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| My Dad in the U.S. Navy in 1944 |
As we honor … and remember … all who served in the U.S. Military this Veterans Day, I am remembering my dad and his time in the U.S. Navy.
Joining the Service
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| My Family - Christmas 1943 |
By the time the United States entered World War II, my dad was already married and father to two children. He was working for Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY doing war work and thus was exempt from the draft. But by late 1944 his brother and 2 of his brothers-in-law were all serving in various branches of the military and he couldn't stand not being a part of the fight for his country. So one day he simply went downtown and joined the Navy ~ then went home and told my mother!
Basic Training and Beyond
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| Navy PBY Flying Boat |
Dad was sent to basic training in Jacksonville, Florida and later transferred to the Naval Air Station in Hutchinson, Kansas where he was assigned as crew chief and rear turret gunner aboard the Navy's PBYs (Patrol Bomber), training in air-sea search & rescue work. These U.S. Navy PBY Catalina Units were also used as submarine hunters throughout the Pacific during World War II.
My mother, my brother & I were able to join dad after his basic training in Florida, and later be with him in Kansas. The war ended before dad ever made it overseas, but he was so proud to be in the Navy and part of the war effort.
Favorite Memory
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| Me and my Dad |
I have a favorite memory of a conversation dad & I had many years ago when we were talking about that time of his life. It went like this:
“Dad, you were in the Navy, right?”
“Right”
“And you worked on airplanes, right?”
“Right”
“And you were stationed in Kansas, right?”
“Right”
“And you were in the NAVY?”
Kansas may be a long way from the ocean, but the Navy wasn't confused. Eastern Kansas was perfect because it was mostly rural with lots of land available in the 1940s, with fairly flat terrain. It also had lots of blue skies and was away from the coast lines for security reasons. During World War II, the Navy built air stations here to train cadet pilots.
Wartime at Home
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| World War II In-Service Flag |
I heard family stories about that final year of World War II when my grandmother had 3 Stars in her front window, signifying that she had 3 family members serving in the military. My dad represented one of those stars.
Veterans Day
I'm proud of my dad and all the members of my family who served in the military. I wish to honor my dad, my family members and all the men & women who have served and are currently serving our country this Veterans Day and every day.
Images:
*Intro image is of my dad in his Navy uniform in 1944. He was SO young looking!
*Other family images are from my family albums.
*PBY Flying Boat image is found on Wikipedia Commons and is part of the Public Domain.
*World War II In-Service Flag/Banner is part of the Public Domain
(c) Article by Wednesday Elf originally published 11/5/2013. Updated 11/11/2024
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
This is a beautiful tribute to your family's efforts in war and peace. Thank you for sharing this bit of your history. We will all remember!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Olivia.
ReplyDeleteHow very special! My husband is a Navy vet who never served on a ship, never even went aboard a ship. He worked at a Naval Air Station, too, but at least he was stationed on the east coast. My son are vets, too, so we certainly honor veterans every day and especially on Veterans Day.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in the military deserves to be honored on Veterans Day. Interesting that your husband, a Navy Vet, also served at a Naval Air Station. Please thank your family members for me for their service, Susan.
DeleteWe call it Remembrance Day here in Canada but set aside the same day as a special tribute to those who served in the Canadian military. Loved your conversation with your dad (made me smile) and your interesting page.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda. It's interesting to learn that our Veterans Day is called Remembrance Day in Canada for your Canadian military to be honored. We definitely do 'remember' all of them this day!
DeleteAmerica owes a real debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who have served in the military. I smiled over your memory of your conversation with your dad. I don't think very many people think "airplanes and pilots" when they are thinking about the navy, but they are certainly extremely important to our countries safety and first line of defense.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely tribute to your dad, Elf. And, to your mom as well. I would imagine it took a great deal of restraint to not knock him over the head with her frying pan when he joined without first discussing it with her.
LOL, Mouse. From stories I was told, mom was ready to 'kill' him for joining up without telling her. But he knew she'd never agree and it was just something dad felt very strongly about. He couldn't let the rest of his family serve without doing his part. Mom DID put her foot down at the end of WWII when the Navy offered to teach dad to fly if he would sign up and make the Navy his career. He really wanted to, but by then he had 3 kids under 5 and mom said "No, we are going home".
DeleteWhat a nice remembrance and way to honor your dad. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dawn Rae.
DeleteWednesday Elf, I love this memory of your Dad. Obviously it meant a great deal to him, otherwise he would not have enlisted the way he did! :) I also love that you honor him by talking about his time in service, I think he would have liked that.
ReplyDeleteMy dad WOULD have been pleased with my story about his service time, Nancy. As with any World War II veteran, actively contributing to the war effort was important to dad. Thanks so much for your visit here and your thoughtful comment.
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