texthilldonaldallen1943.html

North High School Wall of Honor
Donald Allen Hill
Class of June, 1943

Research done by Claradell Shedd, Class of 1953. PAGE IN PROGRESS

Donald Allen Hill

Don graduated in the North High class of June, 1943, He entered the US Merchant Marines in _____ in Des Moines. His next of kin was Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hill. who lived at 5209 Hickman Road, Des Moines, IA. Don's service number was ___________.

Donald Allen Hill

Year		Rank		Status

June, 1943		x		Graduated from North High, Des Moines, IA
July, 1943	x	Enlisted/ Merchant Marines	x	Date of enlistment in Des Moines, IA
1943	x	Enroute	x	Train/Des Moines to Chicago to New York.
July, 1943	x	Basic Training/ *Merchant Marines/ Messman	x	Basic Training; Sheepshead Bay Training Station, Brooklyn, New York, which was active from September 1942 to February 28, 1954.
date		Enroute (CHECK)		HITCHHIKED from Great Lakes to Long Beach, CA
April, 1943- June, 1043	x	Duty (CHECK)	x	Sailed on J.H. Sheadle from April, 1943 to June, 1943. This was an iron ore boat from Cleveland, OH to Superior, WI.
late summer 1943	x	Enroute (CHECK)	x	Long Beach, CA to Bombay, India on **S.S. Uruguay
1943	x	Enroute (CHECK)	x	To New York. Then New York to England via M.S. John Ericsson (a Swedish vessel)
October 27, 1944	x	Family	x	Married Wanda Mae Glasgow in Highland Park, Des Moines, IA.. They got married during his shore leave. Wanda did not wear a wedding dress, as the war was on, and it was considered unpatriotic. They had food at Bea and Dave's house afterwards and then drove to NYC so Don could hop a ship. Four children: Michael Hill, David Hill, Donna Hill Dickerson, Janet Hill Calhoun.
July, 1946	x	Discharged	x	Sheepshead; Brooklyn, New York
1946	x	Education	x	Cumming School of Art
aft 1946	x	Education	x	Drake University
1951-1982	x	Employment	x	John Deere as Quality Assurance Manager
April 3, 2011	x	Deceased	x	Windsor Heights , Polk, Iowa, USA
aft April 3, 2011	x	Buried	x	Glendale Cemetery; Des Moines, Polk, Iowa
**NOTE:	x	re Military Recognition	x	In 1988, the US Government officially (and finally) recognized the U.S. Merchant Marines of the U.S. Maritime Service as "military service."

*The USMS (US Maritime Service) was first established under the Coast Guard and later supervised by U.S. Navy officers. Many of its first recruits in 1938 were from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Men, caught up in the patriotic fervor of the time, came forward to serve in the fledgling U.S. Maritime Service. There were 37 Official U.S. Government Recruiting Offices set up around the country. Radio and newspaper ads brought in the thousands of young patriotic men, as young as 16 years of age, from every State who answered their country's call to serve. Some offices were located next to Navy and Coast Guard offices. Many men were sent to the USMS by U.S. Navy and Coast Guard recruiters who said, "That's where your service is needed."

Thousands of active and retired mariners, Navy, and Coast Guardsmen were pressed into duty to serve as administrators and instructors in the U.S. Maritime Service. They believed then, and still believe today, they joined a uniformed, armed service! Many of these were cheated out of service and retirement time. They are still seeking veteran status from the Air Force Secretary. The USMS was an official U.S. Government organization, while the WASPs and most of the other groups who received veteran status were either under contract to the Government or unofficial organizations. WASP instructors and women who failed the training program received veteran status.

The USMS took over 250,000 raw recruits and turned them into fighting mariners. They taught them operation of anti-aircraft guns and cannon. They taught navigation, engine operation and maintenance, and deck operations aboard training vessels that operated in hazardous waters subject to mines and attack by German and Japanese submarines.

The United States Maritime Service trained men for the U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army Transport Service to transport supplies and personnel in the largest fleet of freighters, tankers, and transports in history to bases all over the world for U.S. and Allied forces. Men at the fronts depend on this important service for bombs, gasoline, shells, ammunition, food, guns, vehicles, planes, medicine, and other materials for warfare.

The ships of the U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army Transport Service were on the frontline as soon as they left their docks and harbors. The enemy mined some harbors, and submarines and raiders waited for their prey outside of the harbors, especially on the East and Gulf coasts of the United States.



