Joseph John Cifrodella

Letter from the Secretary of the Navy

223 B2 92

5 December 1945

Mr. and Mrs. John Cifrooe11a
xx Magno1ia Street
Belleville, New Jersey

My dear Mr. and Mrs. Cifrodella:

Your son, Joseph John Cifrodella, Torpedoman's Mate second class, U. S. Navy was officially determined to be missing in action as of 13 November 1944. He was serving aboard the USS ESCOLAR when that submarine was reported overdue and presumed to be lost. The exact date the vessel was lost is not know.

On 13 September 1944, the ESCOLAR departed from Pearl Harbor on a war patrol in the Yellow Sea and failed to return. The last communication received from the submarine was on 17 October 1944. To date no further information has been received by the Navy Department regarding the ESCOLAR or any member of her crew.

In view of the strong probability that the submarine sank as a result of enemy action in waters known to be controlled by the enemy, and that your son was lost with his ship, because no official nor unconfirmed reports have been received that he survived, because his name has not appeared on any lists or reports of personnel liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps, and in view of the length of time that has elapsed since he was determined to be missing in action, I am reluctantly forced to the conclusion that he is deceased. In compliance with Section 5 of Public law 490, 77th Congress, as amended, the death of your son is, for the purposes of termination of pay and allowances, settlement of accounts, and payment of death gratuities, presumed to have occurred on 14 November 1945, which is the day following the expiration of twelve months in the missing status.

I know what little solace the formal and written word can be to help meet the burden of your loss, but in spite of that knowledge, I cannot refrain from saying very simply, that I am sorry. It is hoped that you may find comfort in the thought that your son gave his life for his country, upholding the highest traditions of the Navy.