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USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192)
ex
 USAT Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (1947 - 1950)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Zulu - Romeo
 NDZR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal (7) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Boulder Victory Class Transport:
  • Laid down, 3 May 1945 as SS Stetson Victory, a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP2) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 830), at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc., Baltimore, MD.
  • Launched, 16 June 1945
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 18 July 1945 at Baltimore for General Agency Agreement (GAA) charter to Isbrandtsen Co.
  • Transferred to the War Department, 18 July 1946, at Seattle, WA.
  • Title passed to the War Department, 30 August 1946
  • Commissioned USAT Sgt. Sylvester Antolak, 31 October 1947
    USAT Sgt. Sylvester Antolak sailed from Yokohama, Japan, 2 December 1948 transporting ground support elements of the 317th Troop Carrier Wing (Hvy) for assignment on the Berlin Airlift. After a 40 day voyage the ship arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany with the complement of over 1,000 Officers and Enlisted men. They were then assigned to RAF Station Celle, Germany for the duration of the Airlift which officially ended on September 30, 1949.
  • Decommissioned and returned to the Maritime Commission at Suisun Bay, 31 October 1949, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay
  • Acquired by the Navy, 22 July 1950
  • Placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192), 24 August 1950
  • During the Korean War USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    19 September to 2 November 1950     		UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    5 August 1951
    15 to 16 September 1951
    2 to 3 November 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    3 to 4 November 1950
    1 to 4 January 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    20 to 22 December 1951
    10 February 1952
    27 to 28 March 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    31 March to 1 April 1951
    10 to 12 April 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    6 to 7 July 1952
    10 July 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    9 to 10 June 1951     		.

  • Placed out of service and delivered to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 15 September 1952, at Olympia, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 6 November 1952
  • USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192) earned seven battle stars for Korean War service
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD, 8 December 1971 to West Waterway Lumber Co., Seattle, WA. for non-transportation use (PD-X-923 dated 5 November 1971) for $42,136.00. Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and delivered to West Waterway Lumber Co., 3 January 1972 for scrapping
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,420 t.(lt) 7,604 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 29'
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 112
    Troop Accommodations 1,070
    Armament none
    Propulsion cross compound steam turbine, single screw, 8,500shp
    !--------------------------------------------------------------------->
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Merchant Service Isbrandtsen Steamship Co.
    Rushmore 5098k SS Stetson Victory moored across the pier from USS Rushmore (LSD-14) in a shipyard in the Portland, Oregon area, circa December 1945. William Brown for his father J.L. Brown EM3/c USS Rushmore
    USAT Sgt. Sylvester Antolak
    Sgt. Sylvester Antolak 76k
    Namesake

    Sgt. Sylvester Antolak, Company B, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division, was born at St. Clairsville, Ohio, and was killed in action on 24 May 1944. Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, he charged 200 yards over flat, coverless terrain to destroy an enemy machine gun nest during the second day of the offensive which broke through the German cordon of steel around the Anzio beachhead. Fully 30 yards in advance of his squad, he ran into withering enemy machine gun, machine-pistol and rifle fire. Three times he was struck by bullets and knocked to the ground, but each time he struggled to his feet to continue his relentless advance. With one shoulder deeply gashed and his right arm shattered, he continued to rush directly into the enemy fire concentration with his submachine gun wedged under his uninjured arm until within 15 yards of the enemy strong point, where he opened fire at deadly close range, killing 2 Germans and forcing the remaining 10 to surrender. He reorganized his men and, refusing to seek medical attention so badly needed, chose to lead the way toward another strong point 100 yards distant. Utterly disregarding the hail of bullets concentrated upon him, he had stormed ahead nearly three-fourths of the space between strong points when he was instantly killed by hostile enemy fire. Inspired by his example, his squad went on to overwhelm the enemy troops. By his supreme sacrifice, superb fighting courage, and heroic devotion to the attack, Sgt. Antolak was directly responsible for eliminating 20 Germans, capturing an enemy machine gun, and clearing the path for his company to advance.
    Photo from the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division thanks to Rich Heller    		 Bill Gonyo
    Sgt. Sylvester Antolak 43k USAT Sgt. Sylvester Antolak underway, circa 1947-1949, location unknown. Lewis D. Whipple
    USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192)
    Sgt. Sylvester Antolak 263k Post card image of USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    PVT Joe P. Martinez 146k USNS Private Joe P. Martinez (T-AP-187) and USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192), two "Victory" ships laid up in the the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia, WA. being prepared to for towing to to the scrappers yard.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 89321    		 Mike Green
    Sgt. Sylvester Antolak 87k Ex-USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192) and ex-USNS Pvt. Joe P. Martinez (T-AP-187) in the last stages of be scrapped at West Waterway Lumber Co., Seattle, WA., 19 September 1974. Both have lost their propellers and the Martinez has been cut down below the main deck level, Photos taken from Warship Boneyards, by Kit and Carolyn Bonner, courtesy L.Cote. Robert Hurst
    USNS Sgt. Sylvester Antolak (T-AP-192)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 5 January 2018