Navy veteran all 3 wars from WW2 Korea Vietnam

War...it does things to a man. Changes you, down to your core. I saw things, did things, that I'll never forget. Like those two... those enemies hiding in the compost pile. They were spies, infiltrating our base, no doubt about it. We caught them red-handed, trying to sabotage our supplies. My Thompson... it felt like an extension of my own arm. Didn't hesitate. Pointed, squeezed, and let loose a burst of .45 caliber justice. They didn't stand a chance. War is a dirty business, son. No room for sentimentality. You do what you have to do to survive, to protect your own. And those doctors... they had a strange way of deciding who was fit for combat. Shining a light in your eyes, asking if you could see the man on the other side. If you couldn't, well, that meant your head wasn't screwed on right, and you were headed back to the front lines. It was a crude system, but it worked. Weeded out the weak, the ones who couldn't handle the pressure. I saw a lot of good men break under that pressure. War takes its toll, leaves scars that never fully heal. But it also makes you stronger, more resilient. You learn to appreciate the little things, the simple joys of life. You learn that every day is a gift, and that you should never take it for granted. The University of Alabama... Roll Tide Roll! That's where I learned the ins and outs of teaching, how to inspire young minds. Got my Master's degree there, proud as punch. Then it was off to Auburn, that den of iniquity! Just kidding, son. Auburn had a fine engineering program, and I wanted to broaden my horizons. Learned a thing or two about throwing rocks at eagles too, though I never quite got the hang of it. Ohio State was my final stop. They had a top-notch shop program, and I knew that's where I wanted to be. Learned the finer points of woodworking, metalworking, all the skills I needed to pass on to the next generation. It was a long road, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Education, it's a powerful thing. Opens doors you never thought possible. And it gave me the tools I needed to build a good life for myself and your mama. That's how we do it in Alabama, son. We get our learnin', and we make something of ourselves.That's right, son. After the war, I was still a Navy man, but the world felt a whole lot bigger than it did before. I had a thirst for knowledge, a yearning to make something of myself. The Navy gave me the opportunity to do just that. The University of Alabama... Roll Tide Roll! That's where I learned the ins and outs of teaching, how to inspire young minds. Got my Master's degree there, proud as punch. Then it was off to Auburn, that den of iniquity! Just kidding, son. Auburn had a fine engineering program, and I wanted to broaden my horizons. Learned a thing or two about throwing rocks at eagles too, though I never quite got the hang of it. Ohio State was my final stop. They had a top-notch shop program, and I knew that's where I wanted to be. Learned the finer points of woodworking, metalworking, all the skills I needed to pass on to the next generation. It was a long road, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Education, it's a powerful thing. Opens doors you never thought possible. And it gave me the tools I needed to build a good life for myself and your mama. That's how we do it in Alabama, sonDad didn't really say that much more about WWII. All except for him having to shoot two zipperheads in the compost pile back behind the huts my Dad had been building. He said that his Thompson sub machine gun 45 Caliber died have to be told twice about whole needed killing and who didn't. All you do is point and squeeze and give it a lil fan and that was how it death was done. The U.S. Navy had a funny way about checking if a sailor could handle more combat..Dad said that one DOC stood on one side of my dads head and with another on the other side and said to the other doctor can you see me and if Dad always said joining the Navy was the best decision he ever made. It wasn't just about escaping the draft, although I'm sure that was part of it. He was restless back in Alabama, felt like there wasn't much opportunity there. The Navy promised adventure, a chance to see the world, and he grabbed it with both hands. He used to tell us stories about his travels – crossing the equator, seeing the pyramids, even running into a typhoon in the Pacific. He made it sound so exciting, like something out of a movie. And it wasn't just the travel. The Navy gave him a real education, too. He learned to be a mechanic, which served him well after he retired. He could fix just about anything – cars, appliances, you name it. He always said the Navy taught him discipline, responsibility, how to work as part of a team. Those were lessons he carried with him his whole life. I think that's what he'd find most different about today's world – the way technology makes everything so easy. He was from a generation that knew how to get their hands dirty, how to fix things themselves. He'd probably shake his head at us kids, glued to our screens all day. But I also think he'd be secretly impressed by all the things we can do now, the information we have at our fingertips. He was always a curious man, eager to learn new things. He'd probably be the first one to sign up for a computer class! My father was a hul technician in the U.S. Navy. We're a normal day consists of take his hammer and tape stick to work. Because those old Navy carriers and PT boats couldn't fix there on selves. They needed alot of TLC. Especially after all the heavy battles they both had incurred. Dad went on to pull shoreline patrol. Which is kinda like the Army's Military police. Except for back in the 1940'S it was some times best that the Navy took care of there on. Especially on the East Coast and the West coast. My father was in Boston MA in somewhere around 1941 or 42 can't be for sure about the date my dad had a partner that went by the name of Larange dad said he was every bet of 6'9 and 235 lbs and this one night after all the bars had shutdown for the night there were always a few young para troopers who would be to drunk to get up off of the bar table or they would be passed out on the floor of the club/bar. It was my father's and his partner Larange's job to go in to these bars and we'll light a fire under there asses so to speak. Well this one particular night in Boston MA they came apon a good ole U.S. Army airborne ranger dad said after several minutes or shaking and yelling out loud for the trooper to get up and get out the soldier stood up and was every bit of 8 foot tall and probably weighing in at a good 350 lbs.....he stood up and took one look at my dad and Larange balled up his right fist and socked Larange rite in his left temple lob and hit him so hard that the blow popped out Larange's left eyeball. Larange hit the floor like a sac of old potatoes. So there stood lil ole 5'8 Chief Harrison and this EIGHT FOOT U.S. ARMY RANGER. He had no clear idea on how to approach such a situation. All he could think to do is get some distance between the two of them and try to some how get this big son of a b***h to the floor and in cuffs. So that's what he did, he backed up about 15 feet and got a good lead on his pirp and swung his legs up in the air and around his neck of this humongous grunt and that's just how he did it. He said it happened so fast that he didn't even realize that it had worked until he saw Larange handing my father his thumb cuffs. They got the trooper up and in the Paddy wagon and onto the brigge( jail for the military). But it doesn't end there nope unfortunately Larange's injury claimed his life a few days later in the Navy hospital. Daddy said he got socked so hard that it caused a massive amount of blood to leak out on the inside of Larange's head.....Shore patrol was a tough job in the Navy…Aye, that's a story I'll never forget. Poor Larange... Never did see a man go downso fast. One minute we're rousting this drunken paratrooper, the next, Larange's eye is popped clean out of its socket and he's sprawled on the floor like a rag doll. That punch... it echoed through the whole damn bar. You're right, son, I was staring down an eight-foot giant of a man. Never felt so small in my life. But something in me snapped. Couldn't let fear take over, not with Larange down and likely bleeding out. Had to act fast. Years of wrestling with my brothers back on the farm kicked in, I guess. Got the drop on that big oaf, swung my leg around his neck, and down he went like a felled tree. It all happened so quickly. One minute I'm facing a monster, the next, he's on the ground and Larange is cuffing him with a dazed look on his face. Adrenaline, pure and simple, got me through it. But the victory was short-lived. Losing Larange hit us all hard. He was a good man, a damn fine shipmate. Shore patrol… it wasn't all parades and spit-shined shoes. We dealt with the worst of the worst, the drunks, the brawlers, the ones who couldn't keep their fists to themselves. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. Kept the peace, in our own way. And sometimes, it meant putting your own life on the line