Transcript of an oral interview with John J. Stavola. Born in 1921, he joined the Navy in 1942. He trained with the diesel group at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. He was assigned to USS LST-37 as a Motor Mac. He remained with the ship for a month after it was transferred to the Greek Navy to assist with the transition. His next assignment was to the USS LST-43. He describes a Japanese air raid on Kwajalein. He also describes witnessing the disaster at West Loch in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and rescuing his Executive Officer. He was sent back to the U.S. to pick up LSMRs. He shares an anecdote about prize fighter Tony Zale at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia. He returned to the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. He describes the naval battle for the island of Kerama Retto. He also describes the landing on Okinawa. He talks about picket duty aboard LSMR-191 and other activities in the waters around the island. He also discusses attacks by kamikazes. He returned to the U.S. with LSMR-191 when it was retrofitted as an ammunition carrier. He was discharged in January, 1946. The interview also contains …

Transcript of an oral interview with John J. Stavola. Born in 1921, he joined the Navy in 1942. He trained with the diesel group at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. He was assigned to USS LST-37 as a Motor Mac. He remained with the ship for a month after it was transferred to the Greek Navy to assist with the transition. His next assignment was to the USS LST-43. He describes a Japanese air raid on Kwajalein. He also describes witnessing the disaster at West Loch in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and rescuing his Executive Officer. He was sent back to the U.S. to pick up LSMRs. He shares an anecdote about prize fighter Tony Zale at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia. He returned to the Pacific for the invasion of Okinawa. He describes the naval battle for the island of Kerama Retto. He also describes the landing on Okinawa. He talks about picket duty aboard LSMR-191 and other activities in the waters around the island. He also discusses attacks by kamikazes. He returned to the U.S. with LSMR-191 when it was retrofitted as an ammunition carrier. He was discharged in January, 1946. The interview also contains …