Growing up, I heard a few bits and pieces about my grandfather's service in World War II, but there weren't many details to go along with the well-known stories of his living in Okinawa and running electricity at the Navy Camp. A few years ago, I decided to request his publicly accessible military service records from the U.S. Navy Archives. After some bureaucratic red tape, the Navy was able to send me one single piece of paper filed in 1945 from his discharge documents. Using the information provided from this file, I researched his service battalions and locations, in an effort to piece together the dates and places of my grandfather's military service during World War II.
The information below is collected from U.S. Navy records, ship muster rolls, as well as books and online resources that I've been able to access. Also helpful have been the family stories passed down and collected (thanks mom!). I've made considerable effort to maintain accuracy, but much is still based on incomplete information, meaning that errors are possible. See footnotes for known discrepancies and for context. I'd be appreciative of any additional information or pictures that anyone might have.
THE TIMELINE
October 16, 1940 - Joseph C. Pizzuto registers for the Selective Service Draft (but is never drafted)
October 15, 1942 - voluntarily enlists in the US Naval Reserves; likely enlisted directly in Naval Construction Battalion (NCB)
November 6, 1942 - reports to the Naval Reserve Station in New Orleans to begin active service
November-December 1942 - attends basic training for Seabees; likely in Virginia, but perhaps elsewhere
Late December 1942 - assigned to the 56th NCB; formed and located in Norfolk, Virginia on Christmas Eve
February 1943 - 56th NCB re-located to U.S. Naval Base Camp Parks in California (near San Francisco); battalion travels by train across U.S.
March 1943 - 56th NCB re-located to U.S. Naval Base Port Hueneme in California (near Los Angeles)
Spring 1943 - transferred from the 56th NCB to the "Receiving Barracks, U.S. Naval Base Port Hueneme", also known as Camp Rousseau
Spring 1943-Spring 1945 - remains at Port Hueneme (or nearby facilities) for two year period of time, likely performing seaman and construction-related duties
Early 1945 (Jan-April) - transferred from Camp Rousseau unit to 146th NCB
May 31, 1945 - leaves Port Hueneme for Pacific Theatre of War ("Island X") aboard the S.S. Sea Devil with the 146th NCB (part of 2nd Eschelon)
June 14, 1945 - S.S. Sea Devil arrives at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands for naval layover
July 2, 1945 - S.S. Sea Devil arrives at Ulithi Atoll in the South Pacific to await convoy contigent
July 10, 1945 - Seabees aboard S.S. Sea Devil are told that they destination in Okinawa (Japan)
July 15, 1945 - arrives at White Beach, Okinawa (Japan); camp for 146th NCB is located about two miles inland
October 1945 - boards unknown vessel for return to the U.S. mainland
November 23, 1945 - receives honorable discharge from Navy; officially musters out at Naval Air Station in New Orleans
THE STORY
Before the War
The story of Joseph Charles Pizzuto and World War II starts in September 1940 when Congress passed the Selective Service Act. The new law required all men between the ages of 21 and 36 to register for a draft lottery that would place them into military service if selected. Being 23 years old at the time, Joe registered for the draft in October 1940, while still living in his hometown of Lutcher in south Louisiana. Admittedly, Joe's Selective Service card (pictured below), seemingly answers some questions about his timeline of events, but it also brings up new questions, especially concerning his occupation, employer, as well as other curiosities. See footnote No. 1 at the bottom of the page (1). Although registered for the Selective Service, Joe was never called up to the military through the draft lottery.
Image. Selective Service Card (Side A) for Joseph Charles Pizzuto, October 1940 (see footnote No. 1 below for remarks concerning mistakes and possible origins of card)
Image. Selective Service Card (Side B) for Joseph Charles Pizzuto, October 1940
Joe wasn't the only one who had to register for the draft or with the government during wartime. Joe's brothers (Gus, Vick and Sam) were also required to register with the Selective Service, as the age requirement eventually dropped down to 18. The government even went so far as to require males between the ages of 45-64 to fill out registration cards in what became known as the "Old Man's Draft." The U.S. wanted to know the volume of manpower it possessed if the war got to desperate stages, as well as information that could identify someone's possible allegiances to other countries. Joe's father and future father-in-law filled out their "Old Man" cards, which is helpful from a genealogical perspective since they provide us with a record of their city and country of birth.
