Harvey R Alexander
Born, June 22, 1921
Place- Alton Illinois (In his own words)
Listen to Harv talk about one
of his early "fixer uppers" as a little boy:
About The Family
Author: “Thanks for taking the
time out of your, “busy” schedule in order that we may chat a few
minutes about your family during the war…(laughs).”
Harv: “Well, here I am again doing
something on shipmates and friends, due to a lot of pressure and
dire threats from my daughter and son-in-law! They want to know
about the folks back home during WW2.”
Author: “Yes, we do, mainly
because I don’t believe enough has been said about the people behind
the legends….”
Harv: “Ohhhhh go on!”
(smiles)
Author: “No, seriously, it
behooves me to think that years pass bye, people move on in life and
leave this earth, and then simply forgotten for all the
accomplishments they did in order to keep us truly free.”
Harv: “Ok, as long as you put it that
way, I will try to let you know about my folks, My Mother and Dad
were well into their 60`s when the war broke out and I went into the
Navy.”
Author: “Did they start out
supporting the effort as soon as the war began, or did it take some
time to reach them?”
Harv: “I would say it was almost a year
and a half before I found that my Mother went to work at a Navy
ordinance plant at a little town about nine miles from our home,
called
Illiopolis, Il.”
Author: “This must have been
some shock to her, to come from a simple life like housekeeping to a
giant plant such as this?”
Harv: “Oh yes, she had never worked at
anything other than being a Mother and home keeper before.
Basically, after I joined the Navy she decided to go to work and
make the ammunition that she thought that I might need.”
Author: “Like I said, a true
hero behind the legend…”
Harv: “Ok, if that’s the way you wish
to put it.”
Author: (smiling proudly) “It
is.”
Harv: “Well then at this plant they
made shells, bombs and torpedoes for the Navy.”
