|
|
Post by BrevetorCoffin on Jun 21, 2017 17:30:39 GMT
 Born: 1925, Plymouth England Died: 2009, Columbus OH Entered the Navy in the V12 program during WWII. Served in WWII, Korea, French Indochina, Skipper: USS Chatterer, wooden hulled minesweeper removing US influence mines from the entrance to Tokyo Harbor. Stationed in Yokosuka, met my mother in Tokyo. LST - don't know # designation but navigated the Mekong River ferrying French Nationals out of harm's way to relative safety of Saigon. Gunnery Officer: USS Ernest G. Small, Gearing Class Destroyer during Korean War. Injured during a ship-to-shore bombardment in 1951. Offered the Purple Heart but refused it because in his mind he was "injured", not "wounded". USS Bennington, Essex Class Aircraft Carrier converted to ASW operations. 1960-62. Office of Naval Research, Washington, DC. 1963-66 US Naval Surface Weapons Laboratory, Dahlgren, VA 1966-68 (Retired in 1968). In charge of the development of the conical shock tube, intended to absorb the shock of an atomic blast. His father (my granddad) also served in the Royal Navy during WW1. RIP Pop. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by yanmacca on Jun 21, 2017 19:34:54 GMT
David, that excellent post would have fitted well in "our veterans" thread.
|
|
dave
Brigadier General
Posts: 1,679 
|
Post by dave on Jun 21, 2017 19:57:35 GMT
David
How proud you must be and rightly so.
Regards
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by BrevetorCoffin on Jun 21, 2017 20:46:03 GMT
Thank you Ian & Brother Dave. Pop and I did not get along at all when I was a teenager and it wasn't till much later that I learned just how distinguished a Naval career he had. Yes, I am proud and glad we patched up our differences later in life.
|
|
dave
Brigadier General
Posts: 1,679
|
Post by dave on Jun 21, 2017 21:20:44 GMT
Brother David
It is natural for a dumb a** teenager to clash with a strong male parent and you were certainly not the only one. Remember what Mark Twain said:
"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to 21 I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
Regards
Dave
|
|
dave
Brigadier General
Posts: 1,679
|
Post by dave on Jun 21, 2017 22:23:10 GMT
David
Do you ever kick yourself like I do for not asking him more about his naval service? Wish many times over I could have just 24 hours again with Dad to ask him and tell him how proud I am of his record and how much I love him. My father and I never got over the ole punch in the shoulder instead of a hug and I never told him I loved him, just the usual hems and haws. What an idiot I was!
Regards
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by BrevetorCoffin on Jun 21, 2017 23:15:04 GMT
Dave I do not know if it would have made much difference. He was pretty tight lipped with his kids about his naval service. Got most of the stories from Mom or reading a bio published by Ohio State University in 1991, the year he retired from OSU.
The one more 24 hours would be an incredible gift regardless.
|
|
|
|
Post by mlynn on Jun 22, 2017 15:19:09 GMT
David Do you ever kick yourself like I do for not asking him more about his naval service? Wish many times over I could have just 24 hours again with Dad to ask him and tell him how proud I am of his record and how much I love him. My father and I never got over the ole punch in the shoulder instead of a hug and I never told him I loved him, just the usual hems and haws. What an idiot I was! Regards Dave My Father just died last year and there is not a day goes by that I wish he was around a little longer so I can say this or that to him that should of been said when he was alive. He had a long decline in which he was blessed to still have full function of his mind. There were many things brought out in that short time but there is always regret that more was not said. I think this is true for everyone and I am sure your Dad knew more than words that were spoken. Some things are understood without words. |
|
|
|
Post by BrevetorCoffin on Jun 23, 2017 1:38:02 GMT
David Do you ever kick yourself like I do for not asking him more about his naval service? Wish many times over I could have just 24 hours again with Dad to ask him and tell him how proud I am of his record and how much I love him. My father and I never got over the ole punch in the shoulder instead of a hug and I never told him I loved him, just the usual hems and haws. What an idiot I was! Regards Dave My Father just died last year and there is not a day goes by that I wish he was around a little longer so I can say this or that to him that should of been said when he was alive. He had a long decline in which he was blessed to still have full function of his mind. There were many things brought out in that short time but there is always regret that more was not said. I think this is true for everyone and I am sure your Dad knew more than words that were spoken. Some things are understood without words. I am sorry for your loss and am glad you had the opportunity to spend time with him. My dad died of Alzheimers which was heart rending. |
|
|
|
Post by Beth on Jun 23, 2017 13:36:35 GMT
My Father just died last year and there is not a day goes by that I wish he was around a little longer so I can say this or that to him that should of been said when he was alive. He had a long decline in which he was blessed to still have full function of his mind. There were many things brought out in that short time but there is always regret that more was not said. I think this is true for everyone and I am sure your Dad knew more than words that were spoken. Some things are understood without words. I am sorry for your loss and am glad you had the opportunity to spend time with him. My dad died of Alzheimers which was heart rending. |
|
|
|
Post by mlynn on Jun 23, 2017 13:36:56 GMT
My Father just died last year and there is not a day goes by that I wish he was around a little longer so I can say this or that to him that should of been said when he was alive. He had a long decline in which he was blessed to still have full function of his mind. There were many things brought out in that short time but there is always regret that more was not said. I think this is true for everyone and I am sure your Dad knew more than words that were spoken. Some things are understood without words. I am sorry for your loss and am glad you had the opportunity to spend time with him. My dad died of Alzheimers which was heart rending. Alzheimers is a devastating disease for both the victim and the family. I am so sorry you had to go through that long journey of loss. |
|
|
|
Post by Beth on Jun 23, 2017 14:32:29 GMT
It's hard to really communicate on this kindle but I will always regret that I didn't get to know my aunts and uncles better--especially Mary's Dad.
David Sam's motivation to do Alzheimer's research is because of my dad ,mom, and sister have/had Alzheimer's
|
|
