Marshall Freelinghuysen Van Woggelum was born April 27, 1920 in Perth Amboy, Middlesex county, New Jersey, son of Herbert D. and Ella (Kitchenmeister) Van Woggelum. His mother, born in Germany, immigrated to the US in 1888 and became a naturalized citizen. Marshall had one older brother, Ray. His family lived in Perth Amboy, where his father owned and operated a florist shop. In 1936 the family moved to Pasedena, California, where Marshall graduated from Washington Junior High School in 1937. His family later returned to Middlesex county, New Jersey, and lived in New Brunswick, where his parents owned and operated Valley Florist Shop. Marshall graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1939.

The Central New Jersey Home News reported that Marshall’s ancestors came to the US in 1643. Five ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, and one ancestor, Captain Cornelius Van Woggelum helped build Forts Hamilton, Wadsworth and Schuyler in New York.

Marshall entered the Navy on March 10, 1941. His basic training was at the Naval Training Station in Norfolk, Virginia. He reported aboard USS Grunion (SS-216) as a Fireman 3rd class in April 1942 for her commissioning.

Grunion arrived at Pearl Harbor on June 20, 1942. The vessel completed pre-patrol training before departing on its first war patrol June 30. Grunion’s commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Abele, was ordered to proceed to the Aleutian Islands and patrol westward from Attu on routes between the Aleutians and the Japanese Empire. On July 10, Grunion was reassigned to the area north of Kiska. Over the next 20 days, the submarine reported firing on an enemy destroyer, sinking three destroyer-type vessels, and attacking unidentified enemy ships near Kiska.

Grunion’s last transmission was received on July 30, 1942. The submarine reported heavy antisubmarine activity at the entrance to Kiska, and that it had 10 torpedoes remaining forward. On the same day, Grunion was directed to return to Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base. There was no contact or sighting of the submarine after July 30, and on August 16, Grunion was reported lost.

After discovering information on the internet in 2002 that helped pinpoint USS Grunion’s possible location, the sons of Grunion’s commanding officer, Bruce, Brad, and John Abele, began working on a plan to find the submarine. In August 2006, a team of side scan sonar experts located a target near Kiska almost a mile below the ocean’s surface. A second expedition in August 2007 using a high definition camera on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) yielded video footage and high resolution photos of the wreckage of a U.S. fleet submarine, later confirmed by Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) as Grunion.

Marshall F. Van Woggelum’s name appears on the Courts of the Missing, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii.

References:
1930; Census Place: Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey; Page: 11A; ED 73
1940; Census Place: New Brunswick, Middlesex, New Jersey; Page: 8B; ED: 12-66
The Central New Jersey Home News, New Brunswick, NJ: July 24, 1936, p.22; July 1, 1937, p.10; Oct. 3, 1942, p.1
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56134209/marshall-frelinghuysen-van_woggelum
https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/vanwoggelum-m-f.htm
Ancestry.com. U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941
US Submarine Losses WWII
United States Submarine Veterans of WWII, V.2,Taylor Pub., Texas, 1987
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at sgould557@gmail.com.

Van Woggelum, Marshall F., EN3