World War II Honoree

Charles Edward Poehner

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

SERVED AS A GUN-CREW MESS MAN AND ABLE-BODIED SEAMAN ABOARD A T-2 CLASS TANKER OUT OF SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA. PORTS OF CALL: PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII; ULITHI SOUTHERN ANCHORAGE; LAE, SALAMAUA AND PORT MORESBY IN NEW GUINEA; SYDNEY AND DARWIN AUSTRALIA. GOING FROM SYDNEY TO DARWIN WE PASSED THROUGH THE TORRES STRAIT, WHERE WE ELUDED A JAPANESE SUB WITH THE AID OF NAVY DESTROYERS OR DESTROYER ESCORTS, WHO WERE USING DEPTH CHARGES ON BOTH SIDES OF US DURING A FOGGY NIGHT IN JULY 1945. FROM DARWIN WE SAILED THROUGH THE INDIAN OCEAN TO COLOMBO, CEYLON (SRI LANKA); THEN WE WENT INTO THE PERSIAN GULF AND UP THE EUPHRATES RIVER TO ABADAN, PERSIA (IRAN). AFTER UNLOADING OUR CARGO INTO RUSSIAN TANK TRUCKS WE WERE RETURNING TO ULITHI. HALFWAY THROUGH THE INDIAN OCEAN THE WAR ENDED AND WE WERE ORDERED HOME BY WAY OF PEARL HARBOR, WHERE WE PICKED UP A GROUP OF 'HIGH POINT VETERANS' WHO WERE GOING HOME. OUR DESTINATION WAS PANAMA CITY, PANAMA. WE PASSED THROUGH THE CANAL INTO COLON THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN AND ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST TO NEW YORK. WE DOCKED IN BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.