Richard: The U.S.S. General A.E. Anderson

Posted on by David Hovick Lohman
My dad, Richard Lohman (1924–2004), served in the U.S. Navy for exactly three years during World War II.

After doing his basic training at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, IL, he spent the rest of his time in the service as a Gunner’s Mate 1st Class on board the U.S.S. General A.E. Anderson – the “Mighty A.”

The “gun gang in the Armory.” Dad’s in the back row, far left.
The Anderson was a troop transport that thankfully never saw combat. Their most notable passengers were the survivors of the Bataan Death March. Much more on that in here.
The Voyages of the Mighty “A”
The Log of the Mighty “A”
1943-1945
Being the story, in words and pictures, of the wanderings of the 
USS GENERAL AE ANDERSON
Thanks to this “A” mazing,  monogrammed book, we know quite a bit about what the ship was up to. During the course of the war, the Anderson made thirteen voyages. 

Voyage No. 1

25 November–15 December 1943
7,355 miles
Newport News, VA to Casablanca, Morocco to Newport News

Voyage No. 2

24 December 1943–12 January 1944
7,355 miles
Newport News to Casablanca, Morocco to Newport News

Voyage No. 3

22 January–13 February 1944
8,240 miles
Newport News to Oran, Algeria to Casablanca, Morocco to Newport News
The USS General A.E. Anderson docked at Oran, Algeria

Voyage No. 4

28 February–21 March 1944
8,320 miles
Newport News to Oran, Algeria to Newport News

Voyage No. 5

26 March–7 May 1944
10,640 miles
Newport News to Oran, Algeria to Gourock, Scotland to Bermuda to New York, NY  
Ship and Crew – Oran, Algeria

Voyage No. 6

12 May–25 June 1944
7,320 miles
New York to Avonmouth, England to Gourock, Scotland to New York, NY to Newport News, VA
Part of a convoy to England
Dad in New York, June 1944

Voyage No. 7

29 June 29–11 September 1944
29,848 miles
New York, NY to Panama Canal to Melbourne, Australia to Bombay (now Mumbai), India to San Pedro, CA
Dad (left) in Bombay

Voyage No. 8

26 September–11 December 1944
26,542 miles
San Pedro, CA to Melbourne, Australia to Bombay (now Mumbai), India to Brisbane, Australia to Noumea, New Caledonia to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) to San Diego, CA
Dad (right) in Bombay

Voyage No. 9

22 December 1944–9 March 1945
16,556 miles
San Diego, CA to San Francisco, CA to Finshhafen, New Guinea to Hollandia, New Guinea to Leyte, Philippines [Bataan Death March Survivors] to Hollandia, New Guinea to San Francisco, CA

Voyage No. 10

7 April–22 July 1945
29,261 miles
San Francisco, CA to Finschhafen, New Guinea to Hollandia, New Guinea (now Jayapura, Indonesia) to Leyte, Philippines to Manila, Philippines to Townsville, Australia to Morotai, New Guinea to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands to Panama Canal to Newport News, VA


Voyage No. 11

8–28 August 1945
8,056 miles
Newport News, VA to Marseilles, France to New York, NY
Dad (front) in Marseilles

Voyage No. 12

4–21 September 1945
6,501 miles
New York, NY to Le Havre, France to New York, NY
Dad (left) in New York with Eddie Johnston, September 21, 1945

Voyage No. 13

29 September–9 November 1945
16,200 miles 
New York, NY to Port Said, Egypt to Suez Canal to Karachi, India (now Pakistan) to Suez Canal to New York, NY to Hoboken, NJ
Dad (left) in Port Said
For a grand total of 182,194 miles!
Dad’s Christmas Card to his parents. 
Honorably Discharged

After the close of the war, and three years to the day of his joining the Navy, he was honorably discharged. In his Notice of Separation, he indicates that in civilian life he wants to go into Refrigerator Maintenance. That was a life path he did not follow. He first went into the printing business, becoming a foreman book binder, before deciding to enter the ministry. Also of note here, he was to receive $100 in mustering out pay. Congress had passed the Mustering Out Payment Act in 1944 to provide money for those in the service returning to civilian life.

Published by David Hovick Lohman

I earned my Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2019, and have a passion for digging in 18th and 19th century Norwegian parish records. I am also a musician, and I spent 3½ years as Associate Conductor for national tours of The Phantom of the Opera.

5 thoughts on “Richard: The U.S.S. General A.E. Anderson”

  3. My Dad served on the Andy with your dad. He too was a plank holder. He got off before they picked up the Battan Death Marchers. He was corpsmen told me about picking up a merchant seamen while at sea. He had ruptured appendicitis doctor thought he would die. Tried new drug \”penicillin \” they both saw Bombay. Thomas R Goforth

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  4. My mother and I sailed on this ship from San Francisco to Okinawa in 1956 to join my father stationed at Naha (Air Force). I was only 2 years old so don't remember that cruise, but I do remember some of the return voyage to San Francisco on the J.C. Breckinridge (AP-176) in 1958, another Pope-class transport. Mostly remember the rough weather and being sick.

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  5. Hi
    I am at the publication stage of a family history about four brothers who served in the Australian forces in WW2. One brother sailed on Voyage 10 in your blog.

    I would like to include a photographs from your blog in the book. Under Australian Copyright law the copyright in the photographs has expired, but I prefer to observe the courtesies and ask your permission.

    The story was originally an informal family history, researched for a friend. It grew. It will hopefully be published by a ‘print-on-demand’ commercial publisher, but I am not a published author and its circulation will likely be very small: I’ve selected the commercial publisher for some quality control and a distribution mechanism. I don’t expect to make money.

    I can send copies of the photographs and an extract from the book to give some context if you can send me an email address.

    Regards

    Chris Pratt

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