Husband William Furman "Furman" PATTERSON Sr.
Born: Jun 11, 1919 - Iva, SC
Baptized:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Daniel Nathaniel "Dan" PATTERSON (1880-1954)
Mother: Annie Belle SUTHERLAND (1889-1963)
Marriage: 1964 - (Divorced)
Other Spouse: Lylton Carol "Lylton" HARBIN (1921- ) - (Divorced)
Noted events in his life:
• Military Service, National Guard, 1937-1941
SC National Guards, Anderson County, Anderson, SC, 263rd Division, Coast Artillery. Search Light Unit, Company "E". Applied for service at age 18, 1937. Expert marksman, qualified for 'Rifle Team' -- Transferred 1939
National Guards, Greenville, SC, 263rd Division, Coast Artillery. Heavy Artillery
Unit, Company "F" 1939 - 1941 - Expert with M1 and Carbine - Chosen for 'Rifle Team' -- 1941, Tour of Duty near completion - option - Renew and go with unit for one years training or take early Discharge. Chose Discharge.
After World War II
National Guards, 51st Signal Corps, Greenville, S.C., 1947, Rank T/Master Sgt.
Served 4 years. Discharged with Honorable Discharge. Total Military Service
approx. 10 years.
• Military Service, US Navy, 1944-1946
WW II 1944 Boot Camp and Sea Bee training, Camp Peary, Williamsburg, Virginia. Hand-to-hand combat, obstacle course, and some building experience,. but much
of 'boot camp' spent helping train those with no military training. Spent time at hospital, when my brother, Eugene (UG) was sent to Camp Peary for kidney operation. Made many friends due to former military experience.
Event -- First night, a kid who looked 14,l had the lower bunk, was getting hasseled by a bully. Thought of my brother, Cecil, and wondered if he had to go
through that. So, told the guy to leave him alone, he didn't, so he landed in his bunk, with a sore head, and dared to move. That helped make friends.
Summer 1944 Miami University Oxford, Ohio. Typing School, Communication training, More obstacle course and combat training. Lost 12 days from classes because of a "Back Sprain". In hospital approx. three weeks but graduated with my class ----
Submarine School, Sub-Base, New London, Connecticut, 'Fall' 1944.
Submarine Training School, plus advanced communication training, self-defense,
and under-water tactics. Advanced typing classes, (typed Morse Code News-paper at 90 words per minute)
Made a good friend while there. Charles Scher (Jewish) came into the barracks
where most everyone was from the deep south. and the guys started giving
him a hard time. When the going was getting out of hand, I told everyone that we
had a war to fight, and if they wanted action before we got there, start with me.
Charles Uncle in NYC made my picture for Xmas. His studio really started my interest in Photography.
(Training included some of the surveillance of a German Submarine, bringing a spy to contact German Patriots in USA. He debarked off coast of Massachusett and later arrested, with a great number of others, after he had made his contacts in the US). Completed Submarine School and training, but developed 'sinusitis', had operation, and sent to 'Receiving Station' for re-assignment. -----
Navy Receiving Station, Pier 92, NYC, NY - 1. Guard at Navy Yard, Brooklyn -
2. MA (Master at Arms) for 350 personnel - 3.Assigned to ship duty, as "Radioman" --- (In New York City, entertained a WAC visitor, Mary Patterson,
my sister. We took in many shows (incl. "Rose Room" owned by the famous "Rose Orchestra") between Friday and Sunday, when we watched the Easter Parade on 5th Avenue, from the top of a transit bus) (Watched the unveiling of
Iwo Jimo Statue and got perfect photo between cars in heavy traffic).
Made another friend, Junior Meikle from Pittsburg, young boy but a terrific 'Ice Skater'. He was dertermined to get me on the 'rink' and did by telling me he wanted to learn how to skate. He came to SC and met my folks several times.
Embarked in Rhode Island, aboard USS Menelaus (ARL13 - Auxilliary Repair Landing Craft), destination Saipan, West Pacific.
Route included trip through Panama Canal, San Diego, Cal., and Honolulu with
'Liberty' in Colon, Panama - San Diego - and Honolulu with it's Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Wakiki Beach at the side door. A memory from every "leave". In San
Diego, they put a drug in my drink (middle of the day) and "Lucky', headed for the door instead of bathroom. Met two "Shore Patrol" who must have seen the
trouble i was in, and when i awoke, it was in my bunk aboard ship.
Dropped Anchor in 'Saipan Bay' before the War ended and watched a plane explode when it landed. A bomb had failed to fall, and hung from the rack. It exploded when the plane touched down.
When the war ended, we still got plenty of messages, but found time to type a 'Newspaper' from a station giving the news in Morse Code. Four copies were made. One each for the Captain, Doctor, Cook, and Crew.
'Party time' while the news was read. Alcohol furnished by doctor, orange jiuice and midnight snack by the cook.
My spare time was spent searching for souvenirs among the hills where planes had crashed. (This is same place a Jap Officer surrendered 5 years after the war ended). He lived in one of the many caves we had been exploring. .
War over, Ship received 'orders' to replace Communication Officer with Radio- man 1st Class, so offered, "Option" Radioman 1st or transfer for discharge.
Transferred to Ammo Escort Ship (U.S.S. Mount Katmai AE-16) for return trip to States. Ships first orders were "Typhoon approaching, weigh anchor, ride out storm". With ships out of full control, at sea, we missed a collison with an oil tanker less than five inches. Belted to the 'rail', with nothing to do except watch.
Dropped anchor near Seattle, Washington and after a week was sent by train to USN Separation Center, NAS, Charleston, S.C.
Discharge recorded World War II Book 9, page 467, 18th Feb. 1946, Greenville, SC, but does not show Service Training at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio nor any medical record. It also doesn't show a thing or two better left untold.
• Picture, 4 generations w/billy
• Picture, Four Generations w/Gene
• Picture, Furman and Lylton 1939
Wife Ronia SHELLNUTT
Born: Jun 25, 1938 - Atlanta, GA
Baptized:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Albert Alexander "Shorty" SHELLNUTT (1909-1972)
Mother: Annie Mae BOWEN (1915-1946)
Children
1 F Donna Lynn PATTERSON
Born: Mar 31, 1967 - Atlanta, GA
Baptized:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Gary BALDWIN ( - )
Marr: 1981. (Divorced)
Spouse: Vincent Paul "Vince" SELLE (1950- )
Marr: Aug 3, 1996