Twining: Boyhood, USMM		Get correct pics: top: S.S. Uruguay (Moore-McCormack); above: S.S. Argentina (Moore-McCormack)

**S.S. Uruguay/complete history of S.S. Uruguay
The California was sold to U.S. Maritime Commission and refurbished (including removal of one funnel) for passage from New York to Buenos Aires by American Republics Line, operated by Moore & McCormack Lines. To carry out President Roosevelt's wishes for good will with South America, the California was renamed the S.S. Uruguay, and became the flagship of the Good Neighbor Fleet.

February 12, 1943:
While transporting 5,000 troops in an Atlantic convoy crossing, the USAT Uruguay was rammed U.S.S. Salamonie creating a 70-foot wide gaping hole. The tanker had steering equipment problems and hit the Uruguay amidships with a force that drove the tanker's bow into the ship's hospital. 13 Army soldiers were killed (7 dead and 6 missing) and more than 50 soldiers were injured. The impact lifted a soldier from his cot, dropping him on the tanker's deck. The ship withdrew and the transfer of the soldier was not known until after the troopship had turned towards Bermuda for repairs. (Note: Based on information provided by Jan Narkiewicz, we have determined that there were in fact three soldiers dropped on the tanker's deck. Two of them were lost at sea.)

A temporary bulkhead was constructed and three days later the ship was brought into a safe harbor. Master Albert P. Spaulding saved many lives, his ship, and her cargo. At a later date, the President of the United States took pleasure in presenting the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal to Albert P. Spaulding, Master of USAT Uruguay.

***S.S. Argentina/complete history of S.S. Argentina
The U.S. Maritime Commission took the 3 ships in 1937 and extensively refurbished them for the South American trade. They were then given to the American Republics Line, a subsidiary of Moore-McCormack Lines, to operate for the U. S. as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Good Neighbor Policy". The Pennsylvania was renamed Argentina, the "California" renamed "Uruguay" and the "Virginia" renamed "Brazil". Her passenger load was revised to 500 and one large funnel replaced her smaller two. She was also outfitted to carry 450,000 pounds of cargo, including 95,000 refrigerated. 10/01/38 began her operation as the "SS Argentina". She served on the route until the United States entry into the Second World War. 01/02/42 to 07/01/42 the "Argentina" was returned to the Maritime Commission and was converted to an Army Transport (USAT) for the War Shipping Administration. She sailed under her civilian name. 05/06/46 the "Argentina" was returned for civilian operations. 11/04/46 she went to Bethlehem Steel's 56th St Shipyard, Brooklyn NY for reconversion for liner service. 01/01/46 Moore-McCormack resumed operating her for the Maritime Commission. 08/05/58 she was de-activated and laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet. In 1964 the "Argentina" was sold to Peck Iron and Metals, Norfolk, VA for scrap; then subsequently sold again to Luna Bros and scrapped in Kearny, NJ.

Served on these ships: Twining
Date		Vessel
April 14, 1943	May 25, 1943	J.H. Sheadle; Steam; Great Lakes; Cleveland, OH
July 27, 1943	October 27, 1943	SS Uruguay; Steam; Foreign; Los Angeles, CA
December 6, 1943	January 10, 1944	SS Seven Pines; New York, NY
January 29, 1944	March 10, 1944	M.S. John Ericsson; Motor; Foreign; NY, NY
March 20, 1944	April 24, 1944	M.S. John Ericsson; Motor; Foreign; NY, NY
July 22, 1944	December 11, 1944	Lord Delaware; Steam; Foreign; New York, NY
January 13, 1945	February 18, 1945	SS Argentina; Steam; Foreign; New York, NY
March 17, 1945	May 2, 1945	Benjamin Hawkins; Steam; Foreign; New York, NY
May 28, 1945	November 6, 1945	SS Sieur de LaSalle; Steam; Foreign; Houston, TX
October 1, 1945	November 6, 1945	SS Sieur de LaSalle; Steam; Foreign; Texas

Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, IA

	Donald Allen Hill Rank U.S. Merchant Marines U.S. Maritime Service
Coming: United States Merchant Marine Medal; Pacific War Zone Bar; Atlantic War Zone Bar; Mediterranean Middle East War Zone Bar; Merchant Marine Emblem

References

(1) The World War II Army Enlistment Records contain information on more than nine million indivdual enlistments. These records can be found online at http://www.archives.gov/.

(2) The comprehensive list of names from North High's 1893-2018 graduation classes are from Claradell Shedd's North Des Moines High School website. The names of North High School graduates can be found online at: http://www.ndmhs.com/. Donald Allen Hill's 1943 class page is:http://www.ndmhs.com/pages/yearclass1943(2008.65).html.

10/25/11. Died 04/03/11.

Music: "Heave Ho! My Lads! Heave Ho!"