LTJG Tamassia served aboard the USS Spangler as the Engineering Officer from 1947 until about October 1950. Merlin Carr writes of LTJG Tamassia in his seatales, "He was one of the best officers and respected by all hands. The snipes thought he was outstanding. I do not ever recall him getting up set with anyone. He was one of the most even tempered men (officers) I have ever had the privilege to serve with."
LTJG Tamassia enlisted in the Naval Rerve in 1934 and later joined the Navy on Oct. 12, 1936 , going through bootcamp in Newport R.I. On achieving the rank of 1st Class Machinist Mate, he went through Officer's Training School and rose through the ranks to become a Lieutant Commander. He served at Dutch Harbor (1942-1943), on Midway Island (1944-1945), aboard the USS Madusa (AK1), dates unkown.
He reported aboard the USS Spangle DE-696 as the Engineering Officer on December 13, 1947 and likely departed sometime around October 1950 when LTJG Willard Doe assumed thoseresponsibilities.. LTJG Tamassi also served aboard an Attack Transport, transporting troops from Ft. Lewis to Iwo Jima for training, dropped them off in Yokosuka and then to Vietnam, Hai Phong - carriing 3,500 Vietnamese to Saigon for religious freedom.
His grandson, Cary LoGrande, recalls his grandfather mentioning a sensational story about having the machine shop on the Spangler (Cary thinks) build a surgical tool that was used to remove his gallbladder, after an infection. If any of LTJG Tamassia recalls any of this, Cary would love to here from them.
Edward and his wife, Ruth, had a son and daughter. Following his retirement from the Navy, he joined Unocal in San Pedro, California, and is believed to have became an Metallurgical Engineer, examining pipelines for corrosion.
Photos from LTJG Tamassia's album can viewed here. And, you also might want to take a moment and read Merlin Carr's humerous seatale involving LTJG Tamassia's officers cap.
Submitted in fond and loving memory of his grandfather by Cary LoGrande.
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