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Image. WWII 'Old Man' Registration Card for Vincent Pizzuto.
Image. WWII 'Old Man' Registration Card for Tony Noto
Wartime Enlistment
By 1942, Joe had left Lutcher and moved to Baton Rouge, marrying Marie Antoinette Noto in the spring/summer of that year (2). Although newly married and despite not being selected in the draft, Joe made the decision to voluntarily enlist in the US Naval Reserves. Joe officially enlisted on October 15, 1942 at the age of 25, and was given a month to get his civilian affairs in order before his military service began. Ten days after enlisting, Joe left his civilian job as an electrician at the E.I. Dupont Company in Baton Rouge, providing him a few weeks before his time with the Navy officially began. He reported to the Naval Reserve Station in New Orleans on November 6, 1942 to begin active service in the US Navy.
Image. Wedding photograph of Joseph Pizzuto and Marie Noto, 1942.
During this early part of the war, the Navy allowed civilians with construction-related trade skills to enlist directly into Naval Construction Battalions (NCBs), which were non-combat service positions designed to take advantage of skills learned from private industry experience. These NCB positions were heavily promoted in newspapers and on posters by the Navy. It is very likely that Joe either requested to join a construction battalion upon enlistment, or was immediately presented with such an offer once his occupation was revealed to the enlisting officer. As we will see in detail below, Joe was assigned to various NCBs during the war, and was therefore a "Seabee", which is a phonetic form of the abbreviation for construction battalion ("CB"). NCBs had a clear mission: to construct overseas military bases that would serve as staging areas for future military operations.
Image. Navy promotional poster used for Seabee recruitment
Image. Navy promotional sealused for Seabee recruitment
Basic Training & First Assignments
Traditional-style basic training, as well as advanced combat & weapons training, were required for all Seabee recruits, regardless of construction trade or military occupation. It seems logical to assume that Joe would have remained at the Naval Reserve Station in New Orleans or some other nearby facility for boot camp. Being that Joe was likely designated a Seabee from the time of his enlistment, it is very likely that he was sent to Virginia via train to attend boot camp. All contemporary and secondary sources state that active duty Seabees during the early years of the war were trained at one of two camps in Virginia, near the Williamsburg / Chesapeake Bay area (Camp Peary and Camp Allen).
The Virginia location for Joe's training is further supported by circumstantial evidence, as after basic training, Joe was assigned to the 56th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) with a rank of Seaman, 2nd Class (S 2/C). It is not known exactly when Joe joined up with his battalion, but records show that the 56th NCB was formed in Norfolk, Virginia in late December 1942, which is approximately the time Joe would be finishing up boot camp and any additional training.
In February 1943, the 56th NCB was re-stationed to Camp Parks in northern California (near San Francisco), only to be re-located again a month later (March 1943) to Port Hueneme, California. Port Hueneme is located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles, directly on the California coast. Joe likely graduated from basic training, then traveled by train to Camp Parks, then to Port Hueneme with his battalion. He may have received 10-14 days liberty to return to Louisiana after graduation, as was customary in the Navy, but this is not for certain.
One thing is for sure at this point, Joe's fate of serving in the Pacific theatre of war was already pre-determined. Being the son of Italian immigrants in a war where Italy was an enemy state, meant that the Atlantic theatre was out of the question for his active service. In addition, the overwhelming majority of Seabee units were deployed to locations in the Pacific.
Image. Identification of U.S. Navy service number, rank, and address. Taken from NAVPERS-553, Notice of Separation from the U.S. Naval Service for "Joseph Charles Pizzuto"
Image. Identification of service entry details, ranks/ratings held, and service battalions served with. Taken from NAVPERS-553, Notice of Separation from the U.S. Naval Service for "Joseph Charles Pizzuto"
(For the full image of Joe's Notice of Separation from the U.S. Naval Service (NAVPERS-553), click here. This document is important since it serves as the foundation of information for this research.)
