During one of the 18 naval battles Michael E. Pahnos fought aboard the USS Canberra during World War II, the young cannon operator was knocked unconscious.
When he awoke, he was panicked to discover that he was in the ship’s morgue, under several dead shipmates.
“He hardly ever talked about (the war) until very much later in life,” said his son, David Pahnos of Laguna Beach, Calif. “I think it had a profound effect on him.”
Michael E. Pahnos, of Greensburg, died Friday, March 6, 2020. He was 95.
Mr. Pahnos was born Feb. 8, 1925, a son of the late Mike and Evelyn (Little) Pahnos. He grew up in Greensburg.
After returning home from World War II, he met his future wife of 73 years, Donna (Daversa) Pahnos at a local dance. The couple was married Sept. 9, 1946.
David Pahnos said his father was a sportsman all his life.
“Hunting, fishing, he was a real outdoorsman,” he said. “He had a couple of hunting cabins in north-central Pennsylvania. He and his buddies would go up every chance they got, every hunting and fishing season. That was his great love of life.”
It was a calling that Mr. Pahnos heard from a very young age.
“His mother told me she could never keep him in the house,” his son said. “He was an outdoor child.”
Joining the Navy at 17 years old, it wasn’t long before Mr. Pahnos was deployed in the South Pacific with the Navy’s Seventh Fleet.
“He operated a 5-inch Naval gun used for shore bombardment and for shooting down planes,” David Pahnos said. “He got several medals for that, so I guess he was a pretty good shot.”
Mr. Pahnos earned seven battle stars during his service in World War II.
In his spare time – when he wasn’t hunting – Mr. Pahnos was raising hunting dogs or reading.
“He was a very avid reader, all types of books,” David Pahnos said. “He also wrote articles over the years for hunting and fishing magazines.”
“He was a quiet man, but you did not want to anger him,” his son said with a laugh.
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Pahnos is survived by his daughter, Dr. Markella L. Pahnos.
An 11 a.m. funeral service will be Tuesday at Leo M. Bacha Funeral Home, 516 Stanton St.,Greensburg.
Entombment will follow in St. Clair Mausoleum, with full military honors accorded by American Legion Post No. 981 Honor Guard.
