Pat Guggino – U.S. Navy 1943-46

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in 1945, USAWS is showcasing a WWII Veteran each month. Amazingly Pat Guggino has already turned 100 years old when USA Warrior Stories producer Ross Rowlinson recorded his story.

Pat Guggino went to and through various U.S. Naval Training Stations including Sampson, NY for boot camp; Great Lakes, IL for engineering school; Norfolk, VA outgoing unit and he was assigned to the USS Liddle D.E. 206 a destroyer escort in Charleston, SC.

The USS Liddle D.E. 206 escorted 3 round trips across the North Atlantic from NY City to Wales, England, Gibraltar, and Tunisia, Africa. Upon return to NY the Liddle was converted to a high-speed transport and reclassified, APD 60, with 4 others, each to transporting 200 troops, 1000 total.

The APD 60 joined the 7th Fleet in the Pacific and carried out 12 amphibious landings in the Philippines, Borneo, and Korea. In the battle for Leyte, USS Liddle/APD 60 was the first APD to be crash dived upon by a Japanese Kamikaze pilot in the Battle of Ormoc Bay on December 7, 1944. The Liddle splashed 5 of the attackers with her casualties reported to be, 37 killed and 42 wounded. The Liddle went on to San Francisco for repairs and returned to the Philippines.

After Japan surrendered, the USS Liddle aided in clearing Japanese mines from the shipping lanes of the Philippines and on to China.

Pat was discharged on 7 April 1946 as a MM2-Machinist Mate 2nd Class with recognition and awards including the American Theater Medal; the European Theater Medal; the Victory Asiatic Pacific Medal 2 Stars and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon 1 Star.