About
World War II (1939-1945)
Maurice Grant Segel was born in Schenectady, New York, on October 26, 1921. He grew up in the city of Schenectady, attended Washington Irving School, and graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in 1941. Before entering the military, he worked for General Electric.
In May 1944, Maurice enlisted in the United States Navy. He completed his training at Sampson Naval Base before being deployed overseas in October 1944. He was a seaman second class serving on the USS Mount Hood. The USS Mount Hood accidentally exploded on November 10, 1944, while Maurice was aboard in Seeadler Harbor, located on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. The ship carried 4,500 tons of explosives and lost 350 crew members. He is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry, US Naval Institute