First Quarter 2002 ENCORE issue
New military books published on retirees
Two recently published non-fiction books focus on the military
careers of Chevron and Gulf retirees. The books are titled
"Lest We Forget" and "Bob's Story."
"Lest We Forget," published in September, is a 67-page
paperback that salutes the members of the Permian Basin Chapter
in Midland, Texas, who served in the military during times of war
and peace.
The booklet relates varied personal experiences, like those
of Roy Morgan of San Angelo, Texas.
A U.S. Navy gunner's mate, he was stationed on the light
cruiser USS St. Louis at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on
Dec. 7, 1941, served on the seaplane tender USS Rockaway at the
invasion of Normandy in France and was called to active duty on
the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the Korean Conflict.
Morgan served 34 years with Gulf before retiring in 1984 as
a Production supervisor in Crane, Texas.
Other chapter members served in Italy, Sicily, Scotland,
England, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Algeria,
Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, China, Burma, India, Solomon Islands,
Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, The
Philippines, Okinawa, Guam, Japan, Panama and the USA -- from the
Aleutian Islands to Texas.
The impressive project is the work of Maxine Nelson, coordinator of the chapter's excellent newsletter. She retired in 1988
after nearly 20 years with Gulf and Chevron in Midland.
Helen Barr assisted with computer work on the paperback's
photos while the Chevron Midland office provided supplies, reproduction and mail services.
"Bob's Story," a gripping tale of war and faith, is focused
on a small band of U.S. Army soldiers which briefly held an
entire German army at a standstill during the crucial Battle of
the Bulge in December 1944.
Bob Moranda of Granada Hills, Calif., who was a member of
that group, said, "As I worked for Chevron for almost 40 years, I
thought my former co-workers would be interested in the book I've
co-authored with my brother, George."
Moranda and his fellow Yanks held off the Germans for several
days in Belgium before they were overwhelmed, captured and sent
to a prisoner of war camp in Poland. When the Soviets liberated
them, instead of releasing them to the U.S. Army in Germany, they
were transported by freight car through Russia to the Black
Sea port of Odessa.
After the war, 1st lieutenant Moranda rejoined Chevron only
to be called into service again in Korea as a major in the California National Guard. He retired from Chevron in 1978 as
retail manager, Marketing, in Los Angeles.
His story is available at www.iuniverse.com.
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