FRANK JOHN ZWOLINSKI
USS Raleigh
Frank John Zwolinski, nicknamed “Ski”, was born in Rochester and grew up in Penn Yan, NY. After completing high school, “Ski” entered the Navy in April 1938. His first assignment was the USS Raleigh, CL-7, a light cruiser. He was a Signalman Second Class on the Raleigh stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was on shore leave when the first attack hit and ran outside to see planes flying low with “red meatballs on the wings.” Rushing back to Pearl he began fighting fires at dry dock where he could see the Arizona burning and devastation all around battleship row. Frank saw the USS Raleigh from the side view and it looked upright. He assumed it had not been hit. He was able to catch a ride back to his ship and it wasn’t until he saw her bow head on that he knew something was really wrong because she was listing over 30 degrees.
The USS Raleigh had been the first ship hit with a torpedo and within minutes began firing back. Then the deck was hit with an armor-piercing shell that went through the ship’s hull, narrowly missing the ammunition, and exploded below. No personnel were killed aboard the Raleigh. As the ship flooded and listed from side to side it was feared she would capsize, but the crew quickly counter flooded, jettisoned topside weight, and ran additional lines to mooring floats. Despite damage to the Raleigh, the crew assisted in the destruction of five enemy planes. After the second attack had ended, the crew worked to help free trapped sailors in the overturned USS Utah.
After temporary repairs the Raleigh limped back to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, near San Francisco. Frank was granted a brief shore leave and returned to Penn Yan, NY, to marry his hometown girl, Agnes Zubris. For their honeymoon they drove from New York to San Francisco. Frank returned to the Raleigh and when repairs were completed the ship was sent to the Aleutians where they battled the weather, lost two planes to violent seas, and valiantly assisted in the bombardments of Paramushiro, Kiska, and Attu.
After the war Frank’s 30-year naval career took him from the Aleutians to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Hong Kong, to Korea, and to Vietnam. His favorite ship was the USS Cahokia, a fleet tug he commanded. He was decorated for his service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. As he advanced in rank, he held many executive positions, including command of the US Naval Schools on Treasure Island, near San Francisco. He attained the rank of full commander before his retirement in 1968.
After retirement from the Navy he went to work for Alameda County Office of Emergency Services as an Emergency Services Coordinator. He became the county’s expert on earthquake preparedness. He retired from his second career in 1980.
Frank and Agnes had four children and four grandchildren. Frank was widowed after more than 50 years of marriage at Agnes’ death in 1993. He was a San Lorenzo, California, resident for 45 years and very active in his community. He volunteered at the Hayward Historical Museum and was fire commissioner for the San Lorenzo Fire District. He was very involved in PHSA, chapter 2, and able to attend the Pearl Harbor 60th and 62nd anniversaries in Hawaii with his family. He passed away March 23, 2005, at the age of 85.
