Zabrok, Ron

Ronald Zabrok was born February 16, 1925 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He grew up there during the tough times of the Great Depression, and he remembers working all through his teenage years, selling magazines and later working at the Cudahy Packing Plant – he in fact did not graduate high school as supporting the family was more important.  When he turned 18 he decided to join the military before he received his notice, and he chose the navy. Both of his older brothers were Marines – and Ron wanted to join them – but their stories of Marine training dissuaded him! Ron would be assigned to the USS Rotanin, a supply/cargo ship that would see service all over the Pacific – everywhere from Guadalcanal to Okinawa.  Ron started out as an ordinary seaman, but a friend got him reassigned to the radio shack. They were not as Ron recalls in the front lines of the war, but they were never far away, and they certainly found themselves in danger:  Ron’s wartime service in fact qualified him for 10 stars. Other stops included Pelelieu, Saipan and Guam, where Ron often saw the aftermath of battle; he was also able to connect with his brother, fighting with the 3rd Marines. With the end of the war Ron returned stateside via Hawaii, where he was able to see Waikiki Beach.  Ron remained in the naval reserve, and five years later the navy called on Ron again with the outbreak of the Korean War: he was sent to Texas to get a minesweeper (the USS Pigeon) up-and-running.  They then made their way back to their home port in Charleston, after which they set out for the Panama Canal – and Korea. The navy by then had decided that minesweepers were no longer needed, so they were recalled to South Carolina. Ron worked a series of jobs after his discharge, eventually settling in Canada, where he says he is well-taken care of.  Ron Zabrok was interviewed at his home in Hamilton in March 2026 by Zach Dunn of Global Veterans’ Stories and Scott Masters.