Everette Herrick Dicharged from Navy - 1944

Everette Herrick Discharged from Navy - 1944

 

Everette Herrick, GM 2/C

 

Everette Herrick, G.M. 2/C, USN, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy at the Naval Hospital, San Diego, Calif, Apr. 14, where he had been a patient for several months, arrived home last week.

 

A veteran of 11 Jap engagements, he enlisted in the Navy in April, 1940, and was a member of the crew of the Pennsylvania when she was attacked at Pearl Harbor.  Everett has many tragic and bitter memories of this fiendish attack--he saw buddies blown to bits and others horribly wounded and burned.  He suffered burns on both feet from hot oil, and was struck by a piece of shrapnel in the right shin.

 

Petty Officer Herrick took part in the Battle of Coral Sea and Midway in the "standby force."  He was a member of the invading forces at Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, and was in the "standby force" at the Solomon Islands.  he was engaged in the Battles of New Georgia, Rendova, Veru Harbor, Munda, Barokao Harbor, Calmagaro, Vella, Vella-LaVella, and was establishing advance PT bases in Kula Gulf and area at the time he was hospitalized on Aug. 3, 1943.

 

The first hospital in which he was confined was on a small island north of Guadalcanal which was situated 15 feet under ground.  The month that Everette was there, the island underwent 392 air raids by the Japs.  While on his way from the hospital to the mess hall, one day, he sat down under a cocoanut tree and sustained a concussion of the brain when he was struck on the heard by a falling cocoanut, weighing three pounds.  He was moved to a hospital on Guadalcanal, and then to a hospital in New Caledonia the fore part of November.  On Dec. 9 he arrived in the States at the Naval Hospital at Oakland, Calif., an ffrom there was moved to San Diego from which he was discharged.

 

His wife, the former Miss Guy, of Afton, went to San Diego and stayed with him for several weeks before accompanying him home.  HIs condition is good considering the terrible ordeals he's been through.  However, Everette says that he's going to take things easy this Summer or until his health is fully restored.