George Roy Kletzker was born in St. Louis to George S. and Marguerite A. (Milenslayer) Kletzker on December 6, 1917. He earned a bachelor's degree in business at Washington University. Kletzker married Geraldine M. Forrestal on August 14, 1967. They had a daughter, Catherine, and a son, George Robert. Kletzker died on May 31, 2001, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Kletzker enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 10, 1940. He served as an apprentice seaman aboard the battleship USS Arkansas in 1940 from November 25th to December 19th. The Coast Guard Reserve was established by the passage of the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary Act of February 19, 1941. Regular Coast Guard reservists served on active duty for the duration of the war. On June 25, 1942, Kletzker accepted appointment as ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He was a lieutenant junior grade gunnery officer and served on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter John C. Spencer (USCGC Spencer) during its convoy escort assignments in the North Atlantic. Kletzker was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1948 and was honorably discharged on November 12, 1954. The Navy ordered Coast Guard cutters to add approved war-time armament in 1940. The USCGC Spencer's additional armament included, but was not limited to, depth charge racks, a "Y" gun, depth charge projectors, two 20mm anti-aircraft cannons, and sonar equipment. On November 1, 1941, the Coast Guard became part of the Navy, and Spencer reported for duty with the Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, on January 9, 1942. On April 11, 1943, USCGC Spencer departed St. John's in company with a task force consisting of USCGC Duane, two British and two Canadian escorts, and rendezvoused with a 56-ship convoy. The convoy proceeded due east to avoid submarines reported south of Greenland and Iceland. On the morning of April 17th, Spencer established a U-boat contact and dropped depth charges. Eventually a German submarine surfaced to conning tower depth, still underway but apparently damaged. The Spencer fired all guns and observed many hits. The Duane, in the immediate vicinity, assisted while merchant vessels in the rear of the convoy opened fire on the submarine, some projectiles passing it and landing close to and on Spencer. All damage to Spencer was caused by friendly fire. Twenty-five of the Spencer's crew were injured, and there was one casualty. As the submarine sank, the cutters took 41 German prisoners.