REMEMBERING ONE OF OUR HEROES

REMEMBERING ONE OF OUR HEROES!

CHIEF WATERTENDER PETER TOMICH, USS UTAH BB-31

Peter Tomich was the Chief Watertender for the USS Utah. He was one of the most experienced…and best…in the entire Pacific fleet. At the age of 48, he had twenty-two years of Naval experience.

The Navy was his life…his wife…his family.

Peter Tomich was born in Prolog, a small village in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Bosnia-Herzegovina) on June 3, 1893. Twenty years later, along with his cousin John Tonic,

Peter immigrated to the United States. When WWI broke out he enlisted in the US Army.

Though he never saw combat in WWI, he served with pride for 18 months from June 6, 1917, to January 13, 1919. Along the way, he applied for and received United States Citizenship.

Ten days after his US Army enlistment expired Peter joined the Navy. His next of kin information listed cousin John Tonic…