Duane D. Pingeon

Great Lakes ILL, USS Waller
  • Military specialty: Gunnersmate
  • Awards: National Defense

b. 16 Sept 1938. Duane Doyle Pingeon was born to Marshall and Hazel (Bales) Pingeon in St. James, MN. He attended high school in Lamberton, MN.

From Oct 1956 to Oct 1959, he served in the U.S. Navy as a ‘gunners mate’, Petty Officer 3rd Class. He received a National Defense Service Medal for his service.

Duane served on board the USS Waller.  While he was in training to become a Gunners mate for rocket launching, there was an accident in the area where he was working.  According to a letter written by Commander Horner to his parents on 8 Nov 1957,  “We were conducting training exercises at sea  and the Rocket Launcher was to be fired. At that time, Duane was in the firing station in the room below the launcher.  For reasons not determined at this time, the rocket fired before it was in the proper position allowing flash and gas pressure from the rocket exhaust to enter the service ring where Duane was located.  The flash set fire to his clothes and the pressure threw him from his station, through a door and across the wardroom where he landed on a sofa.  Duane’s first concern was for the ship, and disregarding his own personal injuries, he made his way to the deck and spread the alarm of the fire and made sure that I was notified of the fire.   One of his shipmates met him and helped him remove the burning clothes and got him to sick bay for treatment.” Duane spent some time in the Portsmith NH Hospital.

On 14 Feb 1961, Duane married Barbra Bittler; they had two children.

Duane’ civilian employment was first on a farm, then at the Tony Downs Food Plant, and finally, for thirty-three years, he was employed by the MN State Highway Department. He was a member of the DAV and the VFW.

  • Obituary: None on file