Stanley J. Szczepaniak

Stanislaw Szczepaniak was born in June 1942 in Annowal, Poland. He lived in Poland until he was six months old, then his family moved to Germany. They stayed in Germany for seven years until they immigrated over to the United States. The reason for immigration was his father’s choice, as he was caught making moonshine and had two weeks before he was going to court. Immigrating to the United States would keep him out of jail. The trip was the reason for Szczepaniak’s decision to enlist in the Navy; he liked ships and the sea. 

Before enlisting, Szczepaniak worked at AT&T as a crafts member, fixing lines, troubleshooting, and repairman. He enlisted in the Navy, and as a part of his training went to the Merchant Marine Academy in New York. In 1961, Szczepaniak went to boot camp in Illinois for nine weeks, which consisted of military training, marching, and rifle training. He was then assigned to the USS Biddle and departed from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for a month. Szczepaniak then would come back to the States before departing Vietnam. Many men didn’t want to go to Vietnam and would jump off the ship to avoid going!

Szczepaniak was a part of the laundry department on the Biddle; he eventually became a petty officer. On the Biddle, he would get up around 12 noon to shower, shave, and clean up. Szczepaniak would then head to the laundry room until about 1:00 in the morning. When he would have an evening off, he would watch a movie. There wasn’t much else to do; morale was good though. Szczepaniak had special duties and was able to go into the mess hall whenever he wanted.

During Szczepaniak’s time on the Biddle, he was injured when he fell and cut a huge hole on his hand, which left him in his room for two months to make sure he kept it clean.

USS Biddle capabilities included firing rockets and missiles within an 80-mile distance. USS Biddle could travel at very fast speeds up to 40-50 knots per hour. It also contained one of the best radars at the time and was able to do all detection to protect the Fleet. They needed civilians on board for the radar in case of issues.

While on the ship, Szczepaniak didn’t experience any weather issues. Only one collision occurred with another ship and caused everyone to go to their battle stations.

After serving his time, Szczepaniak went back to work at AT&T. He was able to use his GI benefits and attended Brookdale Community College. He got his Associates Degree in Accounting, and then was promoted at AT&T in Accounting. Szczepaniak served as a volunteer firefighter and ultimately became Matawan Fire Chief. He retired eventually and joined a veteran group, which he liked because it killed some time.

Stanley Szczepaniak received service awards, including the Vietnam Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. 

He died at age 77 on November 18, 2019 at the NJ Firemans Home in Boonton.