Korean vet tells of time on ship

George DeCarlo of Lebanon Township is one of those people who’s easy to talk to. 

At 79 years-old, he’s lived an interesting life. When he was only 17-years-old, he joined the Naval Reserves, a move that required his mom’s signature, a blessing she willingly gave. From that point on, every Monday night was a meeting in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey. The family lived in Linden, NJ, at the time, where George graduated from Linden High in 1949.

A Korean War Veteran, George remembers where he was when the war broke out. “I was out in the Atlantic Ocean, on a two-week training cruise on a DE (destroyer escort). The Korean War started while we were there. We didn’t know if we were going to come back or not.” He says they were due to return to port, but didn’t know if their orders would change, sending them through the Panama Canal and into the fight.

“The Captain came on and said we were returning to port in Newark, NJ. My parents came and picked me up,” he remembered. That’s when he signed up for active duty, a call that came a month later. George was told to report to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he remained for about two weeks before being assigned to the battleship, the USS New Jersey (BB-62). He was picked to be in the “oil king” group, taking care of all the fuel. He said they were busy taking the ship out of mothballs, since it hadn’t been used since WWII.

“After we got it ready, three months later, then we went down to Norfolk, Virginia for shake-down cruise, to try all the motors and engines, and boilers.  We went down to Cuba, firing the guns, and came back to Norfolk, VA (which was home port).”

Under attack
With several stops for fuel and ammunition along the way, they headed for Korea in January, 1951. “We relieved the USS Missouri,” he said.

In Korea, he remembers coming under attack from North Korean rail guns. “Big guns,” he said. “One sailor was killed and quite a number wounded ...That was the first time we had anyone killed on the USS New Jersey.” No one was killed aboard the battleship when she served in WWII, he said.

“We were very successful in the Korean War. We helped with bombardment of enemy troops. We had 16-inch guns on the battleship, and they could fire 25 miles.” He says the 16-inch shells weighed 3,000 pounds.

George was in Korea for about a year. In all, he was in the Naval Reserves for five years, before being discharged in 1952. “I walked in my house on my 22 birthday,” he recalled with a laugh. “My mom and dad were having breakfast; they almost fell off their chairs,” he said.

Asked if he’d do it all again, George said, “Sure. It’s my Country. A lot of veterans, if they had to do it over again, would do it over again.”

USS New Jersey
He’s proud of the ship on which he served. “Right now, it’s the most decorated battleship in the Navy,” he said. The USS New Jersey is now a museum, open to visitors in Camden, New Jersey. George says he made the trip to see her, and was assailed by good and bad memories. “Most good memories,” he said, remembering the guys he served with.

George, who likes to fish, remembers being up at Upper Woods Pond, when a car pulled in from New Jersey with a plate that read BB NJ 62. It’s a small world. When he questioned the man, he found out, they’d served together, but never met. There were about 2400 men aboard the USS New Jersey. These days, Leon Phillips and he are good friends.

 Union City Police Officer
Seven months after being discharged from the Naval Reserves, George was appointed to the Union City Police Department in New Jersey, a job he held for nearly 26 years. He did motorcycle, car and horse patrol. “We were involved in a lot of drug arrests,” he says of his time on the force. He retired January 28, 1978. Two years later, he moved to Lebanon Township.
He and his wife, the late Joan (Acker) DeCarlo were married 36 years. Joan was a meter maid in Honesdale for eight years. They have four children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.