This will be a departure from my usual lengthy, self-absorbed blogs. I was thinking of my Mom and Dad this morning and wanted to do a short homage to my parents, typical members of the Greatest Generation.
My Dad, born in 1922 in Tyler, Texas, came of age during the Great Depression. His family was, like most families in Oklahoma, devastated by the onset of the Depression. His father lost his job as a manager at a Pecan Farm and eventually the whole family had to move in with my Dad's oldest sister, Belle, and her husband, Marshall.
Life was difficult and when he had the opportunity to help support his family and ease some of the burden they all felt, my Dad took it. He left school in the 8th grade and, alone, made his way from Coweta, Oklahoma up to somewhere near Salina, Kansas where his oldest brother, Mert, was looking for work.
Together, he and his brother, who was about 14 years older than him, applied for jobs with the railroad. Because of his youth and strong back, my Dad got the one job they were both applying for; working on maintaining and repairing the rail lines there in Kansas. This was around 1936 or 1937.
He worked a number of jobs and always sent a good part of the money he earned home to his family. He would continue to help support his family for his entire life.
Finally, at the age of 18, in October, 1940, he joined the Navy and left for Boot Camp in San Diego, California.
This is his training platoon. There he is, third row up and fourth from the right.
To get a better view, I enlarged this from his original picture.
Even in Boot Camp, on the cusp of World War II, they got some time to relax.
After Boot Camp he shipped off aboard a destroyer enroute to Hawaii and his first assignment aboard the U.S.S. Dobbin, AD-3, Destroyer Tender.
And it was here that he found himself on December 7, 1941.
He'd had duty on Saturday and was busy, on this Sunday morning, rigging the fantail of the Dobbin for church services. And so he was on hand, on deck, for the beginning of the attack.
Reacting quickly, he and his fellow mates began an active resistance. He found himself running ammunition from the magazine up to the guns on deck. Here is the report from the CO concerning the Dobbin during the attack.
"Three enemy planes, identified by yellow disks painted on wings, attacked at 0910. They came in low, approaching from the starboard quarter. The heavy fire from this ship, and from the destroyers of Squadron ONE alongside, caused the plane to swerve and cross just astern. Three bombs were dropped, resulting in near misses on starboard quarter, astern, and port quarter. They appeared to be 300-lb. bombs. Fragments from these bombs struck the stern of this ship, causing the personnel and material damage described below. All personnel casualties were members of No. 4 3" A.A. gun located on the after end of the boat deck. No other attack was experienced by this nest of ships. The nest consisted of the Dobbin, with the Hull, Dewey, Worden, MacDonough, and Phelps alongside port side. The ships alongside started clearing at 0920, the last one getting away at 1450. Repair personnel from this ship were turned to continuously during this period and during the attack to assist them in getting machinery reassembled. Dobbin issued replacement ammunition to DDs alongside so that they left filled up.
The personnel of No. 4 3" A.A. gun were badly hit. But in spite of this, Coxswain H.A. Simpson, U.S. Navy, in charge, reorganized his crew, got them in hand, and continued the fight against planes which approached within gun range.
Four spare .50 caliber machine guns and thirteen .30 caliber machine guns were broken out, mounted and manned, this action being accomplished during the course of the attacks.
All boats of the Dobbin were sent into the landings immediately, and have been in continuous service wherever needed since. The Commanding Officer is pleased to report that the performance of all hands was excellent and the conduct most commendable, characterized by a strong will to fight and to turn to enthusiastically in any and every way possible to assist in servicing the destroyers and in protecting their own ship."
And it is for this action that my thoughts, memories and love turn to my Father and Mother every year. It was a pivotal point in my Father's life. It both marked him and changed him forever.
The U.S.S. George W. Ingram, DE. My Dad served on this ship during the remainder of World War II, from August, 1943 until he was mustered out of the Navy in November, 1945. This ship did convoy duty in the North Atlantic and then as part of the invasion fleet in the China Theater. Finally, the ship was being refitted for the invasion of Japan when the war ended.
Here's Preacher. This was probably taken in 1944 in San Diego.
And my Mom. This, too, was taken in 1944 in San Diego. She recalled that she was especially proud of that jacket.
This story of wartime service was as much hers as it was my Father's. She's the one who quietly supported and loved her 'Sailor-Boy' during the war. It was she who enrolled in nursing and served on the battle lines at home.
And finally, on July 15th, 1944, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she and Preacher were married.
My Dad didn't fully realize the prize he had captured until his later years but they were always in love.
In May of 1968, I had the chance to visit Pearl Harbor with my Dad.
It was a memorable moment for me. I only wish I had recognized it as that special, once-in-a-lifetime event while it was happening.
On the Memorial at the U.S.S. Arizona, they have inscribed the names of all the men and women who lost their lives that infamous day.
My Dad pointed out his cousin's name and the name of the boy he joined the Navy with back in October, 1940.
In 1991, on the 50th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Congress authorized a coin to be struck to honor the Pearl harbor Survivors. They had a series of ceremonies across the Nation to honor these men for their service.
Here's Dad just after he was recognized for his service. The ceremony was held in Muskogee, Oklahoma. he was inordinately proud of the coin and had it encased in acrylic so that it would be viewable. Eventually he passed the coin onto me.
I've since passed it on to my daughter, Michelle.
And so, there's my reflections on this Sunday morning, December 7, 2014.
I never said it often enough, but thanks, Dad, for all you did for your Country and for me.
I love you and Mom an awful lot.
See you soon!!
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