“Remembering an Ancestor: A Tribute to a
Navy Man Who Proudly Served His Country” –
As part of our commemoration of Memorial Day, our fellow University Club member, John Geddes, will share some stories about his father who served in the Navy during both WWII and the Korean War. His father wrote a book about his experiences which is entitled “Above and On the Deep Blue”.
John’s father was a Naval Aviator who fought in the Pacific Theater during WWII. He flew Search and Rescue missions and anti-submarine patrols in an amphibious PBY. After the war, he served as the Senior Aviator on board a Cruiser. He flew a Curtis Seahawk float plane which was catapulted off the stern of the ship. As a Navy pilot, he had many interesting experiences and several close calls. During the Korean War, his father served as the Operations Officer on a destroyer. The destroyer was the flagship for minesweeping operations and the ship also provided artillery support for our troops on shore. He ended his Navy career as an executive officer on board an aircraft carrier which was deployed in the Mediterranean. John’s father later earned a PhD in Education and had a long career in that field.
This meeting with speaker John Geddes was a presentation at DoubleTree in Claremont.