Sterling William Schallert was born in Watertown, Wisconsin on December 17, 1919. He graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in 1937 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1937 to 1941, concentrating on the study of law during his senior year. He entered the United States Navy on December 31, 1941 as part of the V-7 program. He received four months of stateside training at the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University and graduated with the rank of ensign in October 1942.
He then went to San Diego to receive additional training in preparation for service in the Pacific theater. Schallert left the U.S. for Australia in April 1943 aboard LST 465, one of the newly designed Landing Ship-Tank vessels. During the war, Schallert served as a supply officer and participated in action at Woodlark, Kiriwina, New Britain, Lae, the Admiralty Islands, Hollandia, and Leyte. LST 465 transported U.S. Army infantry troops, including some from the 32nd Division, as well as Marines and even Australian troops. In March 1945, Schallert was transferred to a naval training base in Moro Bay, California, where he served until his separation from the Navy in November 1945.
Schallert returned to Wisconsin, completed his law degree, and worked as an attorney. He became very active in the United States LST Association, writing articles for the newsletter, Scuttlebutt, and doing extensive research on the history and role of LSTs in World War II.
