John Samuel Wolff
| Era | WWII |
|---|---|
| Branch | U.S. Navy |
| Rank | Chief Petty Officer |
| Wall | G |
| Wall Side | 1 |
| Row | 5 |
| Plaque Number | 26 |
JOHN SAMUEL WOLFF
Chief Specialist, U. S. Navy
World War II
Specialist Wolff's swimming skills were needed. He was promoted to Chief Specialist and assigned to the Warfare Aquatics Program in Mission Beach (San Diego, California).
John Wolff, was born on March 17, 1922, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a lifeguard and competitive swimmer throughout high school and college. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in San Diego. Each naval recruit had to jump in the Mission Beach Plunge in Belmont Park to see if they could swim. In 1942, not everyone could swim, he was selected to teach swimming to the recruits. He served as a Naval Chief Petty Officer starting in 1942, teaching both swimming and warfare aquatics. His mastery of swimming included being a member of the Navy Swim Team and the Navy Aquatics Exhibition Team, which provided entertainment to other Armed Services divisions and toured with Olympians, Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe.
Plaque Wall Map
