Dad's Service in the U.S. Navy

My dad, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr., served in the United States Navy from April 3, 1945 until his discharge on October 27, 1947.

Dad was a Fireman First Class, which helped him learn skills he would use later as a plumber and pipe fitter. He was a part of Operation Crossroads, a nuclear testing series that took place in the summer of 1946 in the Marshall Islands. The ships that Dad served on were:

• U.S.S. Hughes
• U.S.S. Niagara
• U.S.S. Oakland

Dad was glad to serve his country, and he enjoyed getting to know the men on his ships who came from all over the United States. He liked the fact that he got to see a lot of the world, as he grew up in a family where money was scarce, and I think the furthest he had traveled before enlisting in the Navy, was to Cleveland, to see the Indians play. He did not speak much about his years in the service, but he had always hoped to go back to Hawaii, where he was stationed.

On March 26, 1983, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr. lost his battle with lung cancer. He was buried at Perkins Cemetery. Mom joined him in Heaven on September 8, 2010. Paul and Joyce's children and grandchildren still miss them dearly, and cherish the wonderful memories they gave to us!

This post was written for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun at Genea-Musings. If you have ancestors who served in the military, stop by Genea-Musings, and read how you can join in tonight's fun!

(Note: Most of the images and content in this post have appeared in previous blog posts at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay.)