| Mama's Boys |
 | Jim served closely with or was friends with roughly four dozen sailors during his time in PT's. I've had the honor of meeting one of them, I've learned about several others and the rest remain (to me) as smiling faces immortalized in black and white photographs. It seems appropriate that on a website about my grandfather's service on PT's that I include a section on the men that were there with him and a description of who they were (to the best of my knowledge.) |
| Squadron 15's PT 209 in 1944 |
 | Henry "Hen" Beazley: Hen joined the 209 in the summer of 1944 after the Elba invasion. It was Beazley who owned one of the cameras on the boat; he took the photograph of General Lucian Truscott and others during the practice invasions of Operation Dragoon. A torpedoman's mate on the 209, he served with the boat until mid-October of 1944, when the majority of Ron 15 was sent back to the states. Late in the war he spent time at Base 17, was assigned to Ron 10 and served on the PT Tender USS Pontus. |
 | I met Mr. Beazley in the Fall of 2007 to share stories and photographs; I am eternally grateful to him for sharing his time and giving me a first-person record of PT life on the 209. Hen has several memorable moments from his time in the Navy; he also has the memorabilia to go with them. Things like photo albums, a detailed diary and several relics like the original camera he had with him through the war are all carefully kept and were cheerfully shared with me. My understanding of my grandfather's service wouldn't be what it is without Mr. Beazley. |
 | "Chick" Duerden: Shown here holding the boat mascot Umbriaggo, Duerden was the other Torpedoman's mate on the 209. This photograph was taken by Henry Beazley on October 8th, 1944 at Bizerte; the last day on the 209 for most of its crew. It was turned over to the British a few weeks later. |
 | Loren R. Brokaw: Brokaw, a Missouri native, was a Motor Machinist's Mate (MoMM) on the 209. During General Quarters, Brokaw served as a loader on the 40mm cannon. This photograph is cropped from a crew picture taken in Summer 1944. He can also be seen standing center in the photograph four pictures up on this page. According to his son, Douglas, he kept up with XO Richard Nahstoll and MoMM Hazard in the years after the war. Brokaw died in 1994. |
 | "Hap" Hazard: Other than his name, all I know about Hazard is that he was a Motor Machinist's Mate on the 209. This photo was cropped from a crew photo taken in the Summer of 1944. |
 | "Frenchie" LaTendresse: No information known; this photo was cropped from a crew photo taken in the Summer of 1944. |
 | Bilski: Other than a last name, all I have is that he was a Gunner's Mate. This photo was cropped from a crew photo taken in the Summer of 1944. |
 | Richard "Dick" Kiley: One of the Motor Machinist's Mates on the 209. This photo was taken in the Summer of 1944 in Sardinia. |
 | Harris Toll: A radioman from Massachusetts; this photo was cropped from a crew photo taken in the Summer of 1944. |
 | Herbert "Herb" Holter: Shown here at the helm on the 209, Herb was one of the Motor Machinist's Mates. This photograph is dated 1944. |
 | James K. MacArthur: The skipper on the 209 while Jim was on board, Lt. MacAurthur was from Connecticut. According to his entry in the PT Boat Association book Knights of the Sea, MacArthur joined Ron 15 in late 1943 as a replacement officer, serving on the 209 under its originial captain Knox Eldredge. MacArthur replaced Eldredge in Spring of 1944, around the time Pop arrived. During his time on the 209 he was awarded the Purple Heart and the British "Mentioned in Dispatches for Distinguished Service." After his PT service, MacArthur was transferred to Air Combat Intelligence where he finished the war. He is deceased. |
 | Richard W. Nahstoll: Nahstoll was the Executive Officer (XO) on the 209 and was from Oregon. This photograph was cropped from a Henry Beazley picture taken during Operation Dragoon practices near Italy, July 1944. |
 | N.H. Himlefarb: The third officer on the 209, Himlefarb was from Maryland. This photograph was cropped from a Henry Beazley picture taken during Operation Dragoon practices near Italy, July 1944. |
 | Umbriaggo: The mascot of PT 209, this puppy was found while the crew was on R&R in late July of 1944. Based on the photographs, he stayed with the crew through October 1944 but after that, I don't know where he ended up. |
| Leonard F Walters: A loader on the 40mm cannon, Walters was from Kalamazoo, MI. |
 | Piragnoli: A crewman on the 209, I have no photo or information on him other than a last name. |
| Bob Robinson: A crewman on the 209, I have no photo or information on him other than a name. |
| David Hoffman: A crewman on the 209, I have no photo or information on him other than a last name and that he was a Gunner's Mate. |
| Squadron 23's PT 243 in 1945 |
