The Story of Dick McAlister

Samantha VidaurriChase EmmonsKatie Markham

Birth:

Dick was born on February 15, 1924 in Bakersfield, California.Into an old pioneer family, they’re a very close family but Mr.

McAlister was especially close to his grandfather. He was raised in the Great Depression but had a happy life

surrounded by great family and siblings.

This is a picture of Dick, wife Edna and cousin Raymond.

(Dick on left side).

Education:Dick attended elementary and high school in Bakersfield. He majored in accounting in high school, to become a CPA; someday. Dick was involved in the ROTC program, which he eventually became company captain by graduation. Dick had after school jobs like working at a market. Dick bought his first car, a 1927 Essex.

“I thought I was pretty cool in that old car”-Dick

McAlister

War Time:Pearl Harbor occurred when Dick was a junior in high school. He decided he would enter the service as soon as his father would allow. Mr. McAlister completed high school and one semester of junior college before enlisting in the Naval Reserve and the U.S. Merchant Marine also known as the Maritime Service.

Maritime shipping

War Time:Dick was influenced by his

father to become a merchant marine.

Right after new years day in 1943 he was sent to basic training. The trainings he attended was the Purser training, which was taking care of all paper work, signing on and off crew members, payroll, the ships library and store. The training was located at Sheephead Bay, Brooklyn New York.

Picture of the Statue of Liberty while on ship.

During stay at New York:Dick had opportunities to experience, many great happenings such as his first Big League baseball game, the wonderful theaters such as musicals and plays on Broadways and the excitement of the “Big Apple.”

Picture of Broadway street in 1943.

Completion:After completing training Dick was sent

back to Los Angeles. He was being assigned to a ship to begin his sailing experience.

Dick with John Velte from

Wisconsin. (left side)

While on sea:One of dick’s first ship was the MS Unicoi. This

ship was an old WW one freighter. Dick and shipmates were given a cargo of road building equipment to build the Pan American Highway from United Sates to Panama.

when they were all done they left some equipment in Costa Rica and some in Panama.

MS Unicoi was old and tired which required time in the ship yard for repairs before future and last longing trips.

While on sea Continued:From Panama they sailed to Chile. Dick loaded

nitrate which was used to make bombs. Then Columbia to finish load with balsa wood which is used to make life jackets and other items. After his completion they headed back to L.A.

The Pan American Highway witched Dick delivered the equipment at.

Continued:Dick loaded ship with landing mats which are

large steel planks that are hooked together to make landing strips for airplane on beaches and jungles overseas. He sailed to a small island near New Guinea where they waited a couple of months for other ships to arrive for the invasion of the Philippines Islands. Finally he sailed in a convoy of about 90 ships to Leyte in the Philippines, this is where Dick saw his first action in war fare. The Japanese would fly over Dicks ship everyday to attempt to sink as many as possible with both bombing, as Kamikaze flights would fly their planes into ships. They were pretty successful but eventually anti-aircraft guns and fighters planes made things better for Dick and his crew.

Dick and a ship mate. (right side is

Dick)

Continued:Landing mats Dick and crew

carried made several landing strips on the island, which were used by the planes to fight the Japanese planes and to bomb targets closer to Tokyo. They were very fortunate to avoid any hits from the enemy, but they came close several times.

There old ship couldn’t make it any longer (main engine died) . There army took it over to a floating warehouse and the crew returned to USA.

Dick flew back to San Francisco with Captain and Chief Engineer.

Japanese tried to target on the ships to sink

many, Dicks ship was very close to one.

A new beginning: Dick turned 21 and married

girlfriend Edna in Bakersfield, unfortunately he had to return to Sheepshead Bay for further training.

All pursers would take advanced medical training to take the responsibility of medical care on ship, since merchant ships did not have doctors or medics.

Edna and Dick traveled by train to New York were they rented a tiny apartment just blocks from Coney Island.

Dick and his wife Edna enjoying their

time together.

Continued:While Dick was learning how to sew up wounds, give shots and care for injured and sick crew members Edna enjoyed the beach at Coney Island. “ We spent many wonderful weekends in New York”- Dick McAlister.

Coney Island board walk.

Hands on:

Dick was sent back to San Francisco for hands on hospital training at the Marine Hospital. Hew was then assigned to a liberty ship and sailed to Portland, assigned to the SS Berry a Victory ship. By this time the war was over in Europe. They were all sent to Philadelphia to completely load the ship with flour. Then they sailed across the Atlantic to Bremen, Germany which was the first large ship to cross the English Channel after the war. The cargo was to help feed the German who had very little food. By the time Dick and his crew got back to New York the war with Japan was now over and after signing off his crew, the crew of another ship got released and returned to Bakersfield.

Boarding the SS Berry a Victory ship. (left)

Dick total time in the service was just over three years.

After service:

Dick grew from an 18 year old kid into a 21 year old man. “I still cherish those years to this day”- Dick McAlister.

Just a couple weeks at home he got a job as a sales rep for the Kellogg Cereal Company calling on grocers, restaurants, school and more. Dick spent four years in Bakersfield and four in Stockton before quitting and moving to southern California.

Continued:During that time Edna and Dick had 2

daughters who are now both in their 60’s.In southern cal he went to work for Mothers

Cookie Company as a salesmen.Dick worked there for 32 years and for most of

it he was a district manager with a team of salesmen and operated distribution center in several cities in so cal. Eventually a son, mike came along in those years and he is now 56.

Continued:

Besides work McAlister enjoyed sports car world, owning a triumph TR3 and a Corvette Stingray. He did all kinds of activities for 25 years. Later they got an RV and enjoyed traveling and camping for 16 years. Started out with a little travel trailer and finished up with a nice Motorhome. Dick retired in 1986 at age 62.

An improvement from his 1927 Essex.

A sad ending to another happily ever after:Dick was happily married to Edna for 46 years until

her death, since then Dick remarried to Sally and have been married for 17 years. They together have a passion for traveling. Sally and Dick visited every state in the U.S and every state capital. They also visited and stayed in all 58 counties in California, visited all the California's missions and have criss-crossed the U.S. several times in their Motorhome and car. Dicks most current passion is and visiting Lighthouses, photographed 270 Lighthouses around the country and overseas.

Dick spent many days as a volunteer, For four years as a boys scout master in Bakersfield, two years with the YMCA in lake wood, coached little league and pony league baseball, volunteered as a kindergarten teachers assistant in Hemet, and worked in a hospital in Oceanside, in the welcome center in Oceanside and now a volunteer as a docent and teacher at the Diamond Valley lake Visitor in Hemet.

Dick still keep fit by swimming and working out in a gym. He tries to swim ½ mile every day when he has time . “not to bad for 86 yeas old!”- Dick McAlister.

A sad ending to another happily ever after continued:

Dick is a proud owner of this Purser badge.

United States Merchant Marine cap Dick once

owned.

Dick was influenced by his father to

become a Merchant Marine. (Mr. McAlister to the left and Dick

far right side)