Dean-Hey Heritage

Naval Reserve, 1948

Naval Reserve

Dad joined the U.S. Naval Reserve unit in Abilene, Texas, soon after he graduated from business college. He attended Reserve meetings every Thursday evening and two weeks training every summer. The Korean War began in early 1950 and Dad became part of his Unit's Mobilization Team. In case of a general call-up, he would be first to go in order to direct the mobilization of his unit and other enlistees. His summer training in 1951 was for two weeks in San Diego Naval Base. By the time he had finished the two weeks, he was quite ill. Overnight in El Paso with the air port closed necessitated Dad spending several hours in the chilly night air. By the time he reached Colorado City, he was so ill that he passed out. Friends found him and took him to the hospital. After two days there, Dad checked out, made his collections, paid his paper bill and picked up Aunt Mildred and Aunt Pauleen for the trip to Illinois for our wedding. No wonder he came down with pneumonia just before our wedding.

Dad with Hester boys
(likely) Mike (left) and Wayne (right)

After our marriage, he continued to attend weekly reserve meetings. I often went with him and visited one of his sisters in Merkel. The next two summers Dad spent two weeks of schooling in New Orleans. The year Steve was born, he went on a cruise from New Orleans to Miami while I delivered papers. By this time Dad was tired of collections and the Korean War was over so that Dad could leave his unit in Abilene without fear of being called up for duty. This opened the opportunity for a move to Illinois where Dad joined the Reserve Unit in Moline. His two-week training was spent at Great Lakes Naval Training Station the year Mike was born. The schooling there for his duty was on mobilization. The officer in charge was not familiar with the procedure so Dad ended up training men from other units. The Naval Reserve Unit at Moline was so lax (officers just visited and drew pay) that Dad was so disgusted he "retired" after eight years in the Naval Reserve. They said they would send his discharge papers, but (characteristically for the Moline unit) they never did.

Dad & Mom

Naval Reserve