Collection

Civilians

Civilian personnel and organizations.

Showing 4,201–4,250

Lastname	Firstname	Midname	Organization	Majoroffice	Borndate	Dieddate	Remark
Wilbur	Thomas	Whiteside					WW I - Distinguished Service Cross
Wilden	Raymond	A	Merchant Marine			1944-12-10 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service NY
Wileschael	John	Joseph	Merchant Marine		1926-05-15 00:00:00.000	2009-09-23 00:00:00.000	WW II Mrchant Marine OH
Wilkins	William			Secretary of War			Secretary of War 2/15/1844-3/4/1845
Willard	James	R	Merchant Marine			1943-01-01 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as ordinary Seam… WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as ordinary Seaman Killed when his ship was sunk
Williama	Alexander					1918-07-19 00:00:00.000	WW I - Died while in service as a civilian NY May be Will… WW I - Died while in service as a civilian NY May be Williams, but ABMC spells it Williama
Williama	Danny	Muy					Vietnam War Missing April 29 1975
Williams	Albert	E	Merchant Marine		1923-03-21 00:00:00.000	2003-02-26 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in NC
Williams	Alexander	Jacob	Merchant Marine		1927-04-02 00:00:00.000	2004-11-25 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in NY
Williams	Donald	M				1943-03-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Died in service as a civilian CA
Williams	Elwood	C	Merchant Marine			1943-09-10 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service PA
Williams	Herbert						WW II Died while in service as a civilian
Williams	Lester	B	Merchant Marine			1946-02-03 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service TX
Williams	Mary	K	Red Cross				WW II 339th Fighter Group as civilian Red Cross Director V… WW II 339th Fighter Group as civilian Red Cross Director VA-Arlington
Williams	Roscoe	M	Merchant Marine			1945-05-13 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service AR
Williams	William	Richmond	Merchant Marine			1943-04-03 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Gulfstate as Pumpman Killed Apr … WW II Merchant Marine SS Gulfstate as Pumpman Killed Apr 3 1943 FL
Williamson	Bill	Jo	Merchant Marine		1922-05-01 00:00:00.000	2005-08-11 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in CA
Williamson	Bruce	Merritt	Merchant Marine		1927-09-10 00:00:00.000	2000-12-16 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in OR
Willis	John		Merchant Marine			1943-01-01 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as 3rd Mate Kil… WW II Merchant Marine SS Arthur Middleton as 3rd Mate Killed when his ship was sunk May be Wallis, qv
Willis	John	L				1945-03-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Died in service as a civilian CA
Wilper	Redmond	J				1943-10-07 00:00:00.000	WW II Died while in service as a civilian ID
Wilson	Alfred		Merchant Marine		1920-01-28 00:00:00.000	1992-07-10 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Buried in CA
Wilson	Charles	E		Secretary of Defense			Secretary of Defense, Jan 28, 1953 to Oct 8, 1957
Wilson	Charles	Washington	Merchant Marine			1942-11-07 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS La Salle as Ordinary Seaman Kill… WW II Merchant Marine SS La Salle as Ordinary Seaman Killed Nov 7 1942 AL
Wilson	Eunice					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
Wilson	Harold	Odell	Merchant Marine			1942-05-30 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Flora MacDonald as Oiler Killed … WW II Merchant Marine SS Flora MacDonald as Oiler Killed May 30 1943 NC
Wilson	John	C	Merchant Marine		1920-01-08 00:00:00.000	2010-01-06 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine OH-Franklin
Wilson	Noel	R	Merchant Marine				Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Able-Bodie… Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Able-Bodied Seaman
Wilson	Thomas	Woodrow		President of the United States	1856-12-28 00:00:00.000	1924-02-03 00:00:00.000	Graduated Princeton University Doctorate at Johns Hopkins … Graduated Princeton University Doctorate at Johns Hopkins President of Princeton University Governor of New Jersey President of the United States 1913-1921 WW I - See SSBN-624 (Woodrow Wilson)
Wilson	Warren	Leigh	Merchant Marine			1942-04-26 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Alcoa Partner as Able Bodied Seam… WW II Merchant Marine SS Alcoa Partner as Able Bodied Seaman Killed Apr 26 1942 MA
Win	Wong	T	Merchant Marine				Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Sercond Co… Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Sercond Cook and Baker
Winans	Robert	Govett	Merchant Marine			1944-04-20 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Paul Hamilton as Master NY
Windom	William			Secretary of the Treasury	1827-05-27 00:00:00.000	1891-01-29 00:00:00.000	Secretary of the Treasury briefly in 1881, and again from 18… Secretary of the Treasury briefly in 1881, and again from 1889 until his death in 1891 See Revenue cutter Windom
Winegarden	Lester	W				1941-12-20 00:00:00.000	WW II Died in service as a civilian CA
Winey	David		Merchant Marine			1943-03-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine MS Atlantic Sun as Ordinary Seaman. … WW II Merchant Marine MS Atlantic Sun as Ordinary Seaman. Lost when the ship was sunk February 17 1943
Wing	Clifton	marshall	Merchant Marine			1943-01-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Broad Arrow as Oiler TX
Winger	Howard	Franklin	Merchant Marine			1943-03-18 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Walter Q. Gresham as Utilit… WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Walter Q. Gresham as Utility OH-Montgomery
Wingrove	Ernest		Merchant Marine				Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Deck Utili… Korean War Dec 1950, SS Meredith Victory (qv) as Deck Utility
Winn	Joseph	Thomas	Merchant Marine			1943-02-17 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS Atlantic Sun as Wiper Killed Feb… WW II Merchant Marine SS Atlantic Sun as Wiper Killed Feb 17 1943 DE
Winston	David	Robert	Merchant Marine			1942-06-15 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Tillie Lykes as Able Bodied… WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Tillie Lykes as Able Bodied Seaman LA
Winter	Donald	C		Secretary of the Navy			Graduated University of Rochester 1969 Became 74th Secretar… Graduated University of Rochester 1969 Became 74th Secretary of the Navy January 3 2006
Winter	Robert	K	Merchant Marine			1945-04-09 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Saint Mihiel as Chief Cook
Winters	Ben	Albert	Merchant Marine			1941-12-20 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine aboard SS Emidio as 3rd Engineer WI
Wischebrink	Orren	Portal	Merchant Marine			1943-02-05 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine SS West Portal as Radio Officer Kil… WW II Merchant Marine SS West Portal as Radio Officer Killed Feb 5 1943 NY
Wise	Lucile		WASP				II Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP)
Wishart	Charles	Allen	Merchant Marine			1944-02-06 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine Died in service MT
Witsell	John	Thomson				1945-04-30 00:00:00.000	WW II Died while in service as a civilian SC
Wolcott	Oliver			Secretary of the Treasury			Born 1760 Succeeded Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Trea… Born 1760 Succeeded Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury Served 1795-1800 Governor of CT 1817-1927 Died 1833 Son of Oliver Wolcott who signed Declaration of Independence as member of Continental Congress See Revenue Cutter Alexander Wolcott and Liberty Ship Alexander Wolcott
Wolfe	Dale	E	Merchant Marine		1928-01-08 00:00:00.000	2009-09-28 00:00:00.000	WW II Korean War Merchant Marine Also served in Army Bur… WW II Korean War Merchant Marine Also served in Army Buried in MN
Wolfe	Eaman	Eugene	Merchant Marine		1917-04-26 00:00:00.000	2002-05-19 00:00:00.000	WW II Merchant Marine as S1c Buried in WV

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.