Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Menford Sutton passing

In Memory of
Menford Lawrence
Sutton
Obituary for Menford Sutton


Menford Lawrence Sutton, 88, passed away peacefully at Arlington Memorial Hospice Unit on Sunday, August 19, 2012. A long time resident of Arlington, Texas, he suffered from Alzheimer Disease for the last thirteen years.

Menford, known to all as “ML”, was born to Jesse Lawrence Sutton and Mattie Ola Harris Sutton on October 11, 1923 in Harrold, Texas, and was the oldest of five children born to his parents. ML was preceded in death by his parents and brothers; Frank Ellis Sutton and Lloyd Paul Sutton.

A member of the “Greatest Generation,” ML enlisted in the U.S. Navy immediately following the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor and spent his wartime service in combat in the Pacific aboard the USS Hazelwood (DD-531). Following two years of combat operations, a kamikaze attack on the USS Hazelwood off Okinawa killed all senior officers and 67 enlisted men on April 29, 1945. As the remaining crew struggled with onboard damage control, ML was tasked with inspecting the exterior integrity of the damaged hull at the water level. That assignment completed and temporary repairs made, the Hazelwood and its survivors returned to Pearl Harbor for permanent repairs. ML and other members of the crew received Honorable Discharges from the US Navy on October 25, 1945, while the Hazelwood continued to serve until decommissioned in 1965.

Following World War II, ML returned to North Texas and entered the Southern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth where he received his PHD in Theology. He also attended TCU while in the Seminary. Following graduation, ML served as a pastor to a Baptist church in Vicksburg, Mississippi from 1949 – 1951. He then returned to Fort Worth where he went to work for Bell Helicopter until his retirement in 1993.

His hobby and love was aviation. A pilot since 1950 and aircraft owner until his illness, ML was enthralled with rocketry and was a pioneer in the model rocketry industry. In the late 1950’s, he and partner Gene Dickerson started Coaster Corporation, a maker and marketer of model rockets. ML’s model rockets were industry leaders. According to Bell Helicopter News, one, the four foot tall Mercury, flew faster than the speed of sound at an altitude of more than half a mile. In 1963, ML and his partner sold Coaster Corporation and its asset ultimately became a part of Estes Industries, the world leader in model rocketry. One model rocket developed by ML Sutton is still in production after more than fifty years.

ML was a long-time supporter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters in Arlington, and he served as a “Big” for many years, mentoring numerous boys supported by this organization. He was an active supporter until his illness.

His survivors are his three children, Dorinda Sutton Cavender and her husband, Hugh C. Akin, his sons, Rodney L. Sutton and his wife, Jeanie LeMoine Sutton and W. Harold Sutton, his six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild, two sisters, Evelyn Sutton Roberts and LaVerna Sutton Pugh and numerous nieces and nephews.

ML will be buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, TX 75211, on Thursday, August 23rd , at 12:30 PM. The assembly point for ML’s interment will be at the cemetery’s “Lane C” at 12:15 PM.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, 450 East John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas, 75062 or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Another Interesting Email

On August 12, I received the following email.
Dear Jim -
My name is Meridith Constant and I am a granddaughter of Menford L. Sutton, who was a yeoman second class during WWII and was on the USS Hazelwood when it was hit. One of my uncles is named for two friends that perished that day, and I have heard a story that my grandfather swam the boat to aid in determining if it was taking water. He is currently in hospice with advanced stages of Alzheimers; so unfortunately, I have not had an opportunity to talk to him about many things and he rarely if ever talked about that day or others during WWII. I came across your USS Hazelwood blog today and thought I would write to see if you have any information about that day or on my grandfather, I know the family would appreciate hearing/learning more.

Sincerely,
Meridith Constant


I did some searching  in our files and found this card with a picture of Menford,
Using that picture and some help from Meridith I was able to identify Menford in the 1945 picture of the crew in front of the Hazelwood as well as in one of the pictures of the crew taken in Pearl Harbor after the attack. If you look at those pictures you may find  him easily as he was still wearing his hat jauntily on the back of his head.

Smooth sailing, Jim Julian

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Re: Who was commnading at the Kamikaze attack?

As you may recall I got this comment several months back:
"I was reading the history of the Hazelwood and was wondering why Cmdr. V.P. Douw is listed as the commanding officer when according to official records my uncle, LtCmdr. Walter A. Hering took command on January 24, 1945 of the USS Hazelwood. LtCmdr. Hering was killed aboard the Hazelwood by enemy air attack on April 29, 1945"

While doing some searching in the records I  have, I found a list of those Killed In Action that fateful day.
In that list it shows WALTER ANDREW HERING, LT CDR as one of those KIA. It also lists VOLKERT PETRUS DOUW, CAPT as KIA.
There was also a copy of an article in a San Francisco newspaper of June 15 with the following: 
"..... Among those listed as dead or missing were Commander V. P. Douw, USN of Abington ......and his relief, Lieutenantant Commander Walter Hering, Jr, USN of ..... GA"

Based on this information and the recollection of at least 2 crew members present, it appears that a formal change of command had not yet taken place and that DOUW was still commanding at the time of the attack.

Smooth sailing, Jim Julian

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

More Interesting Mail

In the previous post you saw an email I received. I just received a reply to my request for some additional information and I think the reply is just as interesting so here it is. I have deleted some personal contact information to for privacy concerns.
Coleen's dad is James McMahon, CPO

Hi Jim,
He served on the Hazelwood for 5 years, starting in 1959. My sister and I have great memories of visiting the ship, especially when it was “parked” 3 ships out and we had to cross 3 to get to it. How my mom managed 4 of us little kids on the ships is beyond me! There are a few names that stick in our minds to this very day – Ensign Harwood, Mr. Creek, and a sailor named Julian. We always thought that was his first name, but interesting that it’s your last!! My dad was in 35 years, and on a lot of ships, but we always considered the Hazelwood as “his” ship, our favorite. He was Chief Petty Officer, and I know was a navigator at one time, but he was so many things, not sure if that was his duty on the Hazelwood. I have a bell from the Hazelwood’s lifeboat mounted outside the door of my house – from when it was scrapped, I think!

 My dad’s email is *********@charter.net. Telephone is 413-***-****. Hopefully, his computer will be back up soon.
It’s great to be reminded of the “old days”!
Colleen

I plan on calling Chief McMahon one of these days just to reminisce and encourage him to attend the reunion!!

Smooth sailing, Jim Julian

Interesting Email

Shipmates, I received this email recently and thought you would find it as interesting as I did. We do have a James McMahon in our mailing list but I am not sure if he is Colleen's father. I have written to her to get more information though. I will post more information as I receive it.

Sir,
 I was doing a search on the USS Hazelwood today, and came upon a website that had the statement “run up the Roadrunner flag” under the ship’s name. So I did a search on USS Hazelwood Roadrunner flag, and up came the picture of Captain Lilly’s birthday party with the Roadrunner flag. My dad made that flag!! I remember from when I was a kid. We 4 children were always so excited when the Hazelwood was in port and we could go on it. I remember watching movies in the chief’s quarters. It was a wonderful time for us. My dad happed to call me this afternoon, and I asked him why he made the flag, and he said “Captain Lilly wanted it”. When I asked why the Roadrunner, he said “because we were fast.” Your website has brought back a lot of great memories. My dad’s computer is down right now, but when it’s back up, I will make sure he checks it out!
Colleen McCartney
 (Chief McMahon’s daughter)

Smooth sailing, Jim Julian