229th Port Company, 490th Port Battalion roster

I have been talking with Charles Sprowl a veteran of the 490th Port Battalion. The 490th was an African-American unit serving in the US Army's Transportation Corps during WWII. Charles saved the roster for his company, the 229th Port Co. I'm reproducing the list here in the hopes that family members find dad or grandfather in the list of names. I want connect people with the remarkable service of the WWII port companies.

My book Longshore Soldiers is a history of my grandfather's 519th Port Battalion. Although a separate unit, the 519th served alongside the 490th on Utah Beach, performed the very same duties, and experienced the same dangers. I wrote a brief history of the 490th on this blog. If you see your family member in the list below, because there is a documentary which includes a discussion of the 490th. The History Channel film, A Distant Shore, features Charles and several other members of the 490th.

Charles' roster separates the names by platoon.

John M. Sutton (First Lt.) • George W. Crowder • Alphonsa L. Wiggins • Charles D. Noriega • Walter E. Dawson • George N. Gonsalves • Osie Doster • Fred L. Dowell • Floyd McDowell • Fred D. Bell • Neal B. Embry • Eddie B. Jenkins • Andrew Vincent • Roy L. Rankins

Service Section
William J. Tillman • Alfred A. Allen • Eugene L. Isaac • Sam V. Viverett • Peavy W. Sullivan • Luther Hill • Vernon Vann • Robert C. Crawford • Eddie Reeder • Leroy Sims • Rogers Mostella • Dan Williams • Norval P. Rollins • Thomas E. Wilson • Charles B. Howard • Joe E. Cotten

1st Platoon
Robert E. Jackson (Second Lt.) • James W. Wanza • Marquis A. King • Earnest J. Lizana • Walter Ramsey • Richard Simms • Edward H. Morris • David McKinney • Robert A. Self • Robert L. Gardner • Benjamin Horne • George Cook • J. T. Brent • William W. Jones • Emmett Spell • Charlie Gooch • Eddie Perkins • Arelius Bivins • M. L. Newsom • Edward L. Smith • Roosevelt King • Ralph Daniels • John H. Moton • Clarence Youngue • Frank Warren • Primus Strong • Cornelius Williams • James L. Ritchie • James S. Williams • Felix Turner • Ralph N. Johnson • Arthur L. Sloan • Claude Graham • Vergil L. Dillon • Oscar L. Oliver • Frank Norwood • Lester Lewis • Henry Brinkley • Willie W. McCarver • Charles R. Porter • Edgar Porter • Fancher L. Clark • Howard Johnson • J. C. Williams • Clayborn W. Hooks • J. V. Lomax • James E. Rankins • Nathaniel Oliver • Walter E. McGowan • Willie H. Roseberry • Walter I. Trabue • Thurmon Harvey • Harry L. Sinclair • Earnest Taylor • William Parker • James H. Latiker • Willie R. Maxwell • Clennon Longmire • James E. Hill • William G. Richards • William F. Patton • Lonnie Harris • Banker Sargent • Charlie A. Broach • M. C. Brock

2nd Platoon
Willam J. Kilduff (Second Lt.) • Bernice Knox • Edward McGhee • Harold J. Wilson • Willie E. Harlow • James McRee • Theo McKeever • Cecil Mickles • Zanders Kelly • Frank Thornton • Willie J. Walker • Arthur Barnes • George W. Matlock • James Brown? • McKinley Barnes • Edward Jones, Jr. • Marck C. Tarver • Gilbert H. Thomas • Nathaniel Triplett • James Williams • Eddie L. Tyner • Eddie L. Tyner • Roosevelt Tolbert • Eddie L. Westbrook • Jessie D. Brandon • Donnie Young • Edward Jakes • James Taylor • Charles Warren • Homer W. Moffett • Ed Couch • Austin R. Milne • Alphonzo Scott • Woodrow Jones • L. C. Williams • Walter D. Phillips • Samuel C. Thomas • Anderson B. Perry • Nathan L. Williams • Thomas C. Mucker • Amvell Price • Lewis Ross • Clyde Evans • George P. Wright • Jack Hall • Ellie H. Marshall

3rd Platoon
George T. Vauk? (Second Lt.) • John R. Garrett • Morris C. Sydax • John hyatt, Jr. • Albert Sheffield • Arthur W. Morris • Willie D. Jackson • Gilbert Wyche • Isadore Moses • Charles E. Polk • David T. Tucker • Earnest Adams • James L. Owens • Roy Sargent • Henry Jackson • Lonnie Lofton • Percy J. Smith • Clarence Henshaw • Charles E. Smith • Paul E. Sanders • Alvin Spott • Robert C. Sparks • Alvin Roberts • William W. Thompson • George Taylor • Nathaniel Benjamin • Wilbur Johnson • Robert J. Thomas • William G. Dixon • James A. Mucker • James O. Davidson • Allen S. Johnson • Millard P. Scruggs • R. C. Martin • Joe Solomon • Allen H. Jackson • Wilbur Hunt • Dan White • Felder Smart • Donnie E. Staten • Cleveland Billingsly • Lem Garrett, Jr. • Thomas Williams • William H. Starks • Lawyer Pearson • Paul D. Norman • John H. Yancy • Jackson Hall • Leroy G. Whitter • Russell Webb • Carl Smith • Richard Clark • James H. L. Shaw • John W. Ross • Lucien E. Gordon • Johnnie C. Shorter • Clyde Hartley • Walter H. Jones • Julian D. Jackson • Willie Clayton • Robert J. Johnson • Austin E. Johnson • Walter L. Donald • Lonnie Johnson • Clifton D. Laster