S1C William Emmett Buckey, Jr. (WWII)

Remembering S1C William Emmett "Bill" Buckey, Jr. (Fairmont)

September 15, 1923 - October 24, 1944

----

Early Life:

S1C William Emmett Buckey, Jr. (Service #7004347) was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on September 15, 1923, the son of Emmett (Sr.) and Ada (Talkington) Buckey. Willian Sr. and Ada met while they were both students at Fairmont State Normal School (now Fairmont State University) and married in 1915. The 1912 FSNS yearbook, The Mound, says of William: "His future--ask Ada." The 1920 census lists the duo as residing in Morgantown, with William's occupation as "student."

In 1923, William became the principal of Fairmont Senior High School, after graduating from WVU with a Master's degree in 1922. Their family lived at 804 Locust Avenue when William Jr. was born and throughout his whole life (1923 City Directory-1945 City Directory).

Education and Enlistment:

William, Jr, known in his high school yearbooks as "Bill," graduated from Fairmont Senior High School. In his time at FSHS, Bill was very involved in student activities. His junior biography read: "Wabbit' is the unusual name that 'Web' chooses as his favorite. 'Web' likes to spend his time collecting pennants and swimming. A very busy youngster, he finds time for State Chorus, Student Government, Choral Club, Bridge Club, Honor Society, Junior Play, and KL?UB vice-president." 

Bill went on to attend the University of Michigan. Michigan on the March: The University of Michigan in World War II by Brian A. Williams, lists him as a student from "1941-1943" (pg 29). The 1943 University of Michigan Michiganensian Yearbook lists Bill as a sophomore member of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi (pg 172). 

At the University of Michigan, Bill was also a member of the Naval ROTC, having joined April 30, 1944 (in future records listed as his enlistment date). From there, he transferred to the United States Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, Illinois on June 4, 1943 (June 1943 NROTC Muster Call).

Military Service:

On November 22, 1943, Bill was promoted from S2C to S1C. Two days later, he was transferred to submarine training in New London, Connecticut (November 1943 Muster Call). He remained there as part of Submarine Division 222 (Relief Crew) until being transferred onto the U.S.S. Shark II on June 10, 1944 (June 1944 Muster Call). Relief crews would go on board after a submarine would return from patrol, refitting the submarine while the regular crew would rest.

On September 9, 1944, Bill officially became a crew member of the U.S.S. Shark II (September 1944 Muster Call). Unfortunately, the U.S.S. Shark II's journey was cut short on October 24, 2024, when it was sunk by Japanese depth charges off the coast of Taiwan. All crew members on board were lost.

The U.S.S. Shark II and the Arisan Maru

On October 24, 1944, the U.S.S. Seadragon received a transmission from the U.S.S. Shark II that it had made radar contact with a single Japanese freighter, and that they were going to attack. This was the last message transmitted by the U.S.S. Shark II.

Meanwhile, POWs were being transported from the Philipines on board the hell ship Arisan Maru. As the freighter was unmarked, it was sunk by an American submarine on October 24, 1944. Of the 1,781 POWs aboard the Arisan Maru, only nine survived. 23 West Virginians were on board, including two from Harrison County: Clarksburg native Thomas Abruzzino and Mt. Clare's William Norman.

From the US Submarine Memorial:
"However, on 13 November 1944, a despatch originated by Commander Naval Unit, Fourteenth Air Force, stated that a Japanese ship enroute from Manila to Japan, with 1800 American prisoners of war had been sunk on 24 October by an American submarine in a torpedo attack. No other submarine reported the attack, and since SHARK had given SEADRAGON a contact report only a few hours before the sinking, and could not be raised by radio after it, it can only be assumed that SHARK made the attack described and perished during or after it. Five prisoners who survived and subsequently reached China stated that conditions on the prison ship were so intolerable that the prisoners prayed for deliverance from their misery by a torpedo or bomb. Because many prisoners of war had been rescued from the water by submarines after sinking vessels in which they were being transported, U.S. submarines had been instructed to search for Allied survivors in the vicinity of all sinkings of Empire bound Japanese ships. SHARK may well have been sunk trying to rescue American prisoners of war. All attempts to contact SHARK by radio failed and on 27 November she was reported as presumed lost."

Legacy and Survivors:

S1C William Emmett "Bill" Buckey, Jr. was reported missing in action November 7, 1944. The U.S.S. Shark's eighty-seven crew members were officially declared dead on November 8, 1945. In 1946, the Bucket family had a memorial service for Bill at the historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont, WV. 

His cenotaph at Woodlawn reads 
"In Memory
W.E. (Billy) Buckey Jr.
1923-1944
Seaman First Class
U.S. Naval Reserve
World War II"


He was survived by his parents, William and Ada, as well as one younger sister, Sarah Buckey McChesney (1926-2005). William (Sr.) remained the principal of Fairmont Senior High School until his retirement in 1951.

Sources and More Information:


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