Ted Retherford: USN

My father joined the United States Navy near the end of WWII following his graduation from high school. He served as an electrician aboard the U.S.S. Hermitage. The U.S. Hermitage was a troop transport ship. Prior to the war the ship was the SS Conte Biancamano, an Italian luxury liner. When Italy declared war on the United States the U.S. Navy seized the ship and converted to U.S. wartime use.