SOBOTA-JEROME

"LST-342  Was sunk by Japanese submarine RO-106 on the night of July 18, 1943 as it was sailing unescorted for Rendova carrying a cargo of aviation fuel and ammunition,  Shortly after it was struck by a torpedo, the ship exploded, breaking it in half.  The stern half, including the officers and crew's quarters where Ensign Sobota probably was following the end of his watch, quickly sank and was not seen again.  Only one of the apparent 16 officers aboard survived.  The front half of the ship remained afloat and was eventually towed to an island where it served as a storage facility.  It can still be seen there today and many photos are available on line.

Ensigh Sobata was engaged to be married and in the early 2000's I had the privilege of meeting his then fiance, Lorraine Voelker, who to that day had kept a photo of the two of them in her living room - see never married.  She told me at one point, "We were a hansome couple, don't you think?"

Additionally, Ensign Sobota was my dad's best childhood friend.  He first learned of Jerome's fate while aboard ship heading to Saipan (he was an artillery officer with the 531st Field Artillery on Saipan, Leyte, and Okinawa) nearly a year later - his mother never wrote telling him about it.  He ran into a college acquaintance aboard ship who told him, however.  My dad told me that he was so shaken by the news that he went below deck as he could not aloow his men to see him with tears.  My dad, an American Legion member, often was the main speaker for Memorial Day programs for decades following the war, and he never failed to mention his friend, Jerome - and he always, without fail, became emotional"

Excerpt from a message to the US Navy Memorial from Michael Lyga