WWII Sailor that Made the Supreme Sacrifice for Our Freedom

Daniel Erico was born in Ashley, Pennsylvania on October 12, 1904. From the 1920 U.S. Census, we learn that his father George Ridgeway, 42, was a farmer at G & D Farms. Daniel’s mother Sadie, 42, had four children living at home at this time. They were Daniel Erico, a 15-year-old adopted son, Elverta, 17, Gladys, 12 and David Hull, 12, another adopted son. The family of six lived on a farm at Charp Rock and Salem Road in Mannington, Salem County, New Jersey. This researcher could find not other information about his original parents, his childhood nor his education. This 1920 U.S. Census only stated that he was attending school.

At 19 years old, Daniel enlisted the Navy in 1923. Since the US Navy Muster Rolls only go back to 1939, the only records of his Navy assignments were aboard the submarine USS S-44. He was listed as joining the crew of this sub on March 26, 1938. He attained the rating of Chief Boatswain Mate on September 15, 1943 according to US Navy Select Military Registers. In 1944 he was again promoted, this time to Warrant Officer. Erico had a Navy Service Number of W-184673.

On September 23, 1935, Daniel Erico married Daisy Opal Pearce. The wedding took place in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 1940 Daniel was stationed in Coco Solo, Cristobal, Panama Canal. This was recorded in the 1940 U.S. Census.

History of the Submarine USS S-44 (SS-55): Compiled by Paul W. Wittmer and Charles R. Hinman, originally from: U.S. Submarine Losses World War II, NAVPERS 15,784, 1949 ISSUE:

S-44′s keel was laid down on 19 February 1921 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 27 October 1923 and was commissioned on 16 February 1925.

Trials took S-44 into the new year, and on 7 January 1942, she got underway for Panama. Arriving on 16 January, she departed Balboa on 24 January with S-21, S-26, and S-28, to conduct a security patrol in the western approaches to the canal. Within a few hours, however, she was engaged in rescue operations for S-26, which had been rammed and sunk by submarine chaser PC-460.

During her first four patrols, all conducted in the Solomon Islands area, S-44 sank three ships and damaged a fourth. Her first patrol was conducted off the east coast of New Britain, and on 12 May 1942 she sank a small freighter. While covering the area west and south of Florida Island on her second patrol, S-44 sank the 1,051 ton converted gunboat KEIJO MARU on 21 July 1942. Her greatest satisfaction and an important contribution to the Allied War Cause came during her third war patrol, conducted off New Hanover. On 10 August 1942, S-44 hit the heavy cruiser KAKO with four torpedoes and sank her. This sinking was particularly opportune, as KAKO was one of the four Japanese heavy cruisers of Cruiser Division Six, which at the very time were returning from the first battle of Savo Island. The night before in that battle they had sunk four Allied heavy cruisers without losing any themselves or suffering more than moderate damage. On her fourth patrol, off New Georgia, S-44 damaged a destroyer type vessel.

On 26 September 1943, S-44 (LCDR Francis E. Brown) departed Attu to begin her fifth war patrol in the Kuriles. She was not heard from again by the shore bases, but the story given here is taken from statements made by her two surviving crewmen, Ernest A. Duva, CTM and William F. Whitemore, RM3c.

One day out of Attu S-44 was forced down by a plane which dropped several depth charges. Then nothing was seen until 2030 on the night of 7 October, when radar contact was made on what was thought to be a small merchant ship. S-44 went in very close on the surface and started firing her deck gun, and immediately the destroyer they had underrated opened up with all guns.

About eight men got off the ship and into the water before she sank, but only two were picked up by the destroyer. They were taken to the Island of Paramushiru for several days and then to the (Japanese) Naval Interrogation Camp at Ofuna for a year. Finally, they were forced to work in the copper mines of Ashio until released by Allied forces at the close of the war.

Tragically Daniel Erico was one of the 49 sailors reported missing on July 4, 1944 in the ocean near Off Paramushiru, Northern Kuriles (between Russia and Japan). Their bodies were never recovered. He and his shipmates were honored with a memorial at the Courts of the Missing in Honolulu. All received a Purple Heart posthumously.

The U.S. Navy Casualties Books listed Daniel’s wife Daisy as being notified of the sailor’s death. She was given a Gold Star flag to be placed in her window at their house at Route 5 in Bakerfield, California.

On January 22, 1951, Bron Pearce, Daisy’s father, applied for Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation as legal guardian of his granddaughter Florence Nina Erico. His application was denied because Daniel was not a resident of Pennsylvania at the time of enlistment.

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This story is part of the Stories Behind

the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national

effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII here

on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a

smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery,

scan the fallen’s name and read his/her story.

Resources:

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/united-states-submarine-losses/s-44-ss-155.html

https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-44-155-loss.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-44

Photo and Information courtesy of Paul W. https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/Erico-h.htm

1920 U.S. Census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30681331:6061?_phsrc=ucv1428&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=Daniel+Benjamin+&gsln=Erico&ml_rpos=1&queryId=bb11f4df7e465367b334df6c87754f4a

1940 U.S. Census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/161030101:2442

USS S-44 Navy Muster Rolls WWII: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/24020685:1143?_phsrc=ucv1421&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=Daniel+Benjamin+&gsln=Erico&ml_rpos=1&queryId=811b8cbea19c0dc3b10d55f8aa30b790

U.S., Select Military Registers: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2345/images/40014_1821100517_0534-00429?pId=132035

U.S., Navy Casualties Books: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/109064:2324

Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/446608:3147

Erico Pearce Wedding Article: https://www.newspapers.com/image/275071891/?focus=0.02866442%2C0.6170625%2C0.15119325%2C0.6426686&xid=3398&clipping_id=136865076

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56129724/daniel-benjamin-erico

Photo courtesy of Candice Cook, great-granddaughter: https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/erico-d-b.htm

SBTS: Bakersfield, CA

Daniel B Erico