Walter R. Kowalsky

Walter R. Kowalsky was born in June 1925 in New York City. In 1940, he was only 15 years old when Italy as an ally of Germany declared war on France, and France collapsed under a massive attack. A year later, Kowalsky heard of the Pearl Harbor attack on the radio. He discussed the war in high school, and there was a lot of speculation regarding Japanese strategy. In September 1943, at the age of eighteen, Kowalsky registered for the draft and then enlisted in the Navy. His father had served in World War I, but never spoke about his experiences in that conflict.

Kowalsky went to Sampson Naval Base in New York state for eight weeks of basic training. After basic training, he was sent to Key West, Florida, where he attended sonar school. Following that training, Kowalsky went to Norfolk, Virginia, where he was assigned to his first ship, the USS Roy O. Hale, an Edsall-class destroyer escort. He was told that, due to his training and good knowledge of engine sounds, he would be assigned as a sonar man.

In sonar work, one had to interpret the Doppler effect, the apparent change in frequency of sound wave echoes returning to a stationary source from a moving target. Kowalsky was good at this, because his ears were particularly sensitive to sound variations. While training in Key West, he also spent extra time learning how to maintain and repair sonar devices. There were six sailors in his team, and Kowalsky was the number two man.

The first time Kowalsky went out to sea on the Roy O. Hale, he said he felt proud. He recalled that the destroyer escort was “the biggest ship I had ever seen. The biggest gun they had was like a cannon”. Kowalsky also recalled that the commanding officer was very aloof; he was later replaced due to his fondness for alcohol.

A typical day aboard the ship was somewhat boring. Kowalsky remained below deck in the sonar room, and the devices often failed to work during bad weather. He did not remember the food, which was unremarkable, but knows he ate three times a day, and made many friends with whom he reunited with once a year after the war. When their ship was in port, the sailors would watch movies, and go swimming.

On June 5, 1944, the day before D-day, Kowalsky’s vessel sailed up and down the English Channel for hours as part of an attempt to convince the Germans that the invasion site was going to be further north than it was. At one point, his sonar detected an enemy submarine. He had the job of determining how close and deep the submarine was, and in which direction it was heading. His ship got within 100 feet of the submarine, and sunk it with a depth charge, a victory Kowalsky received credit for through his accurate sonar detection work. While doing his job, he never saw the enemy.

The Roy O. Hale also escorted convoys to many different points, with one particularly memorable one being the time they went through the Strait of Gibraltar and saw Spain. Another story Kowalsky recalled was when he went to a restaurant ashore and the toilet was a hole in the ground. He visited Italy and remembered how beautiful it was and how nice the people were to him. The only injury Kowalsky incurred during the war was a cut on his forehead during an ice storm when the ship made a sharp turn that caused him to fall and hit his head.

In September of 1944, Kowalsky was reassigned to the USS Noa, a Gearing-class destroyer; then he was sent to Key West for more sonar training. He does not remember much of his stint on the Noa, save that he got seasick on the calmest sea, which eventually led to his not being able to drink tomato juice for 5-10 years after he got out of service!

Kowalsky remembered that he felt happy when the atomic bombs dropped. When he heard that Japan surrendered, he felt very relieved. After Kowalsky was discharged in December 1945, he took a train home. Among Kowalsky’s medals awarded were the European African Middle East Ribbon with one star, the American Theater Ribbon, and the Victory Ribbon. He never returned to any location he served at during the war. His best advice concerning war is to not have any!

After the war, Kowalsky went to school for one year then got married. Not only was he very devoted to his country, but he also showed great devotion to both his community and to charity in general. Since 1970, Kowalsky owned several Chicken Holiday locations. He was a member and past president of VFW Post #4374, a member of the Tin Can Sailors, and the Grand Marshal of the Freehold Memorial Day Parade. Additionally, Kowalsky was a bingo worker at a rehab center, volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and was actively involved with Toys for Tots. 

Walter R. Kowalsky passed away on January 22, 2019, at the age of 93.