Frank Ankerway
Frank Ankerway.
United States Navy — USS Hooper Island (ARG-17)
Born February 5, 1927 — Died November 1, 2012
Frank Ankerway joined the Navy in 1945 and served aboard the USS Hooper Island, a Navy repair ship. While on lookout, he spotted two floating objects in the ocean — a B-24 bomber that had gone down out of gas. As a result of his observation, five officers were rescued, along with three additional men who might not have been saved otherwise. As a World War II veteran, he received the American and Pacific Theater Ribbons and a Victory Medal.
He was born February 5, 1927, and died at the age of 85 on November 1, 2012. He married Joanne Schultz, and together they had two children, Donna and Melissa.
USS Hooper Island (ARG-17).
USS Hooper Island (ARG-17)
Named for an island located in Chesapeake Bay, the Hooper Island (ARG-17) was an ex-liberty ship, Bert McDowell, launched October 30, 1944 by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Inc., Fairfield, Md., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Hattie Singer, and commissioned July 13, 1945, Commander E. B. Guernsey in command.
After shakedown off the Virginia coast, Hooper Island departed September 1, 1945 for the western Pacific and reached Sasebo, Japan, November 9 to provide repair services to the Pacific Fleet. She remained there on repair duty until October 31, 1946, when she sailed for Tsingtao, China, to perform similar services in support of U.S. operations to stabilize China. Hooper Island completed her deployment August 14, 1947, when she sailed for San Francisco, arriving September 5. She remained there until she was decommissioned at Alameda, Calif., January 24, 1948, and joined the Reserve Fleet.