Victor Ronovech was born on March 31, 1925 in Oneonta, NY to Anthony Ronovech (1893-1960) and Susan Roketa (1895-1957). His parents were married on June 16, 1917 in Manhattan, NY. His dad was from Poland and came to the U.S. in 1911. He was a laborer for the D&H Railroad in town. His mom was from Czechoslavakia and came to the United States in 1913. The 1930 U.S. Census recorded the family lived at 53 Gilbert St. in Oneonta, NY. Victor was the youngest of the four children. The 1940 U.S. Census recorded him still living on Gilbert St. with his parents. He graduated from Oneonta High School in 1943 and worked for a time for the D&H Railroad. He was a quiet young man, His high school yearbook notes under his name, "If silence is golden, he is hoarding."

He registered for the draft before graduating from High School on March 31, 1943 (his 18th birthday). He was all of 6' tall and weighed 159 lbs. He had blue eyes and brown hair. About two months later, on July 1, 1943, he enlisted in the Navy. Where S1c Ronovech did his basic training is unknown at the time of this writing. We do know that he was eventually assigned to the USS Jacob Jones III (DE-130)

The Jacob Jones was launched from the Consolidated Steel Corp. Ltd. shipyard at Orange, Texas, on November 29, 1942. S1c Ronovech likely joined the crew when she was in New York being inspected in September 1943. (He first appeared on her Muster Rolls in Sept. 43). Those same Muster Rolls show he was aboard during her many crossings of the Atlantic providing escort duties for merchant and troop convoys. Tragically he was swept overboard and drowned on January 26, 1945 during these escort duties. 

To review the U.S. Navy Deck Logs for the USS Jacob Jones you can contact the National Archives Records Administration at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, Maryland 20740.  The specific logs can be found at:  

Record Group Number: Record Group 24; Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel;Entry Number: Entry Number P118-A2

Series Title: Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, Box Number: 4935-4937, File Title: Jacob Jones (DE-130) 1944 to 1945

If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com. 

Sources

"D.E. 130 To Be Launched Here Today", The Orange Leader, Orange, Texas, November 29, 1942, Vol XXIX, No. 250, pg. 1.

Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232527937/victor-ronovech, accessed January 26, 2023.

Index to New York City Marriages, 1866-1937. Indices prepared by the Italian Genealogical Group and the German Genealogy Group, and used with permission of the New York City Department of Records/Municipal Archives. 

Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939-01/01/1949; A-1 Entry 135, 10,230 rolls. Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group Number 24. National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

Naval History and Heritage Command entry fo Jacob Jones III (DE-130), accessed at https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/jacob-jones-iii.html, January 26, 2023.

The Oneontan, Oneonta High School yearbook, 1943, accessed at The Greater Oneonta Historical Society, Main St., Oneonta, NY.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Oneonta, Otsego, New York; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0036; FHL microfilm: 2341370

Wikipedia entry for USS Jacob Jones (DE-130), accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jacob_Jones_(DE-130), January 26, 2023.

Image of USS Jacob Jones provided by the Naval History and Heritage Command, accessed at http://history.navy.mil on January 26, 2023.

Supporting Files