View source for PRIVATE JOHN R TOWLE T-AK 240

<!-- How to edit this page:

For detailed information on editing this page, click the "How To Edit Pages" link 
in the navigation bar and look for the article on "Editing Ship Pages". If you 
run into trouble or need to do something a little more complicated, contact the 
Curator for help.

Don't forget to preview the page before saving it and please add a short description 
of the change in the Summary text box just above the Save / Show buttons at the bottom 
of the page. A short description would be something like "added naval covers".

-->
<!-- =================================== -->
<!-- Do not add anything above this line -->
<!-- =================================== -->
<h3>Ship Name and Designation History</h3>
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during 
its lifetime.
The list is in chronological order.
<table width="90%">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<ol>
Greenville Victory Class Cargo Ship<br/> 
Keel Laid December 9 1944 as "SS Appleton Victory"<br/> 
Launched January 19 1945 - Delivered to the WSA March 23 1945<br/>
Acquired by the USAT June 20 1946<br/><br/> 
<li>'''USAT PRIVATE JOHN R. TOWLE'''<br/>Renamed and Placed in Sevice August 30 1946<br/> 
Decommissioned by the US Army (date unknown)<br/><br/>
<li>'''USNS PRIVATE JOHN R. TOWLE T-AK-240'''<br/>Acquired by the US Navy March 1 1950<br/>
Placed in service March 1 1950 - Placed out of service (date unknown)<br/><br/> 
Returned to the Maritime Administration August 25 1980<br/>
Struck from the Naval Register July 31 1982<br/> 
Sold for scrapping June 4 1982
</ol></td>
<td align="center" width="220" valign="top">
[[Image:PriJohnRTowle_TAK240_Photo.jpg|thumb|center|125px]] 
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>

<h3>Naval Covers</h3>
This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the 
ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for 
example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same 
ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). 
Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't 
take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date 
range for covers on that page.
<ol>
<li><!-- [[PAGE_NAME_Covers_Page_1 | --> Covers Page 1 <!-- ]] -->&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1980)</li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Postmarks</h3>
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a 
separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, 
the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one 
postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of 
earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an 
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN 
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
<br/>&nbsp;<br/>
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
<!-- ====================================== -->
<!--  header - do not modify this section   -->
<!-- ====================================== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><th align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Postmark Type<br/>---<br/>Killer Bar Text
</th><th align="center" valign="center" width="100">
Date From<br/>to<br/>Date To</th>
<th align="center" width="320">Thumbnail Link To<br/>Postmark Image</th>
<th align="center" width="120">Thumbnail Link To<br/>Cover Image</th>
</tr></table>

<!-- ********************************************** -->
<!-- Postmarks from 1st Commissioning Period        -->
<!-- ********************************************** -->
<!--  this part is commented out unless / until needed
<hr/>
<h4>1st Commissioning [start date] to [end date]</h4>
-->
<!-- ============== -->
<!-- POSTMARK ENTRY -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
USN Slogan<br/>Machine Cancel<br/><br/>"U.S. Navy /<br/>Operation /<br/>Deep Freeze"<br/><br/>Branch #17038
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1970-01-15
</td><td align="center" width="320">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_PrivateJohnRTowle_TAK240_19700115_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
N/A
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!-- POSTMARK ENTRY -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
USPS<br/>Machine Cancel<br/><br/>North Jersey NJ
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1980-05-29
</td><td align="center" width="320">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_PrivateJohnRTowle_TAK240_19800529_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
N/A
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Other Information</h3>
USNS PRIVATE JOHN R. TOWLE earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Antarctic Service Medal during her Naval career.<br/><br/>
'''NAMESAKE''' - John Roderick Towle (October 19, 1924 – September 21, 1944)<br/>Towle was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.<br/>Towle joined the Army from his birth city of Cleveland, Ohio, and by September 21, 1944 was serving as a private in Company C, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. On that day, near Oosterhout in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden, Towle engaged a German force with his rocket launcher in an attempt to disable two enemy tanks and a half track. He was killed during the battle and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on March 15, 1945.<br/>
Towle, aged 19 at his death, was buried at Calvary Cemetery in his hometown of Cleveland.
<!-- =================================== -->
<!-- Do not add anything below this line -->
<!-- =================================== -->
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr/>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
If you have images or information to add to this page, then either 
[[Contact_Us | contact the Curator]] or edit this page yourself and add it. 
See [[Editing_Ship_Pages | Editing Ship Pages]] for detailed information on 
editing this page.
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr>
<font size="-2">Copyright {{CURRENTYEAR}} Naval Cover Museum</font>