R.O ANTELL

Machinist Mate Second Class

Purple Heart

Called "Moose" by his shipmates, he lost all his clothes during the explosion in the after engine room and escaped only with his sheath knife, his belt, and his shoes.  And his life.

"He had already survived Pearl Harbor and much  action in the South Pacific before joining the AARON WARD where he was wounded during the 3 May 1945 battle."--Lloyd Boles