US Navy Lt. Commander Homer Hamby "Hutch" Hutcheson was born in Buchanan, Haralson County, Georgia on December 28, 1914, the son of Alva Dewey Hutcheson (1892-1950) and Anna Ruth Lovvorn (1889-1979). Homer's father occupied a variety of jobs throughout his life all in the Georgia area. He began as a farmer and by 1922 was listed as a schoolteacher in Savannah. By 1930, he was a post office clerk with Anna Ruth listed as the post mistress in Buchanan. In 1940, he had become a policeman in Buchanan as well.
As for Homer, he would graduate from high school in c1932 in Buchanan before enrolling in Berry College in Rome, Georgia. He graduated from Berry around 1936 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He would enter the US Navy and was sent to flight school at NAS Pensacola. He completed the program and was commissioned an Ensign on November 1, 1939. From here, he was transferred to Air Group 4 with the USS Ranger stationed out of Norfolk, Virginia. However, while going through the flight program he managed to meet a young lady by the name of Alberta June Hoffman (1918-2003), a graduate of Pensacola High School, Class of 1936. She was also the sister of Monica Margaret, Class of 1935 and George Earl Jr., Class of 1940. Her father was George Earl Sr. who was the United States District Attorney in Pensacola. Their engagement was short, and they would marry on December 28, 1939.
After Pearl Harbor, Homer would serve in the Atlantic area as executive officer to Torpedo Squadron 4. Then on December 20, 1943, the squadron's commanding officer, LCDR D. W. (Woot) Taylor was assigned to another Air Group while Homer became the Skipper of VT-4. Sadly, LCDR Taylor was killed later in an operational accident. Under Hutcheson, training was intensified until all pilots were night carrier landing certified. Then on April 16, 1944, the Ranger's entire Air Group 4 were transferred to Fort Devens, Massachusetts. On June 29, they turned in their planes at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, as Homer said goodbye to June and his three sons Homer Jr., George Dewy, and Timothy. He then joined his men and boarded a train for the West Coast. On July 13, the Air Group 4 personnel were loaded aboard the USS Barnes for transport to Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on July 21, 1944. There, the squadron began operating out of the airbase at Hilo, Hawaii. Here the Squadron carried on intensive operational training with increased seriousness before they headed off for combat.
All went well until September 21, 1944, when tragedy struck the squadron. During a night simulated torpedo flight over the Pacific three of the torpedo planes collided during a severe rain squall and crashed into the sea. Their new commander and eight of the pilots and crewmen were killed. There were no bodies recovered leaving it to June and his parents to explain it to the boys. In February 1956, June would marry Thomas George DeDakis and build a new life for her and her sons. Homer and June's sons would meet their own fate in their own time. However, George Dewey (1941-1969) would meet his in Vietnam on September 21, 1969, when his CH-53 Chopper crashed. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Opmerkingen