EUSEBIO C. ZATA
Officers’ Cook Second Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236)
| Born / Died | 22 Jul 1904, Philippines / Sep 1963, Travis Air Force Base, CA (see Research Notes) |
| Service no. | 497-85-59 |
| Commissioning rate | OffCk2c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 1 Jul 1942 |
| Patrols aboard | 1 (5 ships credited, 25,627 t) |
| Final rate | SDC |
| Other vessels | Sailfish, Fulton, Griffin |
| Service | 1 Sep 1928 – 1 Sep 1948 (BIRLS) |
Prewar (1904–1941)
Eusebio Zata was born in the Philippines on 22 July 1904. BIRLS gives his enlistment as 1 September 1928, and he was in San Diego in 1935. In the 1940 census he was thirty-six, enumerated at the Portsmouth Navy Yard (the entry first read Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was corrected to Kittery, Maine) as a Mess Attendant aboard USS Sailfish.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – Jul 1942)
Zata commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as OffCk2c and made her first war patrol under C.C. Burlingame. He left on 1 July 1942, two weeks before the second patrol sailed.
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
| Total | 5 (25,627 t) | 1 (10,100 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris.
Later War (1942–1945)
His other boats were USS Fulton and USS Griffin. The dates are not yet recorded.
Postwar (1945–1963)
BIRLS gives his discharge as 1 September 1948. The 1950 census finds him in Vallejo, California, divorced, a roomer at 1250 Lewis in the home of Frances Crenshaw, a fifty-year-old widow; no occupation is listed. In 1955 he was nominated for sentry of the Manuel L. Quezon Post 603 of the American Legion. He died in September 1963 at the Travis Air Force Base hospital. His obituary in the Times Herald of 11 September called him a retired Navy cook who had lived in Vallejo for seventeen years and a member of the Quezon Post, the William Webb Post 893 of the Regular Veterans Association and Vallejo Branch 8 of the Fleet Reserve Association. He was survived by a cousin, Narciso Marpa of Richmond, and three sisters in the Philippines.
Research Notes
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Date of death: the frontmatter has 9 Sep 1963, the note has both 9 and 10 Sep, and the obituary (11 Sep) says “yesterday,” which gives 10 Sep.
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Place of death: the obituary says Travis Air Force Base hospital; the note says Vallejo.
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Rates: OffCk2c is read as Officers’ Cook Second Class; SDC is as recorded.
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Name: the middle initial C. comes from the note.
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Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1940 Census Originally enumerated “Porsmouth, NH; Navy Yard” struck and changed to Kittery Town, ME. Two ships and the Barracks. Eusebio Zata is listed as a Mess Attendant aboard the USS Sailfish. He is 36 and Filipino. Was in San Diego in 1935.
1950 Census Living in Vallejo, CA as a roomer at 1250 Lewis in the home of Frances Crenshaw, a 50 year old widow. Zata was 45 at the time and divorced. Type of work was “other” with no occupation listed, likely retired or Naval Reserve.
OBITUARY The Times Herald 11SEP63. “Eusebio Zata, 59, of 636 Maine St., a retired Navy cook, died at Travis Air Force Base hospital yesterday after a brief illness. A native of the Philippine Islands, Mr. Zata had lived in Vallejo for 17 years. He was a member of Manuel Quezon Post, 603, American Legion; William Webb Post 893, Regular Veterans Association, and Vallejo Branch 8, Fleet Reserve Association. Mr. Zata is survived by a cousin, Narciso Marpa, of Richmond, and three sisters living in the Philippines. Funeral Services are pending at the J. J. McDonald Mortuary.”
The Solano Napa News Chronicle 28APR55. “A new slate of candidates for offices in the Manuel L. Quezon Post 603, American Legion, was nominated last night during a meeting at Veterans Memorial Building. Bill Adana, Juan Sabillo, and Emil Balahadia were nominated for commander; N. Cortes for first vice commander; N Umpig for second vice commander; Louis Lopez for chaplain; James Tenny and ben Mariano for historian; Julio Alellado for sergeant-at-arms; Eusebio Zata for sentry, and Esteban Desalla, tenny and E. Vintanilla for executive committee. Elections will be held at a later date. Also last night, Cortes, Vintanilla and E. DaSalla received certificates awarded by the national commander for enrolling new members.”Research Notes
Eusebio C. Zata. 59 years old. Died 10SEP63 in Vallejo CA. 1940 census has him aboard the USS Sailfish. 1950 has him living in Vallejo. Member of Manuel Quezon Post 603 of the American Legion. One cousin living in Richmond at his death and only 3 sisters mentioned. Born 22JUL04, died 9SEP63. Had a social security number.
Sources: 1940 and 1950 census; BIRLS; Times Herald, 11 Sep 1963; Solano Napa News Chronicle, 28 Apr 1955; Silversides muster and ROC; Silversides patrol index 1.