John was from Joliet, Illinois. He joined the Navy on September 24, 1940 and was on board the battleship USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor. After the West Virginia was sunk he went on board the Salt Lake City on December 8, 1941.

He served on the Salt Lake City until fall of 1943 when he was one of the many SLC sailors transferred to put the destroyer USS Cassin Young, DD793, in commission on December 31, 1943. He served on the Cassin Young until the end of the war. Johnny died just before the Cassin Young had its first reunion in August, 1980.

See John Ancel's page on the USS Salt Lake City web site at http://ussslcca25.com/ancel.htm