World War II Honoree

Joseph Frank Dudzinski

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Honored By

William Fischer, Jr.

Relationship

Grateful Citizen

ENTERED ACTIVE SERVICE ON 7 MAY 1943 AT WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA. SEA SERVICE FROM JULY 1943 TO SEPTEMBER 1945 ABOARD USS MATAGORDA (AVP-22/AG-122), CONDUCTING TRANSATLANTIC ESCORT AND SUPPLY RUNS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND/NORTH AFRICA, THEN OPERATING OFF BRAZIL WHERE THE SHIP RESCUED SURVIVORS FOLLOWING THE UBOAT TORPEDOING OF SS WILLIAM GASTON IN JULY 1944. THE SHIP CONTINUED OPERATING THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN UNTIL JULY 1945 WHEN IT MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY FOR CONVERSION TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AGAINST JAPAN. THE WAR ENDED BEFORE THE CONVERSION WAS COMPLETED. SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1945 AT USN SEPARATION CENTER, LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.