CPO(Chief Petty Officer) Vernon Marshal Mathews

Updated 6/11/2023 (CLM)http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSvcid=421663&GRid... Note: Photo of VMM in a Marine uniform was allowed even though he was in the U.S.Navy. Vernon M. Mathews(VMM)AKA Pop was third of seven children of whom four are still living. Pop was born on 5/6/1941 in a shack known as a Shotgun house. Furthermore, this house had no power or running water. Also this house was located at 118 8th Street, Eloise ,Polk County Florida. Moreover, Eloise was founded in 1896 and at the time of VMM's birth was a working poor community of Citrus Workers. As a child Pop would go to the different fields and was paid in the produce he picked. Moreover, Pop went to Snively Elementary School near Eloise and would with his friends go into the cow pasture and play bullfighter with the bulls. Furthermore, Pop graduated from Winter Haven High School in 1961. Also, in that same year Pop joined the U.S.Navy and trained as a Medic. The Navy wanted Pop to do something else and tried to have him reconsider, yet Granny called the White House to speak with someone. Granny received a picture of JFK and would smile when someone asked her how she got it. Also, Pop was asked who he knew in the White House and Pop stated he knew no one and continued his Corpsman training. The following is a list of his career of twenty years in the Navy: Trained at San Diego Early 1960's Bethesda Navel Hospital Early 1960's Pensacola twice 1960's and 1970's Operation Deep Freeze 1960's Vietnam 3rd Fleet Marine Force (FMF) 1967.68 TET 1968 Camp Carroll 1968 Jacksonville NAS Late 1960's early 1970's Camp Lejeune Mid 1970's Ships Served USS Antietam CV-36 Early 1960's USS Mills DER -383 Mid 1960's USS Macdonough DDG-39 Late 1970's early 1980's

To illustrate, some of Pop's career I(CLM) have a few examples. For instance, when Pop was at Bethesda Naval Hospital he was working in the X-Ray Department. One a a small child came in and asked Pop what he did? Pop turned around and told the child in a nice manner that it was dangerous for her to be in the department. At this time a man in a suit came in and told VMM he would take care of the child. Later in the day Pop found out that JFK had been to Bethesda and the child was Caroline Kennedy. Pop realized the man was a Secret Service Agent  and thought he could have been shot. Also, Pop held open the door for Mrs.Kennedy on many occasions. Furthermore, once in Pensacola Pop was ordered to drive pilots to someplace on the base. In the meantime , the pilots spoke about bombing Cuba and smoking cigars and rum on the beach.Following  this Pop asked for some time off and went back home to Winter Haven.Consequently , the family wondered why Pop had returned home? Pop's only response was  to wait. Accordingly, that night JFK went on TV and told the Nation and the world about  what became known as The Cuban Missile Crisis. Pop thought that if he was going to die he wanted to die with his family. Moreover, when Pop returned people wanted to know where he was and Pop told them he was at home.I (CLM) have often wondered if the Navy really needed him they could have come and gotten him  because they knew where he was.Nonetheless, Pop's next assignment was the U.S.S.Mills and Operation Deepfreeze. Consequently, Pop went to New York for  Arctic Training and then went to the Mills. The Mills went to the South Pole. Once Pop was cleaning the Sickbay and there was an oil spill, and the commanding officer who was sick threaten to place Pop on report. Pop told the officer to "go to Hell" and the officer threatened to have Pop Court-Marshaled. Another officer overheard and told the first officer and this is what I( CLM) could remember. " No- you will not put him on report - you have no business on this ship . All you have done is hang over the side of the ship and being sick." Once Operation Deep Freeze was over. The Mills  went to New Zealand  and Pop found  and made friends with a family. The family had two daughters who wanted to go to a Rolling Stones concert. Pop escorted them to the concert. After the concert Pop saw the band members choosing "dates" , and Pop decided to tell the parents about this. The parents about this incident because the girls saw this. The mother said" She was more disappointed for the girls than the boys." Furthermore, Pop went to Australia and came to a resort. Pop was at the bar when a man asked him to come to a ballroom.Pop went even though he knew no one there. Once seated there was a reunion in progress of WWII Australian Vets. Moreover, one of the Vets stated ," We are glad to have a representative of the U.S.Navy with us."  Pop was a bit taken back but accepted his role. Furthermore, fellow sailors came in and joined the reunion and stories were swapped. In the meantime, Pop was hoping to return to Florida for duty , yet received orders for Vietnam. In addition, Pop contacted the Defense Department and spoke to a Master Chief who told him all Corpsman had to have duty in Vietnam for one year. Furthermore, the Master Chief and Pop made a deal in which Pop would serve in Vietnam and then be allowed to go to Florida. Moreover, Pop was part of the 3rd Fleet Marine Force(FMF) at Camp Carroll near KheSahn  in 1967-68. Meanwhile, Pop had to have a gun cleaning kit sent to him by his parents because his guns were caked with mud and there were no cleaning kits. Once during the Tet Offensive Pop was filling  sandbags and heard a mortar fuse inside the sand pile. Stunned by the explosion ,Pop was dragged to safety but had trouble with his right side for the rest of his life. In addition, at  another time Pop was once thrown by an explosion from a bomb blast that threw him into some file cabinets.To explain, the NVA(North Vietnamese Army) had either surrounded the camp or had penetrated the lines. For this purpose, the USAF conducted an Operation Arch light  sent B-52s to bomb near the battle lines. Nevertheless, Pop was ordered to take cover and went downstairs to shelter and the concussion of the bomb sent him into the filing cabinets.