ROY C. RISER
Machinist’s Mate Second Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236)
| Born / Died | 14 Nov 1918, Steubenville, OH / 3 Feb 1994, Sarasota, FL |
| Service no. | 250-48-98 |
| Commissioning rate | MM2c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 5 Feb 1944 |
| Patrols aboard | 8 (20 ships credited, 113,962 t)² |
| Final wartime rate | CWO2 |
| Other vessels | Trutta (SS-421) |
| Service | 21 Nov 1938 – 20 Nov 1948 (file); retired CWO3 |
Prewar (1918–1941)
Roy Riser was born in Steubenville, Ohio, on 14 November 1918. In 1930 he was eleven and living at 330 Lake Erie in a $30 rental with his grandparents, John M. Bufford (75) and Ella (72). He was the only child in the house. The two boarders, Mike Steve (29) and Lewis Anastas (30), were steel-mill laborers, and nobody else in the household worked. He enlisted in the Navy on 21 November 1938, a week after his twentieth birthday.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Feb 1944)
Riser commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as MM2c and made her first eight war patrols. He left on 5 February 1944. Three other plankowners left the same day: Patrick A. Carswell, Arthur W. Clark Jr. and William F. Marsh.
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
| 2 | 15 Jul – 8 Sep 1942 | Burlingame | 4 (15,250 t) | 2 (5,750 t) |
| 3 | 2 Oct – 25 Nov 1942 | Burlingame | 2 (12,500 t)² | 0 |
| 4 | 17 Dec 1942 – 31 Jan 1943 | Burlingame | 1 (10,010 t) | 3 (14,360 t) |
| 5 | 17 May – 1 Jul 1943 | Burlingame | 1 (10,000 t) | 0 |
| 6 | 21 Jul – 12 Sep 1943 | Coye | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 5 Oct – 8 Nov 1943 | Coye | 4 (22,075 t) | 1 (5,000 t) |
| 8 | 4 Dec 1943 – 15 Jan 1944 | Coye | 3 (18,500 t) | 2 (8,000 t) |
| Total | 20 (113,962 t) | 9 (43,210 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
² Patrol 3 figures come from the ship’s history, not a patrol report. The total therefore mixes bases.
Later War (1944–1945)
He joined the new boat Trutta (SS-421) five days after her commissioning and stayed aboard through the end of the war. He reached CWO2 during the war and retired as CWO3.
Postwar (1945–1994)
The 1950 census finds him in Key West, Florida, listed in the Armed Forces, with his wife Carrie (29) and their son Richard (5). He moved to Sarasota from Canton, Ohio, about 1967 and died there on 3 February 1994, aged 75. His obituary in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune says he received a Presidential Unit Citation and the Silver and Bronze Stars, and belonged to the US Submarine Veterans of World War II and the Retired Officers’ Club in Sarasota. He was a Methodist and was survived by his wife, a son, three sisters, two brothers and two grandchildren.
Research Notes
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Discharge: the file’s 20 Nov 1948 discharge conflicts with the 1950 census (Armed Forces) and a later CWO3 retirement. It may mark a break before a commission or re-enlistment, or reserve or fleet reserve duty.
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Awards: the Silver and Bronze Stars and the unit citation come from the obituary.
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Gap: 5 Feb 1944 to Trutta’s commissioning is not bridged.
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Rank: the frontmatter has CWO2 as final; the obituary and note say he retired CWO3.
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Patrol 3:
secondary_source(ship’s history, not located on Fold3). -
Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1930 Census Living in Steubenville, OH with his grandparents John M Bufford (75) and Ella (72). Roy is the only family member in the household at 11 years old. There are two boarders, Mike Steve (29) and Lewis Anastas (30). $30 rental at 330 Lake Erie. Both of the boarders were laborers at the steel mill, nobody else in the house was working.
1950 Census Living in Key West, FL. Roy C. Riser (31) and Carrie D (29). Richard (5). Roy was listed as in the armed forces.
“Roy C. Riser, 75, Sarasota, died Feb 3, 1994. He was born Nov. 14 1918 in Steubenville, Ohio, and came to Sarasota 27 years ago from Canton, Ohio. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was a retired chief warrant officer third class; a member of the US Submarine Veterans of World War II and the Retired Officer’s Club in Sarasota; received a Presidential Unit citation and Silver and Bronze Stars. He was a methodist. Survived by Wife Carrie Dorothy; a son; three sisters; two brothers and two grandchildren.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune 4FEB94
Transferred to Trutta (SS-421) 5 days after her commissioning. He stayed aboard through the end of the war. Highest rank CWO2, retired at CWO3.
Sources: 1930 and 1950 census; BIRLS; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 4 Feb 1994; Silversides muster and ROC; Silversides patrol indexes 1–8.