William T. Young enlisted in Buffalo, New York, June
19, 1942, and took part in boot camp training in New-
port, Rhode Island (NTS same date). He went to Armed
Guard Detail Section Base in Little Creek, Virginia August
7, 1942.
William caught his first ship out of Armed Guard Cen-
ter in Brooklyn, New York, in September 1942. The ship
sailed to French Morocco for the invasion of Africa. The
crew was unloaded outside the bay as a ship had been sunk
at the entrance. One night, the ship was hit by another Lib-
erty, but the hole was loaded with sugar and it sealed itself
up. The ship had to return to the United States for repairs.
He then sailed on two more ships between June 8,
1943, and June 6, 1944. Young went through both the
Suez and Panama canals for a complete trip around the
world. After 85,000 miles of observation, he was dis-
charged at Sampson, New York, on September 24, 1945.
Before serving on his last ship, the W1LLIAM E.
PENDLETON (which ran fuel oil around the Indian
Ocean to India, Ceylon and Egypt), Young had a funny
experience. He had been home on leave and had his wife
meet him in New York to celebrate before his last excur-
sion. While he was horsing around in the bathroom, his
wife snapped him with a towel and he backed into a water
heater. The burn wasn't that bad, but he had a fun time
explaining it to the doctor and it hurt to sit down on the
subway.
William then shipped out on the PENDLETON. He
knew that he had a baby on the way and waited for the mail
each day, while on his final trip around the world. At
Christmas time in the Gulf, his commanding officer
brought the mail and said he was the proud father of a
baby girl. As he tore open the letter, a baby booty fell out
That was the best Christmas present he ever got. It was the
first time the mail had caught up with the ship that year.
His current address is 4206 Parkhurst Lane, Spring
Hill, Florida 33608.
RUSSELL JOSEPH YOUNT
Russell Joseph Yount was born November 11,1926, in
Waterloo, Iowa. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy November
11, 1943, at Portland, Oregon. Following training at Far-
ragut, Idaho, he was sent to Armed Guam School at Trea-
sure Island, California.
He was assigned to the SS PAMPERO and spent the
next year in the South Pacific. After recovering from spinal
meningitis, he was assigned to the SS BOZEMAN, an
ammunition ship. While anchored at Okinawa, the
BOZEMAN was hit midship by a Japanese Skunk Boat.
The cushioned fuel oil tanks prevented serious damage
However, the BOZEMAN was sent to Everett, Washing-
ton, for repair.
Following the end of World War II, Joseph was
assigned to the USS DIXIE and had the opportunity to
observe the atom bomb test at Bikini Island Atoll. After
serving one more year on the destroyer USS W1LLIAM C.
LAW 763, he was discharged in November 1947, at San
Diego, California.
On June 29, 1947, he was married to Evelyn Mae Row-
land in San Francisco. They were then blessed with two
sons and a daughter.
Prior to retirement in 1988, he was employed by the
Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 290, in Portland,
Oregon.
Joseph's current address is 2030 17th Avenue, Forest
Grove, Oregon 97116.