Flashback Friday

Veteran's Day is tomorrow.  In memory of my Dad, I repost this from July29th, 2011.



My Dad, like so many others, was in college at Monmouth when World War II took them away to fight in far off places. Brokaw's
"Greatest Generation" took these guys out of the classroom, tractor seat, factories and construction jobs, gave them a gun and told them to save freedom for future generations. Glenn enlisted in the Navy and they sent him to Columbia University in New York city for a short course in navigation and then aboard a gunboat around the Philippines. He was what was called a '90 Day Wonder'. After instruction you are awarded a rank of lieutenant (J.G.)and off you go.

I have no context for any of these pictures but there are a couple of him aboard his ship.  It was a gunboat which is larger than a PT boat but smaller than a destroyer.  Small, easily maneuverable for island searching and quickness. 

This is Herb (Glenn's nickname) presumably before his leaving for war or shortly afterward. 

I have no idea if this was taken at Monmouth or New York.  My guess, it was Monmouth since he was courting my Mother.

The ship had a number rather than a name which I have forgotten, shame on me.  I think it was the 61.  He did have a couple of stories.  One was the time he was on watch at night, probably right here where he is now, and because it was a full moon he could see quite a bit.  He talked of seeing a torpedo heading for his boat and having it miss.  He was pretty funny in relating the tale, but he always ended by saying how damn scared he was.      

There was a captain aboard when he became part of the officers of the ship, but he left and Herb then became Captain.

He went on shore after a battle once.  Took a sword off a Japanese soldier.  It is still in the family, and will be handed down to each successive generation. 

Their ship was part of a group that was stationed around Mindanao Philippines.   

This is what you wear after Midshipman School.

This is what you wear to Midshipmen School.

One final remark.  Herb also talked of his navigation class at Columbia.  One time his numbers were off and he had his ship,  on paper anyway, sailing through an island.  His professor wrote on the paper "Amazing ship."  

The above document is one of Herb's navigation papers from school.  A side note:  Herb was excellent with numbers.  He could come up off the top of his head with multiplication results of large numbers.  Mathematical skills he did not pass on to his second son.