Name: Edward Robert Windas, MMC2, USN
Local address: 16 Arbordale Drive, Cliffwood Beach
Edward Robert Windas was born 12 Jul 1923 in Jersey City, the eldest of two sons of Edward Joseph Windas and Katherine Jones. A graduate of the Matawan High class of 1941, he was a star athlete at the school.
On November 23, 1942, 19-year-old Edward went to New York City with his classmate Anthony Gerard Zambito and both enlisted in the US Navy. Anthony, like Edward, was an all-around athlete at Matawan High.
Anthony, a gunner’s mate, was assigned to the USS Isherwood (DD-520), a Fletcher class destroyer and reported aboard 12 Apr 1943, the day it was commissioned. Edward, a machinist’s mate, arrived at the ship twelve days later. The two high school teammates were together again. The Isherwood initially did convoy duty in the Atlantic but subsequently was assigned to the Pacific.
The Isherwood saw extensive service in the western Pacific during the war. Windas was transferred back to the States in January of 1945 for reassignment to the USS Samar (ARG-11). Three months later, the Isherwood was hit by a kamikaze, a ‘Val’ dive bomber off Okinawa, and 80 sailors were killed, missing or wounded. Zambito was fortunate to return home.
After the war Edward was a journeyman with the Boilermaker Local 448 union in Bayonne for 50 years, retiring in 1985. He died March 8, 1998.
Edward is the father and uncle of MHS members Kathleen Windas Goodwin and Susan Windas Cole, respectively.
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