Dad's Navy Album
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These scans are most of the snapshots from my Dad's Navy Album .

My Dad rarely talked about his experiences during World War II.  But from what little he did say, it wasn't all that traumatic.  In fact he swears the TV show "McHale's Navy" must have been written by guys who were stationed with him at a PT Boat base in the New Hebrides Islands (which is now the island nation of Vanuatu).

These photos are from that PT Boat Base and an aircraft carrier.  My Dad was a cook in the Navy.  Additionally he also served on destroyer escort that went to Africa and then came through the Panama Canal before starting his Pacific duties.  The dates and chronology is a total guess. It could be any time during WWII.  My dad was born in 1925 and did drop out of high school to join the Navy a few months after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.

This is the hand-painted cover of Dad's album. Dad painted this image.

On the back of the photo was written "IT COULDN'T BE A COOK?"

On the back was written "OUR BACK YARD BKS. 5"

My Dad sharpening chef knives. On the back was written " GITING READY FOR THE KILL". (He a great man, but didn't excel in reading and writing.)

Passed by Naval Censor. My Dad isn't in this picture, but is the only snapshot which gives a clue about where he was stationed.

This stamp was on the back of about 1/2 of the pictures from the PT Base.

World War II had some carefree moments. This is a picture of my dad and his friends at a PT Boat base. My dad wasn't one who told a lot of war stories, but he did say that whoever wrote the scripts for the TV show "McHale's Navy" must have been stationed on this base with him. My dad died in 1999 at the age of 74.  Throughout his life he probably showed me this album less than 10 times. The album was always stored away in this "hope chest" that contained lots of miscellaneous family mementos and papers, not on display with all the regular family photo albums.  He may have shared these photos, but he was rather private if not embarrassed about them.   He probably wouldn't want these on the web. One thing I like about this photo is way my dad is hold his hand.  There are several photos through his life with his fingers in that position.

Year is unknown.      1944 is a guess. Name of aircraft carrier is unknown. My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown.  1944 is a guess. Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown.  1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown. 1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown.  1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown.  1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown. My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown.  1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.

Year is unknown. 1944 is a guess.  Name of aircraft carrier is unknown.  My dad was cook on this ship.