John Armen Torigian was born January 22, 1894 in Armenia, then part of the Ottoman Empire. His family immigrated to the United States around the turn of the century and settled in Massachusetts. In 1911, after completing sixth grade, his highest level of formal schooling, John went to work at the Knox Automobile Company of Springfield as an apprentice toolmaker, remaining there until 1915. While with Knox, he attended night classes in mechanical drawing and machine shop practices.

Torigian enlisted in the Navy on 7 December 1915 and served until 1919 as a Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class (MM2C). He briefly reentered civilian life but rejoined the Navy, serving 15-1/2 years from 1920 to 1936. During this time, he was promoted to MM1C and then Aviation Chief Machinist’s Mate (ACMM), serving in land-based and shipboard aviation squadrons. In September 1937 he was transferred to Fleet Reserve with an F4D classification denoting 20 or more years of service. He was recalled to active duty on 15 June 1941 and served in various shore-based installations as a PA (Permanent Appointment) for the duration of the war, including in the Overhaul and Repair Departments at NAS Alameda and Pearl Harbor where he supervised up to 25 “experts” overhauling and rehabilitating defective or damaged aircraft hydraulic units.

Torigian was placed on the retired list on 9 November 1945. His separation form noted that, as an Advanced Aviation Machinist’s Mate with supervisorial training, he was “a good tool maker, lathe man and general machine shop worker.” He received several letters of recommendation from former superior officers with whom he had worked at the aforementioned installations. His post-war activities are not well documented; however, he is known to have worked as an aircraft mechanic at NAS San Diego (North Island) in late 1948.

A resident of Coronado, California, for many years, John Torigian died in Balboa Naval Hospital on 31 January 1964, just days after his 70th birthday. He was survived by his wife of many years, Arisog Boghosian Torigian, and is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. 

Link to images from the collection on Flickr.

Link to the collection's Descriptive Finding Guide.