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California Living at Port Hueneme
Regardless of when and how Joe got to California, we know that he was transferred out of the 56th NCB, and re-assigned to the Receiving Barracks, US Naval Base Port Hueneme, near Los Angeles, likely sometime in early 1943. Port Hueneme was a sprawling naval base that served as the de facto headquarters for Seabee operations for the Pacific Theatre. Foremost, it was an advanced base depot meant to store and service equipment that Seabees would eventually use to build their overseas military bases. Port Hueneme was also a training center for new Seabees to advance and hone their skills before being deployed. One has to imagine that being an electrician is one thing, but being an electrician working on a Navy ship or military base is probably a bit different than work found in the civilian world.
Image. Commemorative photo for Seabees at Camp Rousseau
Image. Port Hueneme Main Gate, early 1940s.
Additionally, Port Hueneme was a receiving base, where transient Seabees, like Joe, would be transferred and remain until being assigned to a permanent navy battalion. Transient Seabees were typically housed on-base at Camp Rousseau in pre-fabricated "quonset" huts, amid the mini-city that comprised the Naval Base at Port Hueneme. Finally, Port Hueneme was a naval base that was a work-in-progress, meaning that its facilities were built from scratch, starting in mid-1942. The entire base remained in an unfinished state throughout most of the war. This meant that construction was always taking place, and with trained navy construction personnel living on the base, you can guess who the construction workers were. It was literal on-the-job training.
Image. Camp Rousseau at Port Hueneme, part of sprawling naval base.
Image. Large quonset huts, used here as battalion administration and postal buildings, Port Hueneme
Admittedly, there is little concrete information available about Joe's activities and experiences at Port Hueneme during the period from mid-1943 until the spring of 1945. However, it is noted on Joe's Navy personnel record that he was stationed at the Receiving Barracks, Naval Base Port Hueneme once he left the 56th NCB. Therefore, it can be inferred that he was assigned to work at the navy base during this time, instead of immediately shipping out to sea like most other Seabees. This likely means that Joe was stationed at Port Hueneme for the entirety of of the period from mid-1943 to the spring of 1945. This also means that he almost certainly did not travel with the 56th NCB whenever the battalion set sail for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and then Guam in late spring 1943. But naval records are incomplete or inaccessible for this period of time, leaving open the possibility for anything.
Image. Seabees in chow line outside mess hall, Port Hueneme
Image. Seabees continued their small arms training at Port Hueneme
Being that Joe was stationed at Port Hueneme for an extended period, he likely would have undertook more training at the base and performed required duties of ordinary sailors such as guard duty and lookout. Given his skills as an electrician, it is also likely that he took part in construction on the Advanced Base Depot, as well as Camp Rousseau. It is mentioned above that Joe had to perform the duties of an ordinary sailor because his known rank and rate indicates such. It is not known precisely when or where Joe's promotions of rank/rate took place, but records suggest that while he was at Port Hueneme, he was promoted to Seaman, 1st Class (S 1/C), and eventually to Electrician's Mate 3rd Class (EM 3/C) and 2nd Class (EM 2/C).
It is well known from family stories that at some point during his stay in California, Joe's wife Marie and her younger brother, H.A. Noto, (and baby J.C.?) took a train from Louisiana to Los Angeles in order to join him for an extended period of time. Being already married before enlisting in the Navy likely meant that Joe and Marie were entitled to off-base married couples housing. It is also possible that the Navy would have sent Joe to nearby training facilities or or private factories in Los Angeles for additional training, but there is no documentation to back this up at present.
Image. Seabees wait in line to enter battalion administrative building made from smaller quonset huts, Port Hueneme.
Image. Commissary store for Camp Rousseau at Port Hueneme. Navy personnel, as well as their families could shop the commissary for its discounted prices.
In the spring of 1945, Joe joined a new battalion of Seabees, as he was now assigned to the 146th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB). The 146th NCB had spent the previous year and a half on oversees deployment in Europe (1943-44), and had only recently come back to the States. Being relocated to Port Hueneme, the battalion began prepping for a second tour of duty, this time in the Pacific Theatre. At Port Hueneme, the 146th acquired new Seabees, like Joe, to replace those that had already fulfilled their duty and would be going home.