 | Lou Rosso: Rosso was a radioman 2/c on PT 243. According to his entry in the PT Boat Association book Knights of the Sea, Rosso started out on PT 285 based on Green Island. He was then assigned to PT 243 where he continued to patrol out of Green Island, then into the Phillipines on Mindoro Island and Palawan Island. This photo taken below deck on the 243 in 1945. |
 | Sweeney: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Schatte: I know that Schatte (right) either was from or at some point lived in Louisiana. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Nason: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Phil Ohler or Olsen: The skipper of the 243; he's shown here on deck in 1945. |
 | Dobberstein: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Kleist: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Tom or Frank Ford: Ford (on right) has been referred to by two different first names in photo captions. He lived in Maryland at some point in his life. In addition to serving on the 243, Ford also shows up in photos of the PT's beached at Samar for their destruction. |
 | Don Spaulding: Spaulding was from Massachusetts. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Carroll L. Robertson: Robertson was from Texas. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | George Sabo: Sabo lived in New York. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Pelton: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | D.L. Hubbard: Hubbard was from Mississippi. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | R.L. McGrath: McGrath was from Michigan. I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
 | Webster: I have no information on him; he's shown here in 1945. |
| PT 243's Executive Officer: Unknown. |
| Other Sailors |
 | Harold "Hal" Nugent: Lt. Nugent started out in Ron 15 as the executive officer of PT 216 under skipper Cecil Sanders according to his son, Steve Nugent. Steve contacted me in 2008; he shared this photo along with information on Ron 15 operations. Hal was given his own boat, PT 210 "Little Poison" and saw combat action including the invasion of Elba (which is highlighted in the Operation Brassard section of this site). |
 | Edwin Pink: Pink was a Quartermaster on PT 206 from December of 1943 through the end of Mediterranean operations. This photo, showing Pink painting the 206, was given to me (along with a copy of Ed's diary and other photos) by his son William. After serving in Ron 15 Ed was sent to the Phillipines where he remained until the end of the war. He died in 1996. |
 | Cas Milewski: Best as I can guess, Jim (right) met Cas (left) at the Fargo Building in Boston while waiting for their training to begin in Rhode Island. There are several pictures of Jim and Cas on and off base from December 1943 until Pop left from Norfolk, VA in April of 1944. After training they met up again in 1945 at Base 17 in the Philippines. |
 | Leon Aronson: Aronson was a fellow sailor turned drinking buddy who was killing time at the Fargo Building in 1943/44. |
 | Herbie Rothman: Rothman (left) shows up in this picture taken on April 18, 1944 at Ocean View Park in Norfolk, VA. Jim (center) and Cas (right) boarded the USS Ranger the next day for North Africa. |
 | "Tiff" Tiffenworth: I have nothing on Tiffenworth; this photograph was taken in Oran, Algeria in May of 1944. |
 | Joe Wertz: Wertz was a PT sailor traveling with Jim through North Africa in May of 1944. Joe is shown here with a local child next to a freight car transport in St. Donat, Africa. Pop also had a picture of Joe in the Phillipines in 1945. |
 | "Punchy" Lawrence: I have no information on Lawrence other than that he was a Ron 15 sailor. |
 | "Shorty" LaRosa: Shorty is another drinking buddy while Pop was in Boston in late 1943/early 1944. This photo is dated January 1944. |
 | Thurston: I have nothing on Thurston (right); he was photographed with Jim in the Phillipines in 1945. |
 | Bill McEvoy: McEvoy (left) is another unknown; he was photographed with Jim in 1945. |
 | Asher Blumberg: Seen here, the information I have on Asher comes from Ron 15 radioman Harry Feldman. Blumberg was a storekeeper in Ron 15 and was from New York City. Like many of the Ron 15 sailors, he was sent to the Phillipines after their squadron was decomissioned. This photo was taken at Samar in 1945. |
 | Joe E. Brown: Shown here on Leyte in 1945, Brown was a comedian/actor on tour with the USO. According to Wikipedia, Brown was a Broadway and film star, being best known these days for his role as the millionaire in the 1959 classic Some Like It Hot. |
 | Ed Freiberg: Freiberg is shown here with Pop in Miami in 1946. He is also in a photograph sharing a beer with Jim seen at the bottom of the "Occupation of Japan" page on this site. |
| Hydrographic Office, Sasebo, Japan 1946 |
 | Dominic Moreno: I don't have anything on Moreno or any of the sailors below other than that they worked with Jim in Sasebo. Check out the "Occupation of Japan" section of this site for more. |
 | Robert G. Center: |
 | Vernon Hensley: |
 | Baran: |
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