About
World War II (1939-1945)
Earl John Wells was born in Amsterdam, New York, on August 7, 1921. By 1925, he was living with his family in Rotterdam Junction in Schenectady County. He was a student at Woestina High School before joining the military.
On October 30, 1939, Earl enlisted in the United States Navy. He was a fire controlman third class and was assigned to the USS Quincy. Earl went missing in action after the USS Quincy was lost during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942. Because they couldn't declare him dead until he had been missing for one year and one day, his death date is listed as August 10, 1943. He is remembered at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry