William A. McCombs, Signalman 2/c, born Aug. 23, 1919, Steubenville,
OH, joined the USN on Aug. 27, 1940. He was stationed at NTS Newport,
RI; USS West Virginia; USS Mahan; USS Kittson; USS LCS (L) (21); and
the US Naval Receiving Station, Seattle, WA. Memorable experiences include being on board the Wee Vee. He was a
member of the 5th Div. Rowing Team and they had a few wins to their
credit. He received a sweater with letters WV and crossed oars on it
plus several medals, but all were lost due to the oil fire caused by
the sinking of the USS Arizona. Discharged Aug. 29, 1946, with the rank of SM2/c. Awards include Good
Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal w/ Fleet Clasp, American
Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal,
Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp, China Service Medal and the
Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He has been married twice, 1950-80, and again from 1980-86. He has five
stepchildren and three grandchildren. He worked in a steel mill. He
enjoys dancing and traveling.
Reprinted with permission from Turner Publishing |