“We ran exercises up and down the California Coast… we would typically load up with Marines which their combat equipment and drop these huge cargo nets and lower the landing craft boats…to stage landing operations.”
-Electronic Technician, Petty Officer Third Class Morris Litwack, USN
The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the December 2020 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Electronic Technician, Petty Officer Third Class Morris Litwack. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Electronic Technician, Petty Officer Third Class Morris Litwack at the USS Okanogan APA 220 reunion being held at Harrisburg Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2019.
Petty Officer Third Class Morris Litwack decided to join the Navy during the summer after graduating from high school. He looked to the sea for new adventures. He remarked "The Navy presented an opportunity. I came from a family where three or four of my relatives served in World War Two. One cousin served at Iwo Jima, another was in the Army and the other was in the Air Force." The Navy won his heart and he joined before turning eighteen. After enlisting in 1959, he was part of the kiddie cruise program. He recalled, "if you entered before you were eighteen, you could be discharged before turning twenty-one." Litwack was sent to San Diego for Basic Training and learned lessons he still remembers today. He shared, "One experience I look with me was that I was in a company with a variety of people from all over the United States." He saw the value of team and importance of forging a common bond with shipmates.
After serving at Treasure Island for shore duty at a Navy Transmitter base, he was ordered to the USS Okanogan APA 220. He missed the ship by one day and then spent time flying across the Pacific from Midway to Guam in attempts to catch his ship. After flying to Japan, then to Okinawa he learned the ship was now sailing back to the States and flew back to San Diego, where he finally caught the ship.
He shared, the Okanogan "was a ship that carried the smaller Higgins boats... we carried a compliment of the small boats on board and also larger boats to carry a tank or jeep...I was part of a company that maintained the electronic equipment on the ship." While recalling operations while onboard he shared, “we ran exercises up and down the California Coast… we would typically load up with Marines which their combat equipment and drop these huge cargo nets and lower the landing craft boats…to stage landing operations.” Before turning Twenty-one, Litwack was discharged from the Navy and established lasting friendships and memories which would last a lifetime.
Part One Joining the Navy & San Diego for Basic Training in 1959
Part Three Navy Service at the United States Federal Building in San Francisco
Part Five Receiving Orders to the USS Okanogan APA 220 and traveling the Pacific region to locate the ship
Part Seven Over Coming Challenges and Obstacles at Sea
Part Two Testing into Electronic Technician School and Learning a New Trade
Part Four Service at Treasure Island and the Dixon Naval Radio School
Part Six Joining the Crew of the USS Okanogan APA 220 & Training Operations
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Electronic Technician, Petty Officer Third Class Morris Litwack, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.
To view this interview please visit the USS Okanogan APA 220 Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.