Collection

Civilians

Civilian personnel and organizations.

Showing 4,151–4,200

Lastname	Firstname	Midname	Organization	Majoroffice	Borndate	Dieddate	Remark
Watson	Arthur		Merchant Marine			1943-12-12 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine NJ
Watson	Benjamin	Hicks	Merchant Marine		1922-08-05 00:00:00.000	1995-11-14 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine as LTJG Buried in OR
Watson	Cecil	C	Merchant Marine		1916-02-13 00:00:00.000	1998-09-23 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in NV
Watson	John	C	Merchant Marine			1998-09-22 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine
Watts	John						Probably born 1778 Merchant seaman Quasi War with France … Probably born 1778 Merchant seaman Quasi War with France Jul 10 1799, as captain of armed merchantman Planter, fought off two concerted attacks by armed French ships Received award from Lloyd's Died 1823 See DD-567 (Watts)
Weaver	Dale	R	Merchant Marine		1920-01-09 00:00:00.000	2004-02-14 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Mrine Buried in CO
Webb	Arthur	Alexander	Merchant Marine		1918-09-21 00:00:00.000	2006-12-18 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in WA
Webb	Dorothy	E	WASP				WW II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
Webb	James	H., Jr.		Secretary of the Navy			Secretary of the Navy Apr 10, 1987 to Feb 23, 1988
Webb	Richard	Ivan				1945-09-01 00:00:00.000	WW II Died in service as a civilian WA
Webberson	Burton	K	Merchant Marine			1941-12-02 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Astral as Oiler Killed when his … WW II Merchant Marine SS Astral as Oiler Killed when his ship was sunk
Weber	Oliver	A					WW I - Army contract surgeon OH-Cuyahoga
Webster	Alfred	William	Merchant Marine		1910-07-22 00:00:00.000	1976-10-27 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in LA
Webster	Andrew	Sr.	Merchant Marine		1926-05-31 00:00:00.000	2006-02-07 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in CA
Webster	David	H	Merchant Marine				WW II Merchant Marine SS Angelina as Utility Killed when … WW II Merchant Marine SS Angelina as Utility Killed when his ship was sunk
Webster	Howard	D				1942-12-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Died while in service as a civilian NY
Webster	Mary					1944-12-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) Killed in servic… WW II Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) Killed in service
Weeks	John	Wingate		Secretary of War	1860-04-11 00:00:00.000	1926-07-12 00:00:00.000	Graduated Naval Academy 1877 Navy 1881-83 1890-1900, Massa… Graduated Naval Academy 1877 Navy 1881-83 1890-1900, Massachusetts Naval Brigade Spanish-American War 1898, LT Retired list as RADM in Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, Apr 10 1900 House of Representatives 1905-1913 U. S. Senate 1913 Secretary of War Mar 5 1921-Oct 13 1925 See DD-701 (John W. Weeks) and Liberty Ship John W. Weeks
Weigand	Alvin	Joseph	Merchant Marine			1944-08-18 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service LA
Weikel	Samuel	Galbett	Merchant Marine			1942-06-03 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS M. F. Elliott as Wiper Killed Ju… WW II Merchant Marine SS M. F. Elliott as Wiper Killed Jun 3 1942 PA-Philadelphia
Weil	Norman	R				1944-03-27 00:00:00.000	WW II Died while in service as a civilian WV
Weinberger	Casper			Secretary of Defense			Secretary of Defense, Jan 21, 1981 to Nov 23, 1987
Weir	David	Dean	Merchant Marine			1943-09-01 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service ID
Weise	George	J				1918-10-14 00:00:00.000	WW II Died while in service as a civilian NY
Weiss	George	I					WW I - Died of disease while serving as civilain with the mi… WW I - Died of disease while serving as civilain with the military NY-New York
Welch	Eloise		Am. Red Cross				WW II Aboard Hospital ship Hope in Philippines in Feb 1945
Weldon	John	Joseph	Merchant Marine			1943-03-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Harry Luckenbach as Oiler Killed… WW II Merchant Marine SS Harry Luckenbach as Oiler Killed Mar 17 1943 NY
Welles	George	Russell	Merchant Marine		1924-08-30 00:00:00.000	2006-05-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Buried in MN
Welles	Gideon			Secretary of the Navy	1802-07-01 00:00:00.000	1878-02-11 00:00:00.000	Chief, Navy's Bureau of Provisions and Clothing in 1846, unt… Chief, Navy's Bureau of Provisions and Clothing in 1846, until 1849 Secretary of the Navy during Civil War, and until 1869 See DD-257 (Welles) and DD-628 (Welles)
Welles	Sumner		State Dept.				WW II Early 1941, Acting Secretary of State
Welz	Bonnie	Jean	WASP				WW II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
