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Stanley D. Mathews
Navy veteran was in Tokyo Bay as World War II was ending.
By Matthew Fleishman, BucksLocalNews.com
Stanley D. Mathews wanted to serve his country so badly that he enlisted in the Navy at age 17, which meant that his father had to sign him up for duty in World War II.
“My father was a Navy veteran, and he had to sign me up,” said Mathews. “At that time, almost everybody was signing up. It was the thing to do.”
While Mathews enlisted in the Navy, his first thoughts were about serving in the Army, but he started training while in high school, and a series of exercises in the rain and mud changed his mind.
“After those maneuvers in the mud, I said ‘the Army is not going to get me,” said Mathews.
After enlisting in September 1944, Mathews spent 16 weeks training in Maryland and then four more months in gunner’s school, before being assigned to the U.S.S. Ordronaux in May 1945. The Ordronaux has just come back from France and was equipped with anti-aircraft weaponry because it was being reassigned to the Pacific Theater.
“Nobody knew exactly where we were going, but we all knew that we were heading for the Pacific,” said Mathews.
On the way to Japan, Mathews and the rest of the crew passed through the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and all said “Be back in ‘49,” because that was how long they figured it would take to end defeat the Japanese.
When the Ordronaux arrived in Hawaii, Mathews’ first sight was a badly damaged destroyer.
“We wondered what we were in for,” said Mathews. “We were really scared when we saw that ship.”
After leaving Hawaii, Mathews’ destroyer was assigned to protect the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, which was heading to Japan. On the way, Japanese fighter planes spotted the group of ships, including the Pennsylvania, so Mathews and the rest of the men on the Ordronaux used smoke to try to shield the sight of the battleship.
Twenty men died on the Pennsylvania, but it could have been much worse if not for the work of the Ordronaux.
By the time Mathews made it to Japan, the war was basically over.
“We convoyed into Tokyo Bay, and arrived right before the signing of the surrender agreement,” said Mathews. “The first thing I saw on the dock was a Chevy truck. I knew things had turned in our favor.”
Despite the war nearing its end, Mathews had dangerous times ahead of him, as the Ordronaux was given the task of clearing mines out of a Japanese river so that ships with high-ranking military officials could get through.
Then, after leaving Japan, the Ordronaux was caught in a typhoon. During the storm, the crew of the Ordronaux rescued a man who had gone overboard from another ship.
“That is quite an experience,” said Mathews. “The destroyer was kind of small, so we had to go right into the typhoon or we would have been snapped in two.”
After a long journey back from Japan, Mathews and the Ordronaux made it back to San Francisco several years sooner than their prediction.
“We went under the Golden Gate Bridge way before time,” said Mathews. “I’m quite proud of my services, but there were a lot of guys who got in sooner and saw quite a bit of action, but I only got a taste of it.”
After leaving the Navy, Mathews married his wife, Helen, in 1949, and the couple has spent more than 60 years together. They live together in their home in Upper Makefield Township, which was build by Mathews over a two-year span. Mathews has two sons, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. One of his granddaughters is married to a Lt. Commander in the Navy.
“Besides my family, my time in the Navy was the highlight of my life,” said Mathews.
For Mathews, his Navy career came full circle in 2001 when he received his high school diploma from the Council Rock School District. The state legislature and the governor authorized Pennsylvania school districts to award diplomas to students who dropped out of high school to defend the United States in World War II.
“It was quite a thrill,” said Mathews. “They played it up real big for us.”
*****
During his time in the Navy, Mathews earned four medals:
*American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Medal
* World War II Victory Medal
* Navy Occupation Service Medal
By Matthew Fleishman, BucksLocalNews.com
Stanley D. Mathews wanted to serve his country so badly that he enlisted in the Navy at age 17, which meant that his father had to sign him up for duty in World War II.
“My father was a Navy veteran, and he had to sign me up,” said Mathews. “At that time, almost everybody was signing up. It was the thing to do.”
While Mathews enlisted in the Navy, his first thoughts were about serving in the Army, but he started training while in high school, and a series of exercises in the rain and mud changed his mind.
“After those maneuvers in the mud, I said ‘the Army is not going to get me,” said Mathews.
After enlisting in September 1944, Mathews spent 16 weeks training in Maryland and then four more months in gunner’s school, before being assigned to the U.S.S. Ordronaux in May 1945. The Ordronaux has just come back from France and was equipped with anti-aircraft weaponry because it was being reassigned to the Pacific Theater.
“Nobody knew exactly where we were going, but we all knew that we were heading for the Pacific,” said Mathews.
On the way to Japan, Mathews and the rest of the crew passed through the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and all said “Be back in ‘49,” because that was how long they figured it would take to end defeat the Japanese.
When the Ordronaux arrived in Hawaii, Mathews’ first sight was a badly damaged destroyer.
“We wondered what we were in for,” said Mathews. “We were really scared when we saw that ship.”
After leaving Hawaii, Mathews’ destroyer was assigned to protect the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, which was heading to Japan. On the way, Japanese fighter planes spotted the group of ships, including the Pennsylvania, so Mathews and the rest of the men on the Ordronaux used smoke to try to shield the sight of the battleship.
Twenty men died on the Pennsylvania, but it could have been much worse if not for the work of the Ordronaux.
By the time Mathews made it to Japan, the war was basically over.
“We convoyed into Tokyo Bay, and arrived right before the signing of the surrender agreement,” said Mathews. “The first thing I saw on the dock was a Chevy truck. I knew things had turned in our favor.”
Despite the war nearing its end, Mathews had dangerous times ahead of him, as the Ordronaux was given the task of clearing mines out of a Japanese river so that ships with high-ranking military officials could get through.
Then, after leaving Japan, the Ordronaux was caught in a typhoon. During the storm, the crew of the Ordronaux rescued a man who had gone overboard from another ship.
“That is quite an experience,” said Mathews. “The destroyer was kind of small, so we had to go right into the typhoon or we would have been snapped in two.”
After a long journey back from Japan, Mathews and the Ordronaux made it back to San Francisco several years sooner than their prediction.
“We went under the Golden Gate Bridge way before time,” said Mathews. “I’m quite proud of my services, but there were a lot of guys who got in sooner and saw quite a bit of action, but I only got a taste of it.”
After leaving the Navy, Mathews married his wife, Helen, in 1949, and the couple has spent more than 60 years together. They live together in their home in Upper Makefield Township, which was build by Mathews over a two-year span. Mathews has two sons, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. One of his granddaughters is married to a Lt. Commander in the Navy.
“Besides my family, my time in the Navy was the highlight of my life,” said Mathews.
For Mathews, his Navy career came full circle in 2001 when he received his high school diploma from the Council Rock School District. The state legislature and the governor authorized Pennsylvania school districts to award diplomas to students who dropped out of high school to defend the United States in World War II.
“It was quite a thrill,” said Mathews. “They played it up real big for us.”
*****
During his time in the Navy, Mathews earned four medals:
*American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Medal
* World War II Victory Medal
* Navy Occupation Service Medal
posted by BucksLocalNews at
12:57 PM
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