On the road

On the road

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Profiles Fall 2013-Spring 2014 HFDFW


 

Don enlisted into the U.S.Navy on January 4, 1945 at the age of 17.

Soon he found himself on a train with about 20 other recruits and they arrived at the Great Lakes Training Center in Chicago. During his training, Don was selected to be a member of the Blue Jacket Choir on the base. He was part of the group when they sang happy birthday to President Roosevelt.

Don was trained as a radioman and really wanted to become a crewmember on a PT boat. During the summer of 1945 the PT boat program was cancelled. Don was instead assigned to a communications ship, the USS Catoctin. Unfortunately for Don, the ship never went to sea during Don’s 11 month service on the ship. He was discharged on July 16, 1945 in St. Louis, Mo.

In 1950 Don was called up at the start of the Korean War. He received his orders and was assigned to the USS Yancy AKA 93. He sailed to Japan and landed on the island of Honshu. Eventually Don made 4 ½ trips overseas including one where the ship was struck by a typhoon. During the storm, a safe was launched off a shelf and landed on don’s head which caused him to stay in sick bay for most of the trip.

Don was on the Yancy about 5 months when he was transferred to Hawaii and was assigned to CINCPAC (Commander in Chief of the Pacific) on May 15, 1951. This was good duty and Don was able to bring his wife and daughter over to Hawaii while he was stationed there.

After four years of active duty and two years inactive, Don was discharged in June, 1953 with the rank of Petty   Officer 2nd Class.    

No comments:

Post a Comment