World War II Honoree

William J. Zenner

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Central Islip, New York

Honored By

Michael McTiernan

On May 16, 1940 he enlisted in the Naval reserve and was called to active duty on October 1, 1941. On the SS Paducah he patrolled the east coast. He then attended the Gunnery School at Little Creek, Virginia. On December 16, 1941, as Coxswain he shipped on the City of Flint to Murmansk, Russia and returned to New York on April 22, 1942. His ship, although bombed and strafed for twenty consecutive days, was credited with destroying two German Stukas. He served on the tanker Beta to Venezuela and on the SS Atlantic to India. He was transferred to the Transport Shawnee for Africa and the West Indies. While serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Theatres of Operation, he advanced his rank to Boatswain's First Class. He served on the Hiram Maxim to Iran and Iraq, an don other vessels to Sicily, Italy, France Africa, India and Ceylon. On October 11, 1945, with 52 points to his credit, he was honorably discharged from the Lido Beach Center.