Rocco M. Iamello

Rocco M. Iamello enlisted in the United States Navy Seabees during World War II at the age of 19 in 1942. He was a New Jersey native employed by the government working at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey for roughly two years before he began his service. Very aware of the times his nation was in, Iamello enlisted shortly after the events of Pearl Harbor. Like many of his servicemen, he did not know any of his outfit members. Iamello followed a similar path to his brother, who served simultaneously in Europe with the US Army.

Iamello’ s journey began with basic training in Davisville, Rhode Island. Here, he quickly learned the necessary aspects of boot camp and military life. Iamello was stationed briefly in Lido Beach, New York. Not knowing what to expect, he and his class quickly shipped out in December of 1942.

The older sailors with Iamello came from blue collar construction trades, which proved useful later as they worked constructing airstrips. The training had not prepared him for the high humidity level, especially with their living conditions of 4 to 5 men per tent. Their helmets were how they had their coffee or soup. For his R & R (Rest and Relaxation) break, he enjoyed Auckland, New Zealand, where he got to spend his earnings along with the other American troops. Iamello wished he could have stayed longer.

Iamello served in a wide range of locations across the South Pacific, such as New Caledonia and the New Hebrides Islands, followed by assignments on Rossel Island in New Guinea and Manus Island in the Bismarck Archipelago. He later returned to the United States at Camp Parks in California. On June 27, 1945, as a Master-At-Arms Company commander, they sailed to Manila in the Philippines.

Through these deployments, Iamello contributed to the broader efforts of the U.S. Navy Seabees and military operations across the Pacific. He did not return to any of the locations he saw in World War II service. 

Rocco M. Iamello died at age 91 on April 5, 2012, in Wall New Jersey.