George Anthony Rukavina, None
| conflict: | World War II |
|---|---|
| branch: | Navy |
| rank: | Lieutenant |
| serial number: | |
| location: | Served aboard the YMS 228 (Yard Mine Sweeper) and the USS Staff (AM 114) in the Pacific and Atlantic. |
| enlistment date: | July 7, 1942 |
| place enlisted: | |
| discharge date: | April 21, 1946 |
| place discharged: | Great Lakes, IL |
| decorations: |
American Campaign Medal (1941-1946) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1941-1945) European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (1941-1946) Service Star(s) World War II Victory Medal (1941-1946) |
|---|---|
| history: | While working as a teacher in Hermantown, he signed up for the draft in December 1941 but wasn’t called. He then enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in April 1942 in Duluth. He entered active duty on July 7, 1942. He was commissioned a lieutenant and served aboard USS YMS-228. By March 1944, he served as an officer on board the minesweeping vessel USS Staff (AM-114), which headed to Plymouth, England. The Staff acted as the lead minesweeper in support of the Normandy invasion in June 1944. The Staff moved to the Mediterranean Ocean for much of the latter half of 1944 before returning to Virginia by December. In May 1945, she left Pearl Harbor for points in the Pacific Ocean, in particular Okinawa and the Japanese home islands. It is thought that Rukavina began taking photographs at this time. Not long after Japan’s formal surrender in August, most of the Staff’s senior command returned stateside, leaving Rukavina as her captain. By December, she visited Shanghai, China, before returning to her homeport. The Staff arrived in Pearl Harbor in February 1946, at which point Rukavina had his photographs developed. On February 14, 1946, the Staff arrived at San Pedro, California. |
| service documents: | |
| references: | (1) Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War Two Project (2004?), p. 274; (2) George Rukavina World War Two Photographic Collection, Iron Range Research Center, Chisholm, Minnesota. |
Personal Information
| date of birth: | March 30, 1919 |
|---|---|
| birth place: | Chisholm, MN |
| home town: | Chisholm, MN |
| date of death: | May 9, 1992 |
| father: | Dan Rukavina |
| mother: | Cecelia (Hocevar) Rukavina |
| siblings: | |
| school: | Chisholm High School |
Last update: 8/27/2015
