In 1941, after graduating from Saint Louis
College in 1939, Stanley joined the Hawaii National Guard and
went to summer camp, at which time the Guard was federalized.
He remained on active duty at Schofield Barracks when the attack
on Pearl Harbor happened and so did his Military career. His
military career included serving in the Pacific Theater in WWII
and proceeded to the U.S. mainland to participate in Bond drive
tours and as a Technical Sergeant, requested troop duty and
was assigned to a basic training unit at Fort Gordon, GA. While
stationed there, I met my wife, Sandy, who was attending a women’s
college in Milledgeville, GA and we married at St. John’s
Cathedral in Cleveland, OH in June 1945. He returned to Hawaii
in 1945 and was assigned to the University of Hawaii as an R.O.T.C.
instructor. Stan received his commission of 2nd Lieutenant and
was reassigned to duty at Schofield Barracks.
|
In 1948, he was assigned to the 1st
Cavalry Division in Japan, and at the outbreak of the Korean
conflict, was sent to Korea. He was wounded there, sent back
to Japan, and then to Tripler. After his recovery, his assignments
included serving as a company commander in the basic training
center at Schofield Barracks, Tactical Officer at the Officer
Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA, assigned to the Army
Chinese Mandarin Language School, Monterey, CA, and assignments
in Austria in 1954 and Italy in 1955-56.
Due to demobilization non-regular officers,
Stan was released and opted to return to their enlisted grade
and returned to Hawaii with an assignment at Saint Louis High
School as a Master Sergeant instructor of R.O.T.C. from 1957
thru 1959. From 1960-61, he served with the Military Advisory
Group in Taiwan and Quemoy Island. Stan has the distinction
of being the only enlisted man to receive the Republic of
China Commendation and Plaque. He returned to the U.S. mainland
with an assignment at Fort Carson, CO and was promoted to
the rank of Major in the Reserves and reassigned to Colorado
College in the R.O.T.C. department.
In 1967, Stan volunteered for duty in Vietnam
as a Sergeant Major with the First Cavalry Division during
the Tet offensive, wounded twice. He was then sent to Letterman
General Hospital, San Francisco, CA to recover. After his
discharge from the hospital, Stan was assigned to Mercer University,
Macon, GA, to the R.O.T.C. department, where he received his
degree in Linguistics.
He decided to retire as a Major AUS after
30 years of military service in June 1970 and moved to Madeira
Beach, Florida, where he continues to reside. Not ready to
fully retire, Stan worked for another 10 years at the VA Hospital
as a Pharmacy Technician. Stan and Sandy were blessed with
4 sons, Michael (Kula Maui), Roger (San Francisco), Douglas
(South Carolina), and their youngest, Brian, who resides in
Madeira, FL. Michael, Roger and Douglas all served in the
U.S. Navy during the Vietnam crisis.
Stan is proud that he and Sandy will
be celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary in June. We
are also very proud of Stan and his life career of serving
our country.
|
