Donald E. Williams

I enlisted at Cleveland, Ohio in the USNR as a Storekeeper First Class in June 1941. I reported to great Lakes on July 1, 1941, and was assigned to the Naval Vocational School at the Naval Armory in Chicago. On April 16, 1942 I received a commission as an Ensign. I was assigned to Midshipman School, Abbott Hall, Northwestern University, Chicago. I married Sarah Frampton on 18 July 1942 at Bremerton.

I graduated Midshipman School on July 20, 1942, and received orders to report to the U.S.S. Nassau, which I did on 2 August 1942 at Bremerton, Washington. The Nassau was still in dry dock,-with the U.S.S. Nevada in dry dock next to her. Because I was a member of the crew when the carrier was commissioned, I became a "plank owner" and have a piece of the original Flight Plank.

On October 3, 1942, the Nassau departed Bremerton for Alameda, California and ultimately to the Pacific for duty. Initially, I served as 2nd Division Officer and Assistant Ship Service Officer. Later, I became Ship Service Officer and Senior Watch Officer. On September 3, 1945, I was assigned duty as the Gunnery Officer. While serving as Ship Service Officer, we lost the Admiral's pants in the laundry.

When we were assigned to the Attu action, we did not have the opportunity to provision ship. The action lasted longer than anticipated and we ran out of food, except for rice and Spam. We ate those two in every conceivable and unconceivable way. I haven't cared for either of them since.

While loading planes in Pearl Harbor, in 1944, we had the misfortune of having two seamen shot. One died, and the other lost both legs below the knee. The planes were supposed to come aboard unarmed, but one didn't, and that created the accident.

I was relieved as Gunnery Officer on the Nassau on January 17, 1945, and proceeded via the 11th Naval District to Ordnance and Gunnery School at the Washington Navy Yard. On February 2, 1945, I was ordered, upon completion of school, to proceed to Tacoma, enjoyed buying souvenirs in Tsingtao because this was the only foreign city where we were allowed to go ashore.

I married Billie D. Vannatta on June 2, 1951. We have two daughters, Cynthia and Ginger, and we have four grandchildren.

03/15/02