Pope, James W.

Description

James W. Pope

James William Pope was born March 16, 1926 in North English, Iowa to Virgil and Kathleen Reilly Pope. He moved with his family to Rye when he was a few months old. In Rye his family lived at 72 Purchase Street. James was educated at Blessed Sacrament School in New Rochelle.

The United States Navy Armed Guard (USNAG) was an active duty Navy branch during WWII (1941–1945) that placed gun crews on merchant vessels to defend against enemy ships, submarines, and aircraft. Over 144,000 sailors served in these units, which often included a junior officer, gunner’s mates, signalmen, and radiomen.

The units primarily manned 5-inch/38, 3-inch/50, and 20mm anti-aircraft guns on Allied merchant ships.
They consisted of active-duty Navy personnel, not merchant mariners. They lived alongside merchant crews and often trained them on weaponry. Led by a Navy officer, they operated under Navy regulations while at sea.

The service was highly hazardous, with 1,810 members killed in action. At its peak, the force included over 59,000 officers and men by November 1944.

The Crews were trained at specialized centers, notably in Little Creek, VA and Brooklyn, NY.
The Armed Guard served in every theater of the war, protecting ships in convoys, including the dangerous Arctic runs.

James was honorably discharged May 16, 1946 and had received the American Theatre, European Theatre and Asiatic Pacific Victory Medals.

After the war, he returned to school and was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1947. James married Barbara Willette on July 2 1955 in Brandon Vt., they would have five children.

He worked for NY Telephone for 30 years, first out of the Port Chester office, then in Valhalla in the customer service department.

James was a member of the Church of the Resurrection in Rye. He belonged to the church’s dance club and its Holy Name Society. He was an active softball player and coached with the Rye Little League. He was also a firefighter with the Rye Volunteer Fire Department.

James William Pope of Rye a service technician with NY telephone Co. died August 5, 1986 at United Hospital in Port Chester after suffering from cancer. He was 60.

At the time of his death, in addition to his wife, survivors included, a son James Jr four daughters Susan, Nancy and Deborah Pope and Kimberly Dempsey and a grandson. All live in Rye, A brother Eugene Pope died before him.

He was buried in Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye NY.