William P. Bellan

William P. Bellan was a U.S. Navy Veteran who honorably served on active duty and in the reserves from 1968 to 1974. He was primarily stationed in the Atlantic Theater of Operations during the later stages of the Vietnam War. Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, William, or “Bill” as his friends referred to him, was raised by his mother and father in Somerville, New Jersey.

While Bellan was attending high school, the country was increasing the number of draftees to support an enlarged army that was becoming increasingly more involved in Vietnam. Although some young men fled in fear of going to war, Bellan decided to enlist rather than wait for his number to be called. His father had served in World War II, and he felt an obligation to serve as well.

Bellan chose to serve in the Navy, and after being sworn in at Fort Hamilton, New York, he reported to boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. Following the intensive physical and mental seven-week program and formal graduation, he and his fellow sailors were sent off to their initial deployments.

Bellan dealt with the challenges of adapting to military life and maintaining his sense of identity through boot camp. His dedication to service helped him a great deal. He reported to Norfolk, Virginia, where he saw the massive vessel he would soon depart on, the USS Shangri-La, a reclassified anti-submarine carrier. His ship was nicknamed by the rest of the Navy as the “Scrawny Ship” as the result of the one-time rebellious reputation of the crew members, both Navy and Marine personnel.

Bellan earned the rank of E-2. Following several introductory weeks of performing “KP” (Kitchen Police) duty, a tradition for incoming sailors, he began working on the flight deck, regarded as being one of the most dangerous positions to work on the ship. A tradition among the deck crew was to keep some form of identification in their shoes in case some disaster occurred, and their bodies were unable to be identified. Bellan trained as a flight deck firefighter; but, after sustaining burns from the jets, he was transferred to work below deck as a compartment cleaner.

The ship’s responsibilities included maintaining a peaceful yet military presence in the waters near Guantanamo Bay, as Fidel Castro and his Soviet allies caused heightened tensions in the region. The fear and conflict associated with the Cold War were still at play; and, Cuba served as a pivotal operating point for Soviet operations in Central and South America. Although Bellan never experienced any direct combat, Soviet submarines in the surrounding waters evoked a constant sense of apprehension while at sea. In addition, living conditions on board the ship were very cramped, as ninety-eight crewmen occupied one compartment. 

The crew came up with clever diversions to boost morale, which included fishing off the side of the carrier, and even holding Saturday night boxing matches below deck. The length of flight missions would often require twelve-plus hour shifts from the crews, making time in port a way to truly unwind and relax. In addition to receiving care packages and letters from his parents, Bellan was able to maintain a hopeful outlook while at sea. The crew received occasional updates of the progression of the war in Vietnam, as the Shangri-La was on standby for Pacific duty if needed. He recalled one memorable set of orders that positioned his ship as the primary vessel on standby for one of the Apollo re-entries from orbit.

After seven months at sea, Bellan received orders to return to the United States. He was stationed in Louisville, Kentucky, serving in the US Navy Reserve for the remaining years of his military enlistment. Although Bellan was overjoyed to once again be home after his discharge in 1974, he was one of many Vietnam era veterans who experienced an unpleasant welcome while in uniform – a sad and unfortunate truth of our nation’s past that we must recognize and strive to learn from for the future.

Like many veterans, Bellan used the benefits of the G.I. Bill and furthered his education following his discharge. He received his BA degree from Louisville University in 1978, and then returned to New Jersey where he raised a family with his wife. Prior to retiring in 2006, Bellan continued his passion to help others, by working as an operating room nurse at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick for twenty-nine years. He became a world traveler and earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

William P. Bellan passed away at the age of 63 on November 18, 2013 at his home in South Brunswick. Surviving was his wife of 32 years, Ruth Schaeffer Bellan; his son, Joshua, and two daughters, Eleanor, and Theresa Bellan, all of Kendall Park. Memorial donations were made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.