Arriving at Guiuan, Samar, P.I., and then on to San Pedro Bay, Traeger was redesignated as a SM striker and assigned to the staff of COMLSTFLOT 22 aboard LST 632. He boarded the 632 at Morota anchorage, Halmahera Island, N.E.l. 45 minutes prior to leaving in convoy for the last major amphibious combat landing in WWII, at Balikpapan, Borneo, July 1, 1945. Traeger served with the flotilla staff during his entire overseas service.

While LST 632 was en route from Biak, New Guinea, to the Philippines for outfitting and cargo assignment for the invasion of Japan, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Empire of Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Powers. Occupation duties began immediately, and the LST Flotilla 22 staff was busy assigning the 36 LSTs under its command to various occupation duties in Japan, China, Korea, French Indochina, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other sectors of the far east. Traeger finally accumulated enough “points” to return home while his ship was stationed in Shanghai, China. On May 28,1946, he boarded the USS Mount Olympus, AGC8, for return to the United States.

Traeger received an honorable discharge from the USNR with the rating of SM3Ic on June 18,1946, at Camp Shoemaker, California, and immediately enlisted in the USNR (inactive). During this 4-year enlistment, he participated in one 14-day summer training cruise aboard USS Bremerton CAl 30. His first and only previous time aboard the Bremerton had been in Tsingtao anchorage, Tsingtao, China, to deliver guard mail to Admiral Dan Barby, 7th Fleet Commander. Traeger was honorably discharged on June 18, 1950, seven days before the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel to start the Korean War.

After WWII Traeger continued his education, enrolling at Fresno State College in 1946 as a pre-engineering major, and transferring in 1949, to the University of Southern California, School of Architecture. After graduation, he received his California State license to practice architecture, and pursued a career in that profession, in Fresno, California, until 1991.

Sometime in 1995, Traeger’s interest in WWII Japanese military weapons and equipment led him to the Legion of Valor Museum. By coincidence, his first visit to the museum coincided with a visit by Legion of Valor member, and present National Commander, Gerry Eckenrod (DSC). Despite having known Gerry as a fellow yacht club member and teaching a class in the Business Department at Fresno City College under department chairman Eckenrod’s supervision, Traeger had no idea of Gerry’s outstanding war record, a testimonial to his modesty regarding his service record. With a highly favorable recommendation from Gerry to museum director Charles (Chuck) Monges, Traeger found himself appointed on the spot, and honored as a new member of the museum staff, a role he has enjoyed for over four years. Exchanging ‘’war stories’’ with other veterans, and educating younger generations to the sacrifices and contributions made by military veterans of all wars is a highly interesting and rewarding experience, and one that Traeger hopes to continue into the future.

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