Page 53 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2017- Online Magazine

BRanCH
Army & Navy
meantime, his unit left for America on their
way to the South Pacific. However, the war
with Japan soon ended, so those guys all
went home. Since Sterman was drafted late
in the war and was still in Europe, he spent a
year in the Army of Occupation at Stuttgart.

The soldier was shipped back to Camp
Chaffee, Arkansas and received his
honorable discharge May 5, 1946. At
the time he separated from the service,
Sterman’s rank was Tech 5 (Corporal),
awaiting a promotion to Tech 4 (Sergeant).
His decorations and citations include: Good
Conduct Medal, World War II Victory
Ribbon, EAME theatre Ribbon, 2 Bronze
Service Stars, Army Occupation – Germany,
Sharp Shooter Rifle; Battles and Campaigns:
Rhineland and Central Europe.

Sterman had two siblings who also served in
WWII. His brother Dewey V. Young served
in the Navy, from 1943 to 1949 - aboard
the USS Idaho in the Pacific - during and
after the war. His sister Myrtie Jean Young
(Smith) also served in the Navy from 1942-
1943.

After his discharge, Sterman returned to
Graham and went to work for Charles
E. Hipp Drilling Company and followed
drilling rigs from location to location,
ending up in Post, Texas in January 1947.
In 1948, he was hired by Grisham-Hunter
Oil Co. as foreman and stayed with the
same oil field production through several
owners (Cosden, W.R. Grace). He retired
in 1982 as Production Superintendent for
American Petrofina. From 1982 through
1990, he continued to work in the oil field as
a drilling consultant.
During their life in Post, Sterman and
Virgie had two additional children, son
Gary in 1950 and daughter Nina in 1952.
Both Sterman (96 years old) and wife Virgie
(92 years) still live in Post. He still enjoys
making furniture for family members and
fishing as often as possible.

Lubbock Senior Link 53