A bit of veterans history

By Richard L. Graves Sr.
PDC/Adjutant/Historian

John J. Willinski of Milo is a member of Joseph P. Chaisson American Legion Post 41 of Milo and he shares some of his military experience while serving with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Having joined the Navy in June of 1943, he completed basic training at Newport, R.I. and and later became a crew member of the USS Swenning, an Edsall-class destroyer escort under the command of Lt. Richard E. Peek, Jr. USNR.

The ship consisted of 209 personnel and in February 1943 the ship became part of Task Group (TG) 21.11, a “hunter-killer” anti-submarine group composed of the destroyer USS Bogue (CVE-9) and three other escorts of Escort Division (CortDiv) 51. This group was part of Operation Teardrop who had the mission to stop a German offensive by submarine along what was known as the north-south submarine barrier patrol.

Willinski had the opportunity to visit Casablanca and Trinidad as the ship was refueled and replenished. On March 13 the group came in contact with a German U-boat, three of the escort ships engaged the U-boat when it surfaced in full view. The USS Swenning maintained her station of escort and 23 survivors of the U-boat were taken prisoner.

On June 8, 1944 the USS Swenning rescued eight members of the Royal Air Force whose Halifax bomber had been ditched in the ocean and continued to be part of the task group. The group sank five German submarines and lost one destroyer by torpedo while engaged in Operation Teardrop.

Willinski was released from the Navy in Boston in 1945. He returned to Milo where he worked for the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad for 40 years before retirement.