MM2c Anthony Joseph Hessdorfer

Anthony John Hessdorfer was born Sept. 13, 1917 in Cudworth, Saskatchewan, Canada, to George Konrad Hessdorfer and Elizabeth Miller Hessdorfer.

The family moved to Yakima in central Washington in the early 1920s, where the father was a lumber mill laborer. Born in Germany, the father petitioned for U.S. citizenship in 1927. The mother was born in Luxembourg.

Tony, as their son was known, attended Marquette High School in 1935 and 1936 close to downtown. He enlisted in the Navy in October 1937 and was a machinist’s mate and petty officer second class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

A requiem high Mass was sung in February 1942 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Yakima.

The Catholic War Veterans post in Yakima was named in Mr. Hessdorfer’s memory.

His younger brother, Elmer, enlisted in the Army Air Force after Tony’s death and completed more than 50 missions as a bombardier/navigator with the 410th Bomb Group. He also served in the Korean War.

Sources: The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington; the Seattle (Washington) Daily Times; The Catholic Northwest Progress; Census; Census; Navy muster roll; U.S. petition for citizenship. This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.