The idea of Inspiring History is identifying those who provide a rich contribution to life that can be exemplified as a Profile in Character. These individuals can be people with different talents, who have wide ranging occupations and careers, and may be from different stations in life. Someone who greatly influenced me, for the better, was my Uncle Jesse Hall.
Uncle Jesse graduated from Franklin High School just as the country was ramping up our military strength. The shadow of World War II fighting was looming, and the country was preparing. He joined the Navy and gained experienced—early and often—even before America joined the conflict. He was aboard the heavy cruiser USS Vincennes. The ship carried France’s gold away for their government as the German’s invaded and the cruiser chopped through heavy winter Atlantic seas as they evaded U-Boats . On America’s entry he was then in the Pacific and took part in the Doolittle Raid on Japan. They were part of the battle of Midway and then refitted in Hawaii for the Marines landing at Guadalcanal. His ship “was sunk out from under him” as he used to say during the Battle of Savo Island, where he was wounded with armor piercing shrapnel, set adrift in oil and flaming water for many hours and awaited death, sharks or rescue. After a destroyer picked him up, transferred him to a hospital ship, he then recovered in San Diego and henceforth completed 20 years in the Navy. His service record spoke to me as stirring, living history.
Retired in the early 1960s Uncle Jesse gained skill in shooting pistols and loading ammo. He took courses to become an electrician, was an electronics builder with Heathkits, and an amateur radio operator. He lived next door with his father—my grandfather. As a 12 year old or so, I was greatly influenced by his presence, his hobbies, and talents, and as such imparted life-changing directions and career forming foundations.
I grew into my teen years getting an appreciation of the physics of electricity. I observed him and also enjoyed making working electronics myself with a soldering iron and resistors and capacitors. I was mystified with communicating around the world on a small battery operated handful of parts and single wire antenna. I felt accomplishment learning the language of Morris Code that would creep through the static of the airwaves at night to all corners of the world.
For me, Uncle Jesse’s positive influence in my early teens involved making technology work, and talking with international citizens having similar hobbies with ham radio. These pastimes followed me into college courses with electrical engineering, and later stepping into other engineering degrees. From this I have been able to design and fabricate complex and state of the art hardware and software to make production more efficient and effective, and bettering the world by making our lives easier and safer. His war experiences provided a profound feel for the implications that disputes “beyond diplomacy” (as von Clausewitz would say) into war drive society into painful and life wrenching destitution. Over my years, I have acquired a deep understanding of how technology can help leverage our natural resources and I have used my honed skills in technology to make the world a better place.
I am fortunate enough to have the years behind me to realize how a person with positive qualities, such as my Uncle Jesse had, can influence another to act as a vessel of construction. The good qualities that Uncle Jesse imparted to me is example of Profiles in Character, ways that indeed do make the world a better place.