Page 12 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine
P. 12
Elvin Howell
A Sailor Remembers
by Jane Bromley
be, but he has sent to San Diego for officer
remarkable recall training, then New Orleans
when it comes for gunnery school. He was
to describing life finally assigned to a base in
during his young New York and boarded his
adult years. first ship, an oil tanker - the
USS Cool Motor. They would
He met and pick up their load on the
married Rena east coast, travel through the
Southern at HSC. Panama Canal and deliver
She was originally the fuel to various places in
from Tennessee the Pacific. The tankers were
but had relocated always in danger because they
to West Texas by were big targets for enemy
way of Tucumcari, torpedoes.
NM. They married
in 1938, and Elvin Some of the sailor’s happiest
got a job teaching memories were the times
7 grade and Rena was able to visit him
th
coaching junior during his service. She had
high football in followed him to New York
Kermit, Texas for
t’s not unusual to $135/month. Times were hard. but went back to Amarillo
after he was deployed, got a
encounter a senior who
Ithinks there isn’t much to The Depression continued to job and bought a home. “Oil
tankers were in and out of
make it difficult for families
tell about his life story, but to get by. Elvin and Rena port quickly – maybe a day or
when that story spans more bought their first little house two, but Rena had good luck
than a century, it is elevated in Kermit for $750, but he still traveling to see me, and she
to must-read status. Elvin had to was often able to
Howell of Lubbock, formerly borrow visit while I was
of Tulia, is still writing his money to in a port on the
story. It began in January pay for east coast.”
1914, before television, furniture.
refrigerators or ball-point While serving
pens. It was even before the After the aboard the USAT
War to End All Wars – WWI. bombing Cantigny and
of Pearl after making
He grew up in Snyder, Texas Harbor stops at Guam
and excelled in track at in WWII, and Ulithi, Ens.
Snyder High School before Elvin Howell was on
graduating in 1932. The figured his way back
athletic young man went on he would be drafted, so he through the Panama Canal.
to Hardin Simmons College and a buddy drove to Dallas It was May 8, 1945, and the
in Abilene where he majored to enlist in the US Navy. He crew heard over the radio that
in Physical Education. The was sent to Warrensburg, the Nazis had surrendered -
now 105-year-old Mr. Howell MO where he spent 1½ years VE Day. The ship proceeded
is aware that his memory training recruits. He was to the naval base at Corpus
isn’t as good as it used to commissioned an ensign and Christi, Texas. While there,
12 Lubbock Senior Link
