Dad's Navy Portrait

My sister Mary sent me this copy of Dad's Navy portrait.  I don't have a date, but I suspect it was done around 1947.  Dad served in the Navy right after high school graduation.  He liked to tell the story about graduating from high school one evening and going down to the Navy enlistment the next morning.  By the time he enlisted the war was over but the draft was still in place.  Dad really didn't want to serve in the Army.  So he enlisted.  The other story about his Navy service, he wanted to serve in submarines but he liked to say that he must have completely failed the psychiatric test because they made him an airplane mechanic!

A detail about his service that not many people know is that he was injured in the Navy.  One day there was an explosion in the hanger Dad was working in.  A piece of flying metal went into his leg.  I was told that he had an ugly scar for the rest of his life.  I was also told the metal stayed in his leg for the rest of his life.  Dad died a few years ago, so I can't (easily) confirm either of these stories.  But, there you go.

Here is Charles Edward Brubaker, Jr. in the Navy!

Mom Was Hiding Her Talents

You've heard the cliché “don’t hide your talents under a bushel basket.”  As I am researching the Hislop line today, I am finding new and interesting details about the life of Mary Jane Hislop Brubaker.  As I search more and more, I am realizing that Mom really didn't say much about herself, or I wasn't listening.

The Ogden Standard Examiner newspaper in the 1930s and 40 covered the news and happenings of Huntsville, Utah and the Hislop clan showed up often.  In these pages and reports I am discovering that Mom was very active and very talented.

When she was about 12 years old, in the middle of the war years, Mom (along with every other woman and young girl in Huntsville) was volunteering for the war effort.  I've heard stories about the rationing and the recycling to provide material for the war effort.  But Mom didn't ever tell about baking cookies for the USO.  But on June 6, 1944 (a day no less important than D-Day) Mom and a group of young ladies are baking cookies.  The Standard Examiner reported that the “Primary girls of the LDS Huntsville ward baked 25 and one-half dozen cookies for the USO” during the day.  And, Mom was in the middle of it.  She was 12 years old at the time.

A few years later, when Mom was 16, there were regular reports of Mom entertaining at community programs as part of a violin duet.  I remember Mom telling us how she played the violin, and she made her children take violin lessons with the same instrument.  I also remember her talking about playing the organ.  But, who knew she had enough talent to perform in front of community groups?  Mom was hiding her talent.

And, more details are coming out with every search.  I just now found a news report dated 1937.  Mom was about 5 years old (17 October 1937) she broke her arm.  The Standard Examiner reported: “Jane Hislop, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hislop, is confined to her home today following a compound fracture of the arm.  She received the injury when she attempted to jump from a table.”  Okay, Mom’s talents did not include gymnastics, but as the research builds up, I am discovering a new person that I really didn't know.

Uncle Dean Hislop’s Mission Countdown

Another diary I received as a Xerox copy is (I think) from my uncle, Dean Hislop.  The first date of the diary is dated Monday, December 13, 1943.  I don’t know if this is the actual date or if this is simply a handy diary for Dean Hislop to use.  This appears to be a countdown of the missions flown by Dean Hislop in the European Theater during World War Two.  I hope you find this to be an interesting document as I provide transcripts from time to time.

“First Raid” Target—Bremen  Got up this morning at 2:30 had breakfast & went to briefing (.)  Got target, ship no., and position, which was 2^nd in 1^st element which was good (.)  Went out to ship & radio was out.  They put in new trans. but it didn’t work so took off without one (.)  Just at take off I noticed my gun was busted and it took me until we were almost to Germany to fix it, we went into the target over the north sea which made the Raid a 6 & ½ hour run (.)  We test fired our guns & all were working which made us feel good (.)  We encountered flack when we were over the target which was only about 5 min & not to(o) heavy (.)  Only half our bombs would release and we had to take them back to the north sea & drop them (.)  Going out P47 were with us all the way which was good (.)  Saw no enemy fighters(.)  …I had my face frost bitten, Reposh (?) got the back of his hands burnt (.)  Other than that all went well (.)