USS Whitehurst Logo by:
Pat Stephens, Webmaster, DESA
John McCawley MM2 |
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I was sworn in to the Navy on March 14th, 1951 in Los Angeles,
CA. Immediately after swearing in I was transported to San Diego,
CA,where I attended Boot Camp. Upon completion of Boot Camp, I was sent
to MMA school at Great Lakes, Ill. After graduation from MMA
school, I boarded the USS Whitehurst (DE634) on 10/5/1951. I put in
for transfer and was sent to Kodiak, Alaska where I spent the next 16
1/2 months (dates not remembered). Returning from Kodiak, was assigned
to the USS Cockrell (DE366), which was a steam turbine drive
(Whitehurst was a turbo electric drive) with rate of MM2, and we
operated out of San Diego, CA. While still in the Navy, I married my
sweetheart Shirley Lockie in 1954, and brought her to San Diego to live. I
was discharged from San Diego on March 2nd, 1955.
I worked in the family business repairing portable electric
tools from 1955 to 1959, at which time I joined the Pasadena Fire
Department. I spent the next 27 years with the Fire Department, working
up through the ranks, and in 1986 I retired with rank of Captain II
(Fire Marshal), and haven't worked a day since.
Shirley and I had two wonderful children, and were married
almost 49 years when she passed away in 2003. In 1955 we had a son John
Michael who gave us two wonderful grand children. John Michael passed
away in 1999 at the age of 43. In 1959 we had a daughter Barbara Lyn,
who is a wonderful mother of one son, giving me three grand children. My
only grand daughter recently gave birth to a daughter, making me a proud
great grand father.
I currently live alone in the nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that
Shirley and I purchased in 1963. Due to health issues, I may be forced
to downsize in the future, but I will hang on as long as I can.
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John Passed away in 2009 after a long period of poor health.. mc webmaster | |
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