Once the battalion reached its approved threshold of 1,100 men and officers, arrangements were made for deployment. The battalion was transported across the Pacific in four different groups (or echelons). Joe and his group sailed on the S.S. Sea Devil (3), and were part of the 2nd Echelon, which comprised the main body of the battalion with about 800 men. The S.S. Sea Devil was a lightly armed military transport ship specifically designed to transport Navy personnel not serving on combat vessels.
Image. S.S. Sea Devil in port, unknown location and date.
Image. S.S. Sea Devil at-sea, unknown location and date. This image is of the reverse side of the ship when looking at the image above.
Somewhere, Beyond the Sea...is "Island X"
The S.S. Sea Devil pulled away from the wharf at Port Hueneme on the afternoon of May 31, 1945, with a naval military band playing "Anchor's Away" on the dock. This wasn't necessarily a special affair as up to three ships a day were disembarking Port Hueneme during this time, but it at least attempted to give the men some type of proper send-off. By this point, the war in Europe was over, but things in the Pacific were raging. When they left Port Hueneme for open sea, the sailors aboard the Sea Devil did not know where they were headed. In Navy terms, their final destination was only referred to as "Island X". The ship proceeded into the Pacific alone, protected only by a few gun batteries manned by the crew aboard.
Joe and other members of his battalion shared the Sea Devil with fellow Seabees from the 147th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB). Conditions aboard the ship can only be described as dismal. The enlisted men shared sleeping quarters on the bottom-most decks, with bunks stacked five high in some places. This meant that only about two feet separated each bunk, leaving only enough room for a man to slip onto the bunk horizontally. The quarters were for sleeping only, as they were poorly lit, crowded, and damp. Showers were infrequent with only cold salt-water available for bathing. During the day, the Seabees were free to wander the main open-air "weather deck", but there were no chairs or fixed seating other than a few dozen odd crates and boxes. This meant that the men were left to stand for most of the day.
Image. Page 1 of SS Sea Devil muster rolls (May 31, 1945), leaving Port Hueneme. Note that the hand written entry identifying "to" location is illegible.
Image. Page 2 of SS Sea Devil muster rolls (May 31, 1945). Note that "Joseph G. Pizzuto" is the first name on page. The middle initial of "G." was typed in error, as Joe's known Navy service number from his Navy personnel documents match the service number listed here on the muster rolls, indicating it is the same person.
Image. (Zoom) Page 2 of SS Sea Devil muster rolls (May 31, 1945). Note that "Joseph G. Pizzuto" is the displayed on the page. The middle initial of "G." was typed in error, as Joe's known Navy service number from his Navy personnel documents match the service number listed here on the muster rolls, indicating it is the same person.
Early in the voyage, rumors swirled among the men that they were destined for the Navy base at Pearl Harbor as the Hawaiian Islands came into sight, but Hawaii was passed by. On June 14th, the Sea Devil laid anchor at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands for a two week naval layover. Seabees were permitted to disembark the ship in groups of 200-300 at a time to relax among the atoll's beaches and tropical surroundings. The only shade available were palm trees, being that these small islands lacked any permanent structures. As a result, the 146th and 147th NCBs took it upon themselves to built a Fleet Canteen, so that the next wave of sailors could rest indoors and escape the intense sun and heat.
The next leg of the journey was a short three-day hop to the Ulithi Atoll in the South Pacific (arrived July 2, 1945), where the Seabees found a bit more civilization and comfort. After a month of being away from the States, the men were once again able to drink beer and listen to music, as well as play basketball and softball during their week long stay at Ulithi. This would be their last jaunt before entering the war zone, as the purpose behind the Ulithi layover was to wait for a contingent of convoy ships to arrive that would accompany them to "Island X".
Image. View from S.S. Sea Devil of Navy Destroyers in convoy.
The Sea Devil left Ulithi on July 10 as part of a twenty-eight ship convoy, as it and the other transport ships were escorted by Navy destroyers. On the same day, the men were finally informed that they were destined for Okinawa, less than a week's sail away. It was at this point that the men participated in raid drills, practiced target shooting with the ship's anti-aircraft guns, and were required to have their life jackets and canteens with them at all times.
