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L-R: Starlin H. Hughes,
Vincent Z. Whaley, and Lewis D. Whaley
(Photo Circa 1993) |
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incent Z. Whaley's Military
Tributes Web site is dedicated to my father, Lewis
D. Whaley, and my late grandfather, Starlin H.
Hughes.
During a dark time when the Berlin Wall was being
built in the early 1960s, my father was stationed
with the 596th Signal Support Company, 97th Signal
Battalion, in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Specialist 4th-Class Whaley was among many soldiers
wearing the blue, gold, and red patch representing
the 7th Army — also known as the "Seven
Steps to Hell" — upholding peace and
democracy in Europe during the Cold War.
While stationed in Kaiserslautern, Spc.-4 Whaley
served as a Radio Relay/Telephone and Teletype
Carrier Operator. Spc.-4 Whaley served in the
United States Army from 1961-1964. He underwent
basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and advanced
individual training at Southeastern Signal School,
Fort Gordon, Georgia. Whaley then traveled to
Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he was stationed
at Pulaski Barracks from 1961-1963.
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Lewis
D. Whaley (Photo Circa 1964) |
Whaley was born in 1944
— just days before history's largest D-Day
invasion in Normandy, France — to Paul and
Lou Elswick Whaley. Having lived through the Great
Depression, my grandparents gave my father all
of their kind, loving, and hard-working attributes,
resulting in the most understanding and compassionate
father in the world. My Dad guided me at an early
age to realize the importance of having an enjoyable
career. An inspiration to all of my family for
his vast knowledge of computers, my father continues
to unravel technological mysteries for me.
Once after my mother and father brought me home
from a showing of Star Wars in 1977, I
chose to draw pictures and write stories to follow
up on the movie. My mother, Mollie
Hughes Whaley, and my father would always
read my short stories and gaze at my silly art
with high praise. I continued writing small sequels
to many other movies, and while my sequel to Star
Wars unfortunately did not become Episode
V -- The Empire Strikes Back, my father once
suggested journalism and/or writing as my career.
I can remember replying with something like, "Are
you kidding, Dad? I don't think so!"
Following 10 years as a journalist for the Johnson
City Press newspaper in Johnson City, Tennessee,
I chose to fuse my knowledge of journalism, research,
and writing with years of technological expertise
from my father to become a Web site and graphic
designer.
While the latter is a neverending path of learning
for me, I want to thank my mother and father for
always providing my two sisters, Kimberly and
Nikki, and me with an over-abundance of dependability,
honesty, generosity, and, most importantly, unconditional
love. Thanks to my mother and father for being
born.
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Starlin H. Hughes (Photo
Circa 1941) |
As for my late grandfather,
Hughes served as a Private First Class with the
47th "Raiders" Infantry Regiment in
the 9th "Octofoil" Infantry Division
during World War II. Hughes died June 11, 1994
— exactly 50 years to the day when he stepped
ashore Utah Beach in Normandy, France, on D-Day-plus-five.
Hughes passed away at the Veterans Affairs Medical
Center, Mountain Home, Tennessee, where he retired
after many years of service.
Following the Dec. 7, 1941, tragedy at Pearl Harbor,
Hughes was shipped with thousands of other GIs
to North Africa at the end of October 1942. On
Nov. 8, 1942, Hughes participated in the first
D-Day of America's involvement in World War II
on the shores of Safi, French Morocco, during
"Operation Torch."
Hughes went on to serve in seven of the 9th Infantry
Division's eight Second World War campaigns —
Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy,
Northern France, Ardennes, and Rhineland. At the
end of the war in 1945, Hughes had acquired enough
points to return home instead of having to serve
in the final campaign of occupation in Central
Europe.
After returning home a decorated soldier, Hughes
married Mildred Louise Leonard, who had worked
as a seamstress to help supply soldiers with uniforms
and other clothing during the war effort on the
homefront. The Hugheses eventually gave birth
to my mother and a son, Richard Steven Hughes,
who went on to help give my grandparents a gorgeous
granddaughter, Camille Marie Hughes.
As a youngster, I would travel frequently with
my grandfather to his childhood home in North
Carolina to hunt and fish and enjoy the breathtaking
mountains and wildlife that he fought to protect.
My grandfather, however, could never speak of
his time in the Army during the war. The mere
mention of the war would bring tears to his eyes.
Following his death in 1994, I began a task of
researching his wartime steps — a hobby that
eventually led to this Web site and tons of research
to write a book retracing the 9th Infantry Division
during World War II.
I would like to thank my grandfather for all of
those wonderful years we spent together and for
teaching me the value of patience, even though
I still have a long way to go. Thanks to my grandmother
for all she has done for me through the years,
for being a "Rosie the Riveter," and
giving that guy overseas a beautiful face for
which to fight and make it home.
I want to thank my good friend at the Johnson
City Press, Managing Editor Henry Samples,
for many years of conversations about life, love,
history, the military, war, and writing. You helped
give me the courage to write a book about my grandfather
and pay tribute to all veterans. A great deal
of appreciation also goes out to my boss, Johnson
City Press Technology Manager Alan Broyles,
for giving me the confidence and tools to expand
my knowledge of Web and graphic design. Alan also
helped give me the best job I have ever had.
I love you all,
Vincent Z. Whaley
April 2002
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