Page 68 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2019- Online Magazine
P. 68
Clair B. (Jack) Musser Serving His Country in
WWII and Vietnam
by Don Musser
waited until he was Alaska, many lasting eight
18, he would not get hours each way. He noted
a choice. She allowed that they never flew more
him to enlist and go than a couple of miles from
on his 18 birthday. land, “if you think vertically”.
th
To lower the stress, the very
Jack finished boot young sailors would amuse
camp in Boise, themselves. They had a 4” tube
Idaho and then was in the back of the plane, so they
stationed in Seattle, could drop flares to identify the
Washington. He location of an enemy submarine
was assigned to the or downed pilot (no GPS in
U.S.S. Corregidor, an those days). They realized that a
aircraft carrier which roll of toilet paper would just fit
was built to help down the 4” tube. They would
fight the Japanese regularly “Toilet Paper” the city
navy. The Corregidor of San Diego, California until
was ordered and the Mayor sent a letter to the
then commissioned Post Commander to “Cease and
in 376 days, part of Desist”.
the tremendous war
effort by the folks After World War II ended, Jack
ack Musser grew up in back home! Jack was returned to civilian life, married
Mountain Grove, Missouri. a Munitions Mate, specializing Donna Lou Lanningham and
JHe lived on a farm and in preparing bombs for the had four children; they were
helped his father with the aircraft. In its first year, the married for 51 Years.
chores. He was 16 years old Corregidor was used for training After working 20 years in
when World War II broke out ship personnel and pilots on the construction business, he
on December 7, the West Coast, realized that he would not have
ending up in the
1941. When he Port of San Diego. a very comfortable retirement
turned 17, he Jack was then with only Social Security.
asked his mother reassigned as a He convinced his wife that
if he could enlist. Nose Gunner on returning to the military as a
She turned him a PBY Catalina, reservist would allow him to
complete a 20-year military
down because the “Flying Boat”. career with a nice retirement.
he was too He spent the rest At the age of 42, Jack rejoined
young. Later of World War II the Navy as a “Sea Bee”
that year, he told patrolling the West (Construction Battalion) in 1967,
his mother he Coast and Eastern just in time to get called up and
wanted to enlist Pacific searching go to Vietnam. He was assigned
right away because he wanted for Japanese submarines or to the Lone Star Battalion
to go into the Navy, and if he downed pilots. They flew (RNMCB 22), which received
missions from Mexico to the Navy Unit Commendation
68 Lubbock Senior Link