Okinawa
The S.S. Sea Devil reached Okinawa on July 15, 1945, taking a month and a half to cross the Pacific Ocean, with the layovers taken into account. On the next morning, members of the 146th and 147th NCBs disembarked the Sea Devil for the final time and went ashore at the northern edge of Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa. It likely took most of the day for the nearly 2,000 men to disembark, as each Seabee was heavily packed with gear and firearms. With no suitable docks at which to lay anchor, the men were forced to load themselves onto barges that shuttled them from ship to shore. The island they found on their arrival was poor and underdeveloped with rugged terrain and hot weather.
Image. Map of East Asia and Greater Japan showing proximity of Okinawa.
Image. Map of island of Okinawa.
Joe and his battalion were stationed at Okinawa for the specific purpose of building an Advance Base Construction Depot (ABCD) at White Beach now that the Americans were in total control of the island. Intense fighting had occurred on Okinawa in the months prior to the battalion's arrival, and Japanese forces had been subdued by mid-June. However, Japanese snipers and renegade bands of Imperial Army holdouts still roamed the area, meaning that the island was still considered an active war zone, whereby Seabees remained armed and on-alert at all times.
Image. Men of the 146th and 147th NCBs disembark the Sea Devil after reaching Okinawa.
Rapid building of the new Advance Base Construction Depot (ABCD) by the Seabees was needed for the final stages of the war in the Pacific. The Navy was preparing for all-out war, and Okinawa was the ground zero staging area for the looming battle. The island was set to be used as a military base where combat troops would gather and prepare for a final assault on the Japanese mainland, slated for late 1945/early 1946.
Specifically, the ABCD was of importance because it would supply all of the materials needed to build the infrastructure for this staging ground. The military would need airstrips, roads, ship docks, administrative buildings, barracks, warehouses and more, as well as running water and electricity in order to establish a military base from which combat troops could launch their invasion of Japan. But building a military base from scratch thousands of miles away from home was no small task. It would require several battalions of Seabees arriving in different waves over the course of nearly a year to accomplish.
Images. Camp site of the 146th NCB near White Beach, Okinawa. Temporary tents served as initial barracks for the battalion, 1945.
Images. Camp site of the 146th NCB near White Beach, Okinawa. Some wooden frames take shape for barracks, 1945.
But first things had to come first, meaning that before work on the ABCD could begin, the Seabees would need to spend time establishing the battalion's camp and erecting shelter for themselves. You can't build a military base if you don't somewhere to live yourself. About a month before Joe and the battalion's main body reached Okinawa, around a 100 members of the 146th NCB established the battalion's camp on a stretch of land two miles inland from White Beach.
This 1st Eschelon functioned as an advance team with a mission of setting up temporary tents made of pitched cloth for the coming 800 or so Seabees aboard the Sea Devil that would be arriving soon. When Joe came ashore with the main detachment of 146th Seabees (2nd Echelon), they immediately set to work building more permanent barracks made out of wood frames, as well as battalion administrative buildings made out of Quonset huts. As family lore has it, Joe proudly reported that his camp was the first area to successfully install running electricity.
From the start, work on the barracks, buildings, and depot at White Beach took place at a rapid pace, being that the U.S. was gearing toward launching an invasion of mainland Japan later in 1945-46. Work was hampered during the summer and early fall by snipers, typhoons, and intense heat on the island. But by the early fall, permanent barracks and buildings made from Quonset huts had been constructed. The battalion even built their own beer hall.
Images. Camp site of the 146th NCB near White Beach, Okinawa. Tents served with wooden frames, 1945.
Image. ABCD construction at White Beach, Okinawa. Permanent buildings in the form of Quonset huts begin to take shape.
Images. Camp site of the 146th NCB near White Beach, Okinawa. Anyone got an extra ration card?
Image. ABCD construction at White Beach, Okinawa. More permanent buildings in the form of Quonset huts begin to take shape.
End of the War
The invasion of mainland Japan anticipated by the military never happened, as President Harry Truman made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945. This action gave the Japanese a preview of the destruction that would befall their country if the war continued, prompting Japan to surrender. With the war coming to a close, the advanced base depot on Okinawa would not be put to use. Over the next several months, naval operations winded down, and Seabees from the 146th NCB were transported back home to the states. Joe likely left Okinawa for the U.S. mainland sometime in October 1945.
