Zigmund
Zebrowski
Navy
Middle Island

Zigmund Zebrowski
Zigmund Zebrowski was
born February 2, 1921 in Middle Island, New York. His parents were
William and Michalena (Luba) Zebrowski. Zebrowski attended the on
room school house at Middle Island for 8 years and Port Jefferson
High School for 4 years. Before entering the service he was employed
by the Loper Brothers Lumber Company as a Cabinet Maker. Zigmund
enlisted in the Navy on January 23, 1940 at Jamaica, Long Island.
Zebrowski left the United States on October 22, 1940 aboard the USS
Brooklyn leaving Long Beach, California for Hawaii. During the war
Zebrowski was involved with the invasions of Sicily, Anzio and
Southern France. He received the European, African, Middle Eastern
(with 3 stars) Campaign Medals, he was also awarded a Good Conduct
Medal.
Zebrowski was
discharged from the service on January 31, 1946 at Lido Beach, New
York
Jonah Santorello
Longwood JHS
June, 2005
With the entry of the United States into
World War II
Brooklyn got underway from
Bermuda
to patrol the
Caribbean Sea.
In April
1942
she was assigned convoy escort duty between the United States and
the
United
Kingdom. On
3 September
during one of the trans-Atlantic crossings,
Wakefield (AP-21), a member of the convoy caught fire and was
abandoned. Brooklyn rescued 1,173 troops which had been embarked on
board Wakefield. Although severely damaged by the fire, Wakefield
was towed to safety and repaired.
On
24 October
1942
Brooklyn departed
Norfolk,
Virginia for
North Africa.
On
8 November
she bombarded shore installations to cover the
Fedhala landing. While thus engaged
she was hit by a dud projectile from a
coastal defense gun which damaged two of the cruiser's guns
and wounded five of her crew. She departed
Casablanca
for the east coast
17 November
1942. Between January and July
1943
she made three convoy escort voyages between the east coast and
Casablanca and then steamed to the
Mediterranean
where she carried out screening and fire support duties during the
invasion of
Sicily
(10-14
July).
Remaining in the Mediterranean, Brooklyn next covered the
Anzio-Nettuno
landings (22
January-9
February 1944). Between 13 and
23 May
1944 she participated in the bombardment of the
Formia-Anzio
area and then carried out exercises in preparation for the invasion
of southern
France.
On
15 August
1944 Brooklyn furnished part of the heavy naval gunfire which
preceded the landing of Allied troops on the coast of southern
France. She remained on duty in the Mediterranean until
21 November
1944 when she departed Sicily for New York, arriving
30 November.