william joseph lawrence tierney, jr. collection
With the declaration of war by the United States against the Axis powers, William J. L. Tierney, Jr. left Oklahoma where he worked as a machinist, sat for his license, and became a seamanship training instructor for the United States Maritime Service – he called on skills he learned as a “mail cadet” with Mississippi Shipping Company on Delta Steamship Lines SS Delrio. He briefly joined the faculty of the at U.S.M.S.T.S. Sheepshead Bay, then served aboard training ship U.S.M.S.T.S. American Navigator, and finally at the newly-established United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island, New York. He disappeared after the war and in 1980 passed away in Kentucky at the age of 60.
documents
| content (click to access document) | description |
 | 1937-11-15 Seaman Passport Request. |
 | 1937-12-17 SS Delrio Letter home, page 1/4. |
 | 1937-12-17 SS Delrio Letter home, page 2/4. |
 | 1937-12-17 SS Delrio Letter home, page 3/4. |
 | 1937-12-17 SS Delrio Letter home, page 4/4. |
 | 1937-12-22 SS Delrio Letter home, page 1/4. |
 | 1937-12-22 SS Delrio Letter home, page 2/4. |
 | 1937-12-22 SS Del Rio Letter home, page 3/4. |
 | 1937-12-22 SS Del Rio Letter home, page 4/4. |
 | 1941-12-25 U.S. Maritime Service Officer ID photo. |
 | 1941-12-25 U.S. Maritime Service Officer cuff device. |
 | 1941-12 William Tierney and his automobile. |
 | 1941-12 Safeway Honor Credit Certificate (Kansas City). “A remembrance of the ‘good old days'” |
  | 1942-04-25 Virginia Fishing and Game License application. obv.: “Didn’t wanna hunt – didn’t wanna fish – so we were married, April 25, 1942. Arlington, Virginia – 2:00 P.M.” rev.: “Lakeside Hotel. Mr & Mrs W.L. Tierney. Katy and I married at” |
 | 1942-05 Postcard, Fort Trumbull. “Air view. Connecticut College and campus. New London, Conn.” “May 1942 to September 1942 spent in New London, Conn. Bill studying for commission.” |
 | 1942-09-14 Commissioning invitation, USS Gurnard (New London, Conn). “Invitation to Commissioning Party as guest of C. O. Tinsley, Machinist’s Mate 1st class, aboard Submarine, U.S.S. Gurnard.” USS Gurnard (SS-254) completed nine war patrols between November 1942 and May 1945. Six patrols resulted in enemy losses, earning the submarine a battle star for each. She was scrapped in 1961. Cornice Oneil “Art” Tinsley was a friend of William’s. Mr. Tinsley was a career navyman and rose to the rank of Chief Engineman in the Submarine Service; he retired in 1955 after 20 years of service, and passed away on 17 January 2020 at the age of 102. |
  | 1942-12-25 Christmas Day menu, United States Maritime Service Training Station Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. “Sheepshead Bay – Christmas, 1942” Christmas Day, December 25, 1942 On this Christmas Day, I wish to extend to you all my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our station was officially dedicated this month. Already we are turning out men to man the new ships that are coming down the ways. In the days to come our men will be leaving here in ever increasing numbers. We shall ever be ready to carry out the great task that lies before us – to deliver to the four corners of the world the precious cargoes that are needed to win this war, in order that in the future we will have peace and happiness at Christmas time. Geo. M. Wauchope Commander U.S.N.R. Superintendent |
 | 1943-02-20 Tempory [sic] Duty orders to USMSTS American Navigator. William Tierney to report to Commander of USMSTS American Navigator by 7:00 am on Monday, 22 February 1943. The orders were generated on a Saturday, giving Mr. Tierney a day to travel from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland – where the ship was home-ported. By 1944, the War Shipping Administration Maritime Service operated eleven ships for practical instruction which enabled its enrollees to obtain by actual contact and vision a working knowledge of the subjects they studied ashore. This advanced shipboard training lasted from three to five weeks. The ships were as follows: New York (1) USMSTS American Mariner, stationed in New York Harbor. Enrollees from the training station at Sheepshead Bay and Officer Candidates at Fort Trumbull received their practical training aboard her. She was a 10,800-ton Liberty-type vessel converted for training purposes. (2) USMSTS American Seaman was a 10,000-ton converted merchant vessel used in both New York Harbor and at Sheepshead Bay. She had facilities for 300 enrollees. She was one of two ships that originally comprised for the pre-war USMS training ship fleet. (3) USMSTS Vema was a three-masted auxiliary schooner with accommodation for 86 enrollees. She was stationed at Sheepshead Bay. Baltimore (4) USMSTS American Navigator and (5) USMSTS American Engineer were converted combination passenger-freight vessels stationed in Baltimore, Maryland. They provided facilities for training 1,500 seamen each; they steamed between Sheepshead Bay and Baltimore for training cruises. Florida (6) USMSTS American Sailor, a sister ship to American Seaman, was stationed at the Coast Guard wharf in St. Petersburg, Florida. (7) USMSTS Joseph Conrad was a three-masted, full-rigged ship and was based at the Coast Guard wharf in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was one of two ships that originally comprised for the pre-war USMS training ship fleet. (8) TV Tusitala also at St. Petersburg, Florida was a sailing ship with masts removed. She served as a station ship first used as a school for cooks and bakers; this training was between December 1942 and 1943. (9) USMSTS Tickfaw and USMSTS Morganza were tugs stationed at St. Petersburg for the for training of coal burning firemen (10) TV Vigil at St. Petersburg was used for engine and deck training. California (11) USMSTS American Seafarer was stationed at Avalon, California and provided facilities for 400 enrollees. Each of the American vessels made week-long cruises from Monday to Friday. The enrollees were divided into deck and engine departments. It is important to note these are USMSTS attached to the U.S. Maritime Service; the United States Merchant Marine Academy and Basic Schools had their own small fleet of vessels specific to their needs – although both training units were part of the War Shipping Administration, they were two separate organizations within the training organization, please see the following organization chart published in 1944, here. |
   | 1943-02-25 Permanent Duty orders “Change of plans – order for permanent duty aboard “American Na[vigator]” |