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 USS NESHOBA APA 216  Crew Member Pictures:
NavSource

Plaque from Neshoba - on my home office door - found it on eBay

Frank Padden
History and crew list P.E. Peterson's scrapbook

Cruise Book

HULLNUMBER.COM

Ray Allen, Rieger etc..,
Neshoba's Deck logs Chris Kirkegard
Dispatches and Trident Tribune Randy Land
Frank's Service Record Joe Vaghi II  
Magic Carpet George J. Calovich
Letters from the 97th Division Bob Glidewell
Dollar Bill signed on Neshoba Joel Pipitone, Ben Domack and James Caronna etc...
Honor Flight with - Randy Land  Lt. Martin P. Busch
Email Russ (the Webmaster) Boat Crew-Wesley Page, Sandy Kleinberg, John Crabtree, Joseph Morin + Walter Turner
Marlowe John Dahlgren Jr., died on duty May 7, 1945

USS Marblehead - Lt. Drury was Damage Control officer on this ship - he earned the Navy Cross for his actions!

   

I have missed some names, please contact me with updates. Living as of last notice:

Name State Name State
Marvin Thuman AZ Crew Carroll G. Hoff MN Crew
William Allingham CA Crew Richard Boyer PA Crew
Ray Flynn CA Crew Sanford Kleinberg PA Crew
Wesley Page CA Crew
Justin MacCarthy CA Crew Don Schaffer PA Crew
Theodore Hoyte Cate IA Crew Talmage Welch TN Crew
Charles - Sonny Clark IA Crew James Caronna TX Crew
Merlyn Brown IA Crew Guy Walden Cheesman TX Crew
Vernon Redfearn IL Crew Harold E. Crawford TX Crew
William Worden IL Crew Sam Klinginsmith TX Crew
Scott E. Brown IN Crew Elza H. Grant TX Crew
JJ Digirolamo LA Crew Raymond A Allen WA Crew
Rollie Cotton MA Crew
Hubert Lee Childers MI Crew Kenneth W. Perry Ltjg UNK LtJg
William Kelly MO Crew John Tenorio Crew
Lawrence G. Gaston MO Crew Ken Holpuch Crew
John M. Erickson LT MN Crew
Troops Transported on the Neshoba
Fred Crisafulli NY Army Daniel Skabialka Al Army
John DeCaro AZ Army

NOTE: SOME OF YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSES HAVE CHANGED-PLEASE SEND ME YOUR NEW ONES... THANKS, RUSS email webmaster 

Obituaries

Departed Crew Members

Obituaries

Lawrence Gaston 2021 William "Bill Frazier" 2019
John Erickson 2015 H. D. "Swede" Larson 2015 Jack Riley 2015
Joel Pipitone 2014 Charles C Chmielowiec 2014 Frederick G. Pilon 2014
Guy Claycomb 2013 James B. O'Malley Sr. 2013 James Wavrin 2012
Lt Cmdr. Joseph P. Vaghi 2012 Carl R. Kelly 2012
Donald C. Cooksey 2012 Arthur T. Leahy 2011 Michael Cimorelli 2012
Ens. Martin P. Busch 2011 Clement Orsi 2011 Randy Land 2011
Charlie Lamb Braswell 2011 Jack Wellbaum 2011 Richard G. Chapman 2011
George-Bucky Lawhorn 2010 H Keller Chapman 2010 Roy Vujovich 2010
Wayne Johnson 2010 Raymond G. Conkey 2010 George J. Calovich 2010
Melvin R. Wasserman 2010 Wayne Johnson 2010
Earl Thomas Roberts 2009 Ens. James Merrill Bird  2009
Ens. William Joseph Dalton 2008 Leo "Rubby" Volzke 2008 Charles B. Houston 2008
Lester Bradbury 2007 Claude King 2008 Romeo J. Corriveau 2007
Shellie Sherwood Sellers 2007 Christopher C. Kirkegard 2006 Everett LeRoy Lewis (Roy) 2007
John Walter Hamlet 2006 Joe A. Morin 2006 Thomas A. Huntley 2006
Louis J. Nawrocki 2005 Ben Domack 2005 Jesse Kyle Moss 2005
Kenneth Perry 2005 William Zastrow 2005
Robert Howard 2004 Richard Earl Walker  2001
Harold Cunningham 2000 Henry A. Cobb 2000 Joseph A. Rogers 1999
W. E. Mike Michel 1997 - see story below Henry 'Lee' Green 1996 Lou "Pops" Chuver 1997
Frank Padden 1995 Richard E. Mischler 1994 Alois R. Schmid 1994
Eugene A. Chlebowski  1990 John Rongish 1988
Calvin C.Pawlak 1985 James Edward Adkins Jr. 1985 Robert (Bob) Alloway Glidewell 1985
James Thomas Stewart 1984 Charles Houston Jr. 1985 C. O. "Pete" Young Jr. 1984
Charles Berezansky 1978 Lt. Cmdr. Martin James Drury 1982 Walter F. Drew 1979
Peter C. Grunstra 1975 Waldemar D. Rieger 1975 Paul St. Clair 1977
Charles Norman (Numerofsky) 1974 Murray Bankhead 1957 James Glynn Brann 1969
Marlowe John Dahlgren Jr. 1945 L. Joseph Anstine 1955 L.C. Paradee 1946
J. R. Haverstick Joseph A. Cook Dick Walker
Frank Murphy Victor Barnes Funderburk DeVerl Hess (Dee) Linford
Raymond Francis Lewandowski Robert Dowding Walter Turner
John Crabtree Felix Kaczorek John O. Braselton
 

Images from the Neshoba's Cruise Book are thanks to one of my Dad's Shipmates, Bill Allingham, who gave me his copy of the Cruise Book so that the history will be preserved.

