Anthony J. Polozzolo

A former sports writer for The Washington Post, and earlier with The Washington Times-Herald, he retired from the Army Times Publishing Company after 33 years in January 1987 as managing editor of Navy Times. Polozzolo began his newspaper career in March, 1946 with The Times-Herald after completing three years with the US Navy serving aboard USS WHITMAN (DE-24), primarily in the Western Pacific. He covered high school and college sports for The Times-Herald and moved to The Post when that paper bought out its competitor from the Chicago Tribune's Colonel McCormick, March 17, 1954. On The Post he worked as a sports copy editor and reporter. In 1955 he was assigned to cover harness racing, then new in this area at Rosecroft and Laurel. He left in 1956 to join the Army Times Publishing Company, originally with Air Force Times where he rose to Assistant Editor. In 1972, when the Army Times papers switched to the then-new cold-type process of printing, Polozzolo was named coordinator between the editorial and production departments. He returned to the strictly editorial side in 1976 when he became editor of Military Market, the company's magazine that deals with military exchanges and commissaries. Four years later he became managing editor of Navy Times, from which he retired. Since retiring Polozzolo has been active with the Destroyer-Escort Sailors Association. He was a member of the Old Dominion Chapter of DESA, serving on its board of directors from 1997 to 2004 and as its secretary for three years beginning in 1999. Polozzolo also served as a volunteer with DESANews, first under then director Ralph F. Freese and later with John Cosgrove. With Freese and Cosgrove he helped in the change of format from a broadsheet to the present tabloid. With his grandson Kevin Ferrell, Polozzolo helped establish a DESA presence on the world wide web, a site of which Kevin Ferrell was the web master for two years. During World War II Polozzolo served in USS Whitman (DE-24) for 27 months, from her commissioning at Mare Island in July 1943 until October 1945. The ship, a class built specifically to combat the submarine menace, supported the invasions of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, Eniwetok in the Marshalls and Guam and Saipan in the Mariannas. He was a signalman striker and left the ship as a seaman first class. Shortly after leaving Whitman he was assigned to USS Dutchess (APA 98) and made a tour to Japan, crossing the North Pacific in December and facing seas as rough as the fabled typhoons in April of 1945. His wife Esther died in 2008. Following cremation, plans were made for a joint burial at sea. Survivors include daughter Marianne Ferrell, son Chris Polozzolo and grandson Kevin Ferrell. Any expressions of sympathy that go to DESA for whatever it needs, or to the Navy Memorial would be in accord with his wishes.

Tributes

Anthony J. Polozzolo

December 26, 1926 - November 6, 2013