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.
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