If you are interested in a digital copy, it is one of over 150 Cruise Books I have scanned.

You can download it from here: http://www.rpadden.com/00/APA_216_Neshoba.pdf 

For information on other Cruise Books - see this page: http://www.rpadden.com/cruisebooks.htm 

Haskell Class Attack Transport:

Laid down (date unknown) as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 564) at Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, CA.

Launched, 7 October 1944

Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter

Commissioned USS Neshoba (APA-216), 16 November 1944, CDR. Martin J. Drury in command

During World War II USS Neshoba was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Decommissioned, 4 December 1946, at Stockton, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton Group

Returned to the Maritime Administration, 4 September 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 5 March 1975, to American Ship Dismantlers Inc., Portland, OR. for $210,001

USS Neshoba received one battle star for her World War II service

 

Named for a county in Mississippi.

 Neshoba (APA–216), ex-MCV hull 564, was built under Maritime Commission contract by the Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif.; launched 7 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Wendall E. Adams; and acquired and commissioned 16 November 1944, Comdr. Martin J. Drury in command.

 Following shakedown off the southern California coast, the “Victory” transport Neshoba departed San Francisco, 7 January 1945, bound for Pearl Harbor. On arrival there she discharged her cargo of food and took on SeaBees, troops, and materiel for transportation to the Philippines. She stood into Leyte Gulf 20 February and, after disembarking her passengers and their equipment at Guiuan, Samar, proceeded into San Pedro Bay. There, on 2 March, she assumed flagship duties for TransDiv 42 and commenced training with units of the 96th Infantry Division for operation “Iceberg,” the invasion of the Ryukyus.

 Clearing Leyte Gulf, 27 March, as a unit of TF 55 (the Southern Attack Force), Neshoba steamed north, arriving off the Hagushi beaches before dawn on 1 April. At 0615, she commenced lowering her boats to participate in the first six waves against the southern beaches, White and Brown. After H-hour, 0830, she remained in the transport area, beginning the discharge of her cargo at 1653. For the next three days she off-loaded cargo and disembarked troops by day and retired at night, meeting little resistance from the Japanese defenders of Okinawa.

 On 5 April she sailed eastward for Hawaii. Steaming via Guam, where she took on Japanese POWs, she arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 22nd, discharged her POWs, and then took up training duties off Maui. In mid-May, she was ordered to San Francisco, where she embarked Naval Repair Unit personnel for Okinawa. Sailing 7 June, she was held at Guam for three weeks, arriving at Buckner Bay 24 July. There she found the Japanese resistance, bolstered by the Kamikaze Corps much stiffer than it had been on 1 April. She remained for only five days, departing for Saipan on the 29th. At Saipan, she took on passengers and headed for the United States, arriving at Seattle 24 August.

 While enroute hostilities had ceased (14 August) and Neshoba was assigned to carry occupation troops to the Japanese home islands. Departing 10 September with a detachment of 97th Infantry Division personnel aboard, she steamed into Tokyo Bay in early October. Then assigned to TG 16.12, the “Magic Carpet,” she was employed in shuttling veterans home until March, 1946. The following month she reported to Com 19th Fleet for inactivation. Decommissioned at Stockton, 4 December, she remained a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet until 4 September 1958 when she was transferred to the custody of the Maritime Administration and struck from the Navy List, 1 October 1958. Since that time, into 1970, Neshoba has been laid tip at Suisun Bay as a unit of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

 Neshoba received one battle star for her World War II service. 

July 22, 2008 Subject: W.E. MICHEL

My father-in-law was W.E. Mike Michel. He passed away 16 November 1997. Also, my uncle was Chris Kirkgard and they both were stationed on the Neshoba. This unfortunately was found out after Mike's passing. The ironic thing about this is they were sitting a table apart at our oldest daughter's wedding and never spoke about their war years. If that had happened just knowing how they were they would still be sitting there reminiscing.

Byrne Haskins
Richland, Wa
.

4/20/2008  -  Does anyone remember Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) or know what ever became of Shoby?

Justin C MacCarthy, D.D.S.,ret., was a corpsman from San Diego, California. He stills resides there.  Golf has been his spare time passion and he often shoots his age.  He remembers fondly his shipmates, especially Eddie  (Edward Francis Joseph) Frechette (sp) and Joe Cook.  

He would love to know if anyone knows what happened to the dog, Shoby, after his keepers left the ship.  And, also someone else might have a happy memory of Gladly, the cross-eyed bear, who created mischief.  Justin is watching golf on TV and he doesn't do email.

Thanks, his wife, Evelyn

6/1/2006: Tom Huntley of Cleveland Ohio (shipmate I found for you last year) a WWII crew member has passed away (March 06) -- his daughter asked me to tell you that the highlight of his last year was reuniting with the crew - his many pictures will now be part of his grand children to remember and enjoy for years to come... Yes we are a "Last Man Standing" group of proud sailors -- now future generations will carry on the USS NESHOBA memories through Tom Huntley's grand children.

Dick Jarenski-Vice Commander White Mountain Sub Base for the Huntley family