Here are lists of the names of the Armed Guard detachments aboard SS JOHN SERGEANT upon her arrival in New York City on 19 March 1945, and again on 29 May 1945. Most of the Armed Guard crew remained the same between the two voyages. Eight men on the March 1945 arrival were not on the later voyage, and eight new men replaced them.
Both crews are unusually large, with 41 men each. Most Armed Guard crews numbered about 24-28. Both crews also included three officers, whereas a single officer was more typical. The larger number suggests that JOHN SERGEANT may have been operating as a troop transport. Troop transports typically carried more guns, therefore needed to have a larger number of Armed Guard gunners.
19 March 1945 (* indicates crewman was on March voyage but not on May voyage)
*Barca, Donald
Blade, William Dressler
Bridges, Quenton Lee
Butler, Lewis Allen
*Butts, Charles A. LT, in command
Ciszek, Chester Charles
Davis, William
*Davis, Walter A.
Garabedian, John William
Gaskill, Edward
Grace, Arthur William
Hall, Robert Sheldon LT(j.g.)
Heinen, Eugene Kenneth
Heiselman, Therill
Koscienski (or Koscielski), Chester F.
Leavitt, Levi Dudley, Jr.
Leon, Joseph Christian, Jr.
Mathews, Edward Lee
Maxam, Milo Frederick
*McCracken, Everett Vance
*Murphy, Ned D. LT(j.g.)
Pedisich, Jan Joseph
Price, Amos Henry
Reiss, William James
*Ronkin, Arnold Melvin
Sabatino, Sam
Shustrick, James Fred
Smith, Charles Curtis
Smith, Robert Denzel
*Sperke, Frank Xavier
Sullivan, Patrick Daniel
Thomas, Robert Allen
*Thompson, Robert R..
Tompkins, Thomas Michael
Tormollen, William August
Varkas, William Homer
Ventricelli, Ralph Anthony
Wallace, Gerald Glenn
Whitlock, James Thomas
Yager, Andy, Jr.
Yerkey, John Oscar
22 May 1945 (new crewmen not on 19 March 1945 voyage)
Buba, Robert S.
Cody, Eugene Joseph
Gaff, Frank H. LT (in command)
Huke, James C.
Hurley, William G.
Lee, Walter F.
Luthy, Carl G. LT(j.g.)
Wright, Eugene L.
Again, I have no knowledge whether any of these men are still living.
Ron Carlson
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