My brother and I, both USN Armed Guard, boarded the MCANDREW in Baltimore, Md. at what they called "LITTLE BROOKLYN" and we put our gear on board in the morning and all were given LIBERTY
and piled our gear on board and left and were issued chits for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We
found out later that the reason was there was bodies sealed in a compartment they had closed off to keep the ship from sinking. When we arrived, a new bow was already there and the next day, work began to remove the damaged part.
I have photos of the hole. One of the Armed Guard gunners was killed and they buried him at sea. Once repaired, we sailed to Newport News, Va. and picked up food and other supplies and
sailed to Marseille, France and picked up 2800
troops and headed for Japan. One day out, they dropped the first bomb and two days later, they
dropped the other one. Three days later, the Army Men raised hell to come home and the next day, they turned almost 90 degrees and they brought the troops in to New Port News and we made two more trips to Naples and Marseille to
bring back troops. All got off except two who
stayed aboard to take care of the guns until they could be removed. When they changed course and turned us to Newport News, we received orders and we threw all of the ammo over board.

Late in life as a Raleigh, N.C. Fireman, I stepped outside on a dark night with another
fireman, Pallie Mims and I made a statement that there was a lot of stars out and he said that that was nothing compared what you see at sea.
I said, "Pallie, I didn't know you a sailor" and he said, " I won't--I was Army" so I asked him
what ship did he go over on and I couldn't believe it when he said THE USAT J.W.MCANDREW.
I told him that I was on that ship and he asked if I was onboard when the French Aircraft Carrier BEARNE rammed the ship. I told him that
I went aboard later. He turned around and said, "C.A.,I can hear the boys all the time hollering to save them." He died two weeks later at a fire operating the pumper.
Charles A. Lloyd Chairman
USN Armed Guard WW II Veterans
115 Wall Creek Dr.
Rolesville, N.C. 27571
clloyd@nc.rr.com
www.armed-guard.com