Our Favorite Surviving Veteran

Pictured above is my father-in-law, William A Norrod, of San Antonio, TX., who was born on July 10,1924, and joined the Army at age 18, in 1942. He became an adroit telegraph operator and was assigned to a post serving under an officer in the China, Burma, India Theater. Bill's job was to transmit and receive classified information.

Bill was with his best friend, "D" DiStefano, on November 24th, the day before Thanksgiving in 1943, when they boarded the HMT Rohna to head eastward on the Mediterranean from Algeria.

Shortly thereafter, disaster struck. The Rohna Survivors Memorial Association gives a background of what occurred that afternoon:

On November 26, 1943, during WWII, one thousand, one hundred and thirty eight men perished when a British troopship, the HMT Rohna, was attacked from the air and destroyed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Algeria. Two important but virtually unknown historical events occurred at that time.

It was the first successful "hit" of a merchant vessel at-sea carrying US troops by a German remote-controlled, rocket-boosted bomb, thus giving birth to the "Missile Age", and it resulted in the greatest loss of troops (1015) at sea in U.S. history. Combined with the loss of ship's crew and officers, and three Red Cross workers, more lives were lost than on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.

The "hit" was so devastating that the U.S. Government placed a veil of secrecy upon it. The events which followed were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades until recently, when documents were grudgingly released under pressure of the Freedom of Information Act. The government still does not acknowledge this tragedy, thus most families of the casualties still do not know the fate of their loved ones.

In 1995, over fifty years later, a group of survivors, next-of-kin and rescuers, informally came together for the sole purpose of enabling the creation and dedication of a Rohna Memorial.

On Memorial Day, 1996, a monument was dedicated to the memory of the 1015 men who lost their lives in this incident, at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery in Seales, Alabama.

Bill witnessed the remote controlled bomb from launch to the moment of impact on the Rohna. He and DiStefano were able to scramble to the deck and jump overboard while the ship was burning, taking on water, and listing severely. They were able to swim to another ship in the convoy about a mile away as they watched the Rohna burn and eventually sink.

Sadly, the ship on which Bill and his friend were able to board, was ordered to leave while leaving dozens, if not hundreds, of men in the water desperate to board the ship but unable to be rescued. The order to leave was made because they feared another attack from German bombers.

Bill still has difficulty relating this story to us. More information on the Rohna disaster can be found at the Rohna Memories website.

Having married in to the Norrod family some 33 years ago, I can't tell you how many times I've heard him relate his war stories to the family. We, of course, treasure them. Years ago, however, I would go to the library to search out the historical account of the Rohna's demise (this was before the Internet). I could never understand why nothing was recorded about this historical disaster. I even began to wonder if it really took place. (Sorry, Bill!)

Eventually, the information of the Rohna began to surface. Broadcaster Charles Osgood was first to talk about the Rohna and then Tom Brokaw picked up on it, but to this day the tragedy hasn't been given the coverage the victims and survivors alike deserve.

Bill, now 83, and his wife, Mary, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last April 4th in San Antonio, along with their five kids, six grandchildren, and families. We thank God that Bill was able to survive the horrific ordeal in the cold waters of the Mediterranean that fateful night.

Thank you, Bill, for your sacrifice and service to this country. We honor you always, but especially on Veterans Day.