (PY-14)[2]
The USS Argus was commissioned on 13 February 1941.
It started as a yacht built by Krupp Germaniawerft (Kiel, Germany) for Max C.
Fleischmann of Santa Barbara (the same Fleischman family of the yeast company
in Cincinnati) in 1927 and named Haida. The Navy had the Craig
Shipbuilding Company in Long Beach convert it for Naval Service.
The Argus’ duties were to patrol the San Francisco Bay which she did for the 12 Naval District. In September of 1941, she was transferred to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and renamed Pioneer. That lasted until March 1942, when she was returned to the Navy. She was recommissioned as the Argus on 18 April 1942 and continued her patrols in the San Francisco Bay.
Wally joined the ship on 17 April 1942. He was a seaman, second class. He was transferred to the West Coast Sound School in San Diego on 30 July 1942.
USS Lawrence (DD-250)[3]
The USS Lawrence was launched on 10 July 1920 by the
New York Shipbuilding Corporation. It was a Clemson-class destroyer that served
on the West Coast from 27 December 1940 until 28 August 1945. When Wally was
aboard the ship, it was based out of Treasure Island and served on patrol and
escort operations to the approaches of the San Francisco Bay. The destroyer rescued
men from the SS Henry Bergh which had run aground on the Farallon Islands in
May 1944.
Wally was transferred to the USS Lawrence from the West Coast Sound School in San Diego on 29 September 1942. He was now a sonarman (or soundman), third class. On 1 January 1943, he was advanced to sonarman, second class. On 1 August 1943, he changed ranks to quartermaster, third class. In November he was promoted to quartermaster, second class. He served on board the USS Lawrence until January 1945.
Boat or Ship
In the U.S. Navy, boats are always referred to as ships,
however, the Argus was originally a yacht, so I wonder if it was referred
to as a boat. If that was the case, then the Argus fits our theme of
boats.
#52Ancestors-Week 30: Boats
This is my seventh year working on this
year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.
I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.
[1] “U.S.,
World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1143),
search on both Wallace William Waldron and Wallace W. Waldron, service no. 413
46 99.
[2] “USS
Argus (PY-14),” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Argus_(PY-14)).
For the photo, see “USS Argus (PY 14) ex-USC & GS Pioneer ex-USS Argus (PY
14),” NavSource Online (https://www.navsource.org/archives/12/1314.htm).
[3] “USS
Lawrence (DD-250),” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lawrence_(DD-250)).
For the photo, see “USS Lawrence (DD-250),” NavSource Online (https://www.navsource.org/archives/05/250.htm).
Did Wally pursue any career connected with the water after his Navy service? Interesting how much you were able to piece together from those muster rolls!
ReplyDeleteNo, he worked for the Department of Motor Vehicles as a driving tester.
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