Russell E. Vasey
Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class Russell E. Vasey was born in New Jersey on April 13, 1924. His father, George Benjamin Vasey Jr., was a police officer. In 1930 the family was living at 6 Lees Avenue in Haddonfield NJ. At that time, George Jr. and Elizabeth Vasey had seven children: George III, Bruce, Milton, Raymond, Russell, Mae, and Georgeanna.
Russell Vasey was killed when the aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) was struck by Japanese aircraft on March 19, 1945. Seaman Second Class John Martin Peterson of Camden NJ, Lieutenant Addison E. Moore of Audubon Park, and Shipfitter Second Class Joseph A. Barron of Gloucester City were also lost in the attack.
Russell Vasey was survived by his parents, whose address was by this time 2906 Buren Avenue in Camden NJ, and his siblings.
USS Franklin CV-13
USS Franklin (CV-13) on fire after being struck by Japanese aircraft on March 19, 1945. The attack killed 807 of the crew, making it one of the most heavily damaged U.S. Navy carriers to survive the war.
Memorial at Beverly National Cemetery
Memorial marker for Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class Russell E. Vasey at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly NJ. Russell E. Vasey is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.