It was 'sayonara' to Japan, and Joe boarded an unknown vessel and crossed the Pacific once again, eventually making it back to New Orleans, where he mustered out of the Navy with an honorable discharge on November 23, 1945, the day after Thanksgiving. By the time Joe left the service, he had achieved the rank of Electrician's Mate, 1st Class (EM 1/C), and had served in the Navy for 3 years and one month. Nearly five of those months were spent at-sea and on the island of Okinawa. Joe left New Orleans with $306 of Navy pay in his pocket and headed home to his "lovva".
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In what had to have been the ultimate cause for thanks and celebration, Joe's brothers Gus, Vick and Sam all made it back home from the war unscathed.
Image. ABCD construction at White Beach, Okinawa
Image. The Pizzuto Brothers, in uniform.
Home, Sweet Home
Without a doubt, there's probably much more to the story than I've been able to collect here. But we'll have to end it like this for now:
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Let's just say that running electricity in a war zone halfway around the world is a hell of a way to gain practical experience and pad a resume. Once back to Baton Rouge, Joe got a job with Gulf States Utilities as an electrician in the appliances division. He worked there for over 35 years, retiring in March 1979.
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From here, the rest is history as Joe and Marie lived happily ever after.
Image. Joe's headshot from Gulf States Utilities. Taken from announcement of twenty years service with company, April 1966
Image. Joe's headshot from Gulf States Utilities. Taken from retirement announcement in GSU monthly pamphlet, March 1979
Image. Joe and Marie later in life, unknown date.
Image. Joe and Marie, around 1996-97.
Image. My favorite picture of my grandfather.
POST SCRIPT
First, I sure hope that you all had as much fun as I did on this journey, because for me it has been an exciting few months of researching, writing, and looking at an era gone by. If you have any photos, information, corrections or stories about Joe, I'd love to see and hear them. You can message me on Facebook, or email me at nickens.jonathan@gmail.com.
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As mentioned above, the timeline and story of Joe's WWII service started with his "Notice of Separation from Naval Service" papers, which provided me with some key dates, as well as the names of the battalions he served with. From here, a great deal of information came from battalion histories compiled by the Navy, which are readily available online. These battalion histories were instrumental in providing me with the places that each battalion visited, as well as the periods of time they were in these places. Additionally, several books and online blogs helped to verify key details and provide context for each location that is discussed. In particular, a handful of books were able to give numerous pictures that are shown above.
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In addition to the official battalion histories, NCBs also compiled "Cruisebooks", which were more casual publications that chronicled detailed narratives of places visited and anecdotal stories. Many of the cruisebooks are more than 100 pages in length and feature dozens of pages of pictures from deployment. But as historical fate and my Charlie Brown luck would have it, cruisebooks are not available for either the 56th NCB or the 146th NCB. Through sheer providence however, I stumbled across the fact that the 147th NCB shared the ocean-crossing journey with the 146th NCB aboard the S.S. Sea Devil, and then worked alongside them in building the ABCD in Okinawa. Therefore, the 147th's cruisebook was instrumental in providing details of the voyage from Port Hueneme and beyond. It truly put the story and the details in-between the facts and dates. I'll try to update this page over time if anyone has anything to add.
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Thanks everyone!
Jonathan C. Nickens
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana
December 30, 2020
FOOTNOTES
1. There are noticeable mistakes on Joe's Selective Service card. Foremost, Joe's father's name is Vincent Charles Pizzuto, not Charles Vincent Pizzuto, as the latter is written on the card. There are records in Louisiana of a Charles Vincent Pizzuto that also had a son named Joseph, but these two individuals both lived in New Orleans on Canal Street. And that particular Joseph was born in 1912, not 1917. Being that the card is typed, it may have been completed by a secretary at the newspaper or even Joe's employer, David Reynaud, who mistakenly typed the names in the wrong spaces. This may also explain why there is not a street number for the address listed on the card.