Wendell	Lawrence	Joseph	Merchant Marine			1945-03-13 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service MN
Wesley	Robert		Merchant Marine			1945-06-28 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service SC
Wesson	Herbert	F				1944-11-18 00:00:00.000	WW II Died in service as a civilian CA
West	Sidney	Eugene	Merchant Marine				WW II Merchant Marine
West	Togo	Dennis, Jr.		Secretary of the Army	1942-06-21 00:00:00.000		Secretary of the Army in first Clinton Administration, Nov 2… Secretary of the Army in first Clinton Administration, Nov 22 1993-Dec 2 1997
Westcott	Harry	F	Merchant Marine			1941-12-02 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Astral as Messman Killed when hi… WW II Merchant Marine SS Astral as Messman Killed when his ship was sunk
Westermark	Gustave		Merchant Marine			1946-04-20 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service NY
Westphal	Joseph	W		Acting Secretary of the Army			Acting Secretary of the Army Mar 5-May 31 2001
Wheatley	Clarence ?	Lawrence	Merchant Marine			1942-12-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS James Mc Kay as Deck Maintenance … WW II Merchant Marine SS James Mc Kay as Deck Maintenance NY Firsst name may be Charles ?
Wheeler	James	William	Merchant Marine			1942-05-26 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Carrabulle as Ordinary Seaman FL
Wheeler	John	Archibald		Physicist			Born 1911 PhD Princeton at age 21 WW II Manhattan Project… Born 1911 PhD Princeton at age 21 WW II Manhattan Project. Worked with Niels Bohr on uranium fission A father of "black hole" theories Died 2008
Wheeler	Richard		Merchant Marine			1943-02-07 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Robert E. Hopkins as Pumpman Kil… WW II Merchant Marine SS Robert E. Hopkins as Pumpman Killed Feb 7 1943 NY
White	Alice					1941-12-07 00:00:00.000	WW II One of 59 civilians killed in the Japanese attack on … WW II One of 59 civilians killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
White	Aos	L	Merchant Marine			1943-01-01 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as 2nd Engineer … WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as 2nd Engineer Killed when his ship was sunk Spelled Aos in ship list
White	George	W., Jr.	Merchant Marine			1946-02-06 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service NC
White	Harding	E	Merchant Marine			1944-07-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS E. A. Bryan as Messman Missing a… WW II Merchant Marine SS E. A. Bryan as Messman Missing and presumed dead Jul 17 1944 as result of ammunition explosion aboard neighboring ship SS Quinalt Victory at Port Chicago CA
White	Harding	E	Merchant Marine			1944-07-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS E.A.Bryan as Messman CA
White	Harold		Merchant Marine			1945-01-04 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Lewis L. Dyche as Oiler NJ
White	James	T	Merchant Marine			1945-04-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service VA

Background and Sources Collection notes, historical context, and related resources

The civilian persons associated with the various U.S. war efforts and the Defense Department and its predecessor organizations include a wide variety of people. At the top are the Secretaries of the various departments and going from there are people who manned the Merchant Marine, the WASPs (see below), and many others, singly or as members of groups.

The database table behind this page lists some of the civilians who have been involved with the military in some way, including some who have had ships named for them. Quite a few of the Merchant Marines are included.

Significant groups, and sources for them, are as follows.

Merchant Marine

The largest single group of such civilians is probably the Merchant Marine in World War II, about 215,000 men. Of these, over 9,000 lost their lives because of the great danger they faced, primarily from German submarines, and especially in the early months of the war. Another 11,000 were wounded. Of 718 who were taken prisoner of war, only 620 returned. Records of all who served apparently have not survived. At least I haven’t found any sources of them. However, information about those who died in Merchant Marine service may be found at the Merchant Marine site.

Women’s Airforce Service Pilots

Another important but often forgotten group in World War II was the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), 1,074 females who served as ferry pilots to free male pilots for combat duty. 38 of those women pilots died in that service. The names of those women may be found listed at the WASP list.