Page 36 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine
P. 36
Lamar Jones The Merchant and
Mariner
by Katherine McLamore and Larry A. Williams
he try the Merchant Marines. sea as the post war effort began.
During peacetime, the Mariners This was an important port to the
(they were not Marines) Germans during WWII and the
carried imports and exports. Americans afterward. While on
However, during WWII, the shore, Lamar couldn’t help but
U.S. Government determined notice the “total devastation of
the cargo and destinations, the town and the haunted look of
contracted with private fear on the local residents’ faces.”
companies and put guns and He saw the results of war, and it
Navy personnel on board. After stays with him still.
signing up for the Merchant
Marines in Kansas City, Lamar After a trip to the Caribbean, it
reported to basic training in was back to Galveston where he
Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, was discharged after two years
New York. The U.S. Maritime of service. He headed back to
Service Training Station, which Plainview and began working
opened on September 1, 1942 in his father’s mercantile stores
and closed on Feb 28, 1954, was again. He met his wife of 66
the largest maritime training years, Bettye, on a blind date
station during WWII and could where they “went to a Texas Tech
train up to 30,000 merchant football game and then to the HI-
t seems that Lamar Jones was seamen each year. He was D-HO, where I always ordered
destined to be a merchant supposed to attend a 13-week a lot of food.” Always a heavy
Iin more ways than he ever radio school on Gallups Island eater, Jones recalled that “my
realized. Born to W.A. and in the Boston Harbor, but the mother said that when I married
Dorothy Jones in Bokchito, program was cut after 12 weeks, Bettye, she gained a daughter
Oklahoma, Lamar’s father was so it was back to Sheepshead Bay and lost a grocery bill.” Lamar
a merchant who owned a dry for a time. and Bettye had four daughters.
goods store in the small town Lamar bought the Vogue Dress
of Odell, Texas before moving Lamar’s first voyage was on the Shop in Lubbock in 1954 and
to Plainview in 1930 during auxiliary patrol vessel, Aloma owned it for 50 years. His wife
the Depression. Lamar said Hills, in December 1945. In May ran another shop on 34th St. for
he “started working in his of 1946, Jones also served on a 17 years. All four girls worked
dad’s stores when he was 12 or coastal tugboat up and down at the shops growing up, and
13 years old.” He graduated the eastern seaboard. His next Lamar noted with pride that “all
from Plainview High School in voyage was “as a Junior 3rd the girls graduated from Texas
1944 where he “played football Engineer on Tech.” Lamar and
and was a good student.” He the tanker SS Bettye were active
attended Texas A&M for two Elk Basin in in their community,
semesters. Many young men and July 1946 from church, and volunteer
women were still signing up to Baytown to service organizations.
serve their country during WWII, England, which Bettye, the love of his
and Lamar wanted to do his part. then crossed life, passed away in
He was also inspired by his older the Dutch November 2016.
brother who was serving as a Netherlands
Navy pilot. on a very small Still active, Lamar is
canal, where it an avid bridge player,
Lamar tried to sign up to be a looked like you playing three times
commissioned officer in both were sailing on a week at various
the Air Force and the Navy, land.” They locations in Lubbock.
but both had closed their docked at He even played
enrollment by the time he Danzig by the tennis until he was
applied. It was suggested that 87 years old. While
36 Lubbock Senior Link
