Military Monday

Last Friday was the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Which got me to thinking about WWII, and I knew from family lore ( is there any other way to say memories spoken to me by a family member?) that my Dad and my Mother's Father were both in the Navy during WWII.

So I went searching on Fold3 to see if I could find out where they were around June 6th 1944.

First I searched for my Grandfather
Lloyd Angevine Cole (1912-1981)
I was able to find a Navy Muster Roll that placed him on the USS Frybarger (DE705), 26 May 1944. This Roll also shows that he came aboard on 18 May 1944 , he would have been 32 at that time, and  enlisted 4 Dec 1943.

Further research states that the Frybarger made two convoy escort voyages to Bizerete until November 1944 and afterwards began escort duty in the Pacific.

Then I looked for my Dad.
Charles Aaron Mathews (1926-1974)
The first Muster Roll I found him on was for the USS Hollis (DE-794) 24 Jan 1944. This Roll shows his enlistment date as 11 March 1943. He was still serving on the USS Hollis for the quarter ending 30 June 1944, he would have been 18 at that time.

Further research states that the Hollis made two escort voyages along the East Coast and then reported to Quonset Point RI to assist in sonic research to find countermeasures for German acoustic torpedos. She remained in that research until 28 May, when she sailed to Casablanca in an aircraft carrier screen.

It was very interesting, to me, to find that both my Father and Grandfather were traveling some of the same waters (per se), at the same time, defending this great country of ours. It makes me proud that they are part of my Family History.

Sources used - Ancestry.com, Fold3, Wikipedia

~ Michelle
© Michelle Deal 2014 All Rights Reserved