Warren A Styner, Military Records

I recently found a very interesting little booklet (US Naval Continuous Service Certificate) which has locations of service, dates, and the ships that my grandfather Warren A Styner served on.  It indicates that he enlisted into the military on March 13th 1917 in Portland Oregon and then began his training on March 31 in San Francisco.  With many multiple entries it indicates his Naval and Naval Reserve Service from 1917 through the 1920's and 1930's up until the last entry for his release of active duty on Oct 21, 1941 in San Pedro, CA.

 

These records show at the age of 17 Warren first served on the USS Pittsburgh from June 26th 1917 until April 29th 1919.  The Pittsburgh had quite a storied past, that included during this period cruising the South Atlantic on a mission to search and destroy German ships, and an odd close association to another ship 'lost' in the Bermuda Triangle and also a horrible outbreak of the Spanish Flu that ravaged the crew and forced the ship to abandon it's orders and return home.  Ultimately costing the lives of 58 on board. Though he served briefly on several other ships this was his longest continuous service on one ship and noted as in active 'War Service' between 4-21-17 to 3-27-19. 

 

USS Pittsburgh

In June of 1919 he was transferred briefly to the USS Ancon a troop transport retuning from Europe prior to it being decommissioned in New York City in late July 1919.   He then immediately boarded the USS Cap Finisterre and served on her until decommissioning later that year in November 1919, also in New York City.

On Sept 1, 1933 the records indicate Warren began service on the USS Arkansas and remained on her until July 1934.  During this time, it was was transferred to the Pacific Fleet after completing a refit in 1932 in Philadelphia.  While en route, it stopped in New Orleans to participate in the Mardi Gras celebration. The Arkansas then operated off the west coast through early 1934 at which point it was transferred back to the Atlantic Fleet, where it served as the flagship of the training squadron and conducted a training cruise to Europe in the summer of 1934 stopping in Plymouth England, Nice France, Naples Italy and Gibraltar.

These records also showed he was for very brief periods on the USS Cincinnati in 1935, the USS Broome in 1936 and the USS Sands in 1937.

Here is direct link to Warren A Styner on our family tree at Ancestry.com with updated information from these records and new uploaded photos.