About
World War II (1939-1945)
Eugene Edgar Umpleby was born in Watervliet, New York, in 1907.
Eugene enlisted in the United States Navy sometime around 1930. He was a chief water tender assigned to the USS Peary. The USS Peary was based in Darwin, Australia, during the start of 1942. She operated out of Darwin in January and a portion of February, focusing mostly on anti-submarine patrol. A single-motored Japanese dive bomber attacked the USS Peary on February 19, 1942, at 10:45 am, killing 80 crew members and injuring 13. At around 1:00 pm, Peary sank stern first. Eugene is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
Sources: Naval History and Heritage Command, Find A Grave, Ancestry