Page 58 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

JOHN GLOVER
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, NAVY by Susan Halter, daughter
John applied to and was accepted into the WWII V12 program which trained officers at colleges across the U.S. Already at Georgia Tech, he was enlisted as an active duty Apprentice Seaman on July 1, 1944. Upon graduation from Georgia Tech in February 1946, shortly after WWII ended, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. After one month in New Orleans, LA he went to Newport, RI to attend steam engineering school for 6 weeks. Then he was assigned to the patrol craft PC576, which ironically was a diesel-driven ship, not steam-driven. Most of the next several months were spent on the Anacostia River in Washington D.C. In August 1946 he was put on inactive duty but participated in the Naval Reserves for about 20 years. During this time, he rose to become a Lieutenant. After he was discharged John began a career in chemical engineering and management of petrochemical companies.
The PC576 ship was assigned to do naval research, in particular on how to improve the accuracy of guiding torpedoes to their target. They would follow the wake of commercial ships and take measurements to better determine the speed and direction of ships. Once they were short a radio operator before going out to sea to do research work. Docked at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington DC, they just happened to be next to President Truman’s presidential yacht. He and someone else went over to ask if they would loan them one. Their initial response was no; they were at the beck and call of the president. But they finally relented and said yes, as long as it was just for a few days. The radio operator came over all spic and span in his white uniform to ask what he would need to wear while aboard their ship. Of course, the patrol craft dress code was much less formal.
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