Harold Wellington
Merchant Marine/US Army/US Navy
1942-1946/1948/1950-1954
Merchant Marine/US Army/US Navy
1942-1946/1948/1950-1954
Harold Wellington was born in Brownsville, Vermont and worked on the family farm. He tried to join the Navy before the war, but he was 17 and his dad wouldn’t let him. When he turned 18 in 1942 he wanted to join the Navy but they had too many recruits. To avoid the draft, which would have landed him in the Army, he joined the Merchant Marines. That would put him at sea, and he figured he’d be safer there. They sent him to Brooklyn to boot camp and there he realized it wasn’t a branch of the service, but it would defer him from the draft…and the Army. He became a fireman in the boiler room with no training. He had to figure it himself.
“We were taking supplies to our troops in Europe. We always travelled in convoys escorted by Naval Destroyers and British Corvettes. Of course, we were escorted by German subs too.”. Harold went to London, then to the Mediterranean, to Africa, through the Suez Canal, into the Indian Ocean and to the Persian Gulf. Eventually the Lend-Lease began, and they were taking supplies to Russia via Iran, where the Army built a railroad to Russia that nobody knew anything about. “Maybe the Germans knew but they were busy somewhere else”. They dropped off the supplies in Iran where they then made their way to Russia. They would pick up armaments in Africa and take them to Italy and eventually back to the states.
“We had a Swedish ocean liner that had been converted to a troop transport. I made two trips to France on that ship to bring our troops home after the war.” Harold was in Marseille France on V-J Day. Harold and some friends went ashore and bought some booze to bring back to the ship and celebrate.
He got out of the Merchant Marine in 1946 only to find out that the Army would draft him in 1948 and spent a year there and hated it. In 1950 he received a letter from the Army calling him back again.
To avoid the Army Harold went to the Naval recruiter and asked if he joined the Navy, would that keep him out of the Army? They said yes. He spent the Korean War in the Navy and served mainly in the US. He was discharged in 1954.
Harold came back home and worked in the auto body business until he retired. He married late in life at the age of 66. He had two stepchildren and lived in Brevard. He has lived in Brevard, NC for 30 years.
Harold was the happiest and most gregarious of all of the veterans. He clearly embraced life to the fullest. He volunteers daily at the Veterans Museum and is the ultimate representative with his smile, joviality and wit.
“We were taking supplies to our troops in Europe. We always travelled in convoys escorted by Naval Destroyers and British Corvettes. Of course, we were escorted by German subs too.”. Harold went to London, then to the Mediterranean, to Africa, through the Suez Canal, into the Indian Ocean and to the Persian Gulf. Eventually the Lend-Lease began, and they were taking supplies to Russia via Iran, where the Army built a railroad to Russia that nobody knew anything about. “Maybe the Germans knew but they were busy somewhere else”. They dropped off the supplies in Iran where they then made their way to Russia. They would pick up armaments in Africa and take them to Italy and eventually back to the states.
“We had a Swedish ocean liner that had been converted to a troop transport. I made two trips to France on that ship to bring our troops home after the war.” Harold was in Marseille France on V-J Day. Harold and some friends went ashore and bought some booze to bring back to the ship and celebrate.
He got out of the Merchant Marine in 1946 only to find out that the Army would draft him in 1948 and spent a year there and hated it. In 1950 he received a letter from the Army calling him back again.
To avoid the Army Harold went to the Naval recruiter and asked if he joined the Navy, would that keep him out of the Army? They said yes. He spent the Korean War in the Navy and served mainly in the US. He was discharged in 1954.
Harold came back home and worked in the auto body business until he retired. He married late in life at the age of 66. He had two stepchildren and lived in Brevard. He has lived in Brevard, NC for 30 years.
Harold was the happiest and most gregarious of all of the veterans. He clearly embraced life to the fullest. He volunteers daily at the Veterans Museum and is the ultimate representative with his smile, joviality and wit.