Kellog was a Watsonville submariner whose sub unknowingly sank a POW troop ship.

William Ernest Kellogg was born in Watsonville, California, on January 6, 1921, to Bert D. and Blanche Kellogg; his mother's name was Blanche. The family ultimately grew to include two other sons, Robert and Bert. William grew up in the Pajaro Valley and attended Watsonville public schools before entering Watsonville High School. While in high school, he was on the football and track teams and was active in the Future Farmers organization before graduating in 1939. Following his graduation, he went to work at the LaPorte Dairy owned by his stepfather, Adolph LaPorte.

William Kellogg joined the US Navy in 1940 and attended one of its boot camps. Following his basic training, he volunteered for submarine duty and was trained as a torpedoman. By 1943 Kellogg had advanced to the rank of torpedoman second class and after completing specialized training at New London, was promoted to torpedoman first class.

Kellogg was ordered to the USS Snook operating in Pacific waters. During its seventh patrol, the Snook sunk several Japanese vessels including the unmarked Airson Maru, which contained 1800 American POWs. In March 1945 the Snook began her ninth and final patrol.

“Snook returned to Guam for emergency repairs on March 27th, and departed on March 28th to rejoin her group. The patrol was Snook's ninth. In accordance with her orders, weather reports were received daily from Snook as she proceeded westward until April 1st, when she was told to dis- continue the reports. Although the last message received from Snook by shore bases was on April 1st, [a sister submarine] Tigrone was in contact with her until April 8th. On April 9th, Tigrone was unable to raise her by radio, nor was she ever able to afterwards...When Snook had not appeared or made contact by May 16th, she was reported as presumed lost on her ninth patrol.”

Torpedoman First Class William Everett Kellogg's body was never recovered and he was officially declared dead by the Navy on May 6, 1946. He is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and his awards include the Purple Heart.

(CBR; ABMC; WRP August 11, 1945 1:2; WIKI, USS Snook SS-279; Photo-WHS; COMSUB, USPAC. Fleet, USS Snook, http://www.csp.navy.mil/ww2boats/snook.htm, [16 Sept. 2008])