Curiously on the point made above, David Reynaud was the owner of The News-Examiner, and therefore Joe's boss, but he is also the local selective service board's representative who signed the card on the board's behalf. Reynaud was well-known in Lutcher and later became mayor during the 1950's, meaning that he simply fulfilled both roles as employer and board representative. Previous family stories (to my knowledge) do not recall Joe ever mentioning that he worked at the newspaper in Lutcher. He instead recounted that he worked at the local movie theater. Joe's job as the manager of the movie theater ("picture show") is corroborated by the 1940 U.S. Census, which was taken in Lutcher in April 1940. Perhaps the newspaper job was something that he simply never mentioned, or something that Reynaud chose to list on the card for unknown reasons. The card also lists Joe's eye color as brown, which they were not. But the matching date of birth and correct hometown seems irrefutable. One cannot imagine there were two individuals with the same name and same birthday, with similar paternal names, from the same (small) town.
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However, the 1940 U.S. Census also reveals that there was another Joseph Pizzuto living in Lutcher (on Catholic Church Street) at the time. The relation between the two Josephs is unknown, but it is not a far stretch to assume they were relatives of some sort. The census lists this Joseph's age as 39 years old, giving him an approximate year of birth around 1900 or 1901. From here, the string of similarities are uncanny. This Joseph's wife was name Antoinette (with sons named Floyd, Samuel, and Gerald). This Joseph lists his occupation as owner/manager of the picture show/movie theater. So it seems that our Joseph C. Pizzuto worked for the other Joseph Pizzuto at the picture show, but then worked later in the year at the newspaper. (?)
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2. It is known that Joe and Marie lived in Baton Rouge after getting married, and assumed that they lived with her parents at the time, given that Joe lists her parents' address of 900 Government Street as his own address. It remains possible however, that Joe and Marie lived elsewhere, and Joe simply chose to give the 900 Government Street address as a means of providing a permanent address that mail could be sent to, or since it would be a place where Marie would be living while he was away.
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3. The S.S. Sea Devil was a U.S. military transport ship designed to transport service members from all branches to various locations around the word. Many other transports ships were retro-fitted from older, existing cargo ships to accommodate the maximum numbers of passengers, but the Sea Devil was custom-built for this purpose in 1943. Also, the S.S. Sea Devil should not be confused with the U.S.S. Sea Devil, which was a submarine that operated in the Pacific during World War II. The image of the S.S. Sea Devil shown above is, to my knowledge, the only image of the ship available.
Bibliography and Source Material
Bureau of Naval Personnel, The. (1943, reprint). Summary of Ranks and Rates of the U.S. Navy Together With Designations and Insignia. Retrieved from: https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Ranks&Rates/index.html
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Cuson, D. and Scruggs, J. (2020). Remembering Okinawa (website), "146th Naval Construction Battalion Fire Department". Retrieved from: https://www.rememberingokinawa.com/page/1945_146TH_NCB_1
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Fold3 Historical Military Records Archive. Accessed at http://www.fold3.com in November 2020. (Subscription service).
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Hennion, T. (1944, reprint). "An outsider's look at our '44 Seabees." Ventura County Star. Online reprint, 2010. Retrieved from: http://archive.vcstar.com/news/an-outsiders-look-at-our-44-seabees-ep-369924346-350202361.html/
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Historic California Posts (2017). "Naval Construction Battalion Center, Port Hueneme", Anthology of Blog Entries. Retrieved from: http://www.militarymuseum.org/CBCPtHueneme.html
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Naval History and Heritage Command. 56th Naval Construction Battalion, Historical Information. Retrieved from: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/seabee/explore/seabee-unit-histories/ncb/56th-Naval-Construction-Battalion.html
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Naval History and Heritage Command. 146th Naval Construction Battalion, Historical Information. Retrieved from: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/seabee/explore/seabee-unit-histories/ncb/146th-Naval-Construction-Battalion.html
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Naval History and Heritage Command. 147th Naval Construction Battalion, Cruisebook. Retrieved from: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/seabee/explore/wwii-cruisebooks/cruisebooks-ncb.html
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NAVPERS-553 (1945). Notice of Separation from the U.S. Naval Service. "Joseph Charles Pizzuto". Requested and retrieved from Naval Archives, St. Louis, Missouri, 2017.
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Nichols, Gina. (2006). The Seabees at Port Hueneme. Arcadia Publishing.