PROFILE OF A
MUSEUM VOLUNTEER Harold Hudson was born on March 29,
1926 in Depew, Oklahoma to Mable Gould and Marvin Hudson. His father worked in
the oilfields in charge of a tank building crew and his mother worked for a
physician who also was the proprietor of a drug store. When the Depression hit
in 1929 there was no work anywhere, so his father started farming; following in
the footsteps of Harold’s grandparents on both sides of the family. In 1936,
his father declared, “We can do better than this”, so the family migrated to
California. They arrived in Sanger on a Sunday evening at seven P.M. and by
noon the next day his father had a job as an equipment manager. They had a
company house and were there for two years before moving to Orange Cove where
Harold’s Dad went to work for a larger farm. Harold attended Old Highland
School just east of Sanger, Orange Cove School, and completed his education at
Reedley High School. Harold the oldest in the family had three brothers, all became Navy men, Marvin, Charles, and Chester.
His two sisters were Violet and Daisy and are both deceased. When asked what department he
wanted to be trained, it didn't take Harold long to decide. After his father’s
death, Harold would always help his mother cook, so what better job could there
be. It didn't take him long though, to understand that it takes a lot more food
and work to feed an entire ship’s crew then it did a family. After thirty days
Harold was assigned to a new Liberty ship that went up the bay to Benicia. It
took on a full load of ammo and sailed out of the harbor headed to New Guinea.
It was a twenty one day cruise with no escorts, and the crew didn't see another
ship till they arrived at their destination. After the completion of the New
Guinea trip Harold began working as cook, third class. Not long afterwards, he
was asked if he wanted to go to an advanced Cook and Baker school; which of
course, his reply was yes. He thought he must have done alright because they
then asked if he wanted to go to Officers Candidate School in Palo Alto,
California; and again, he said yes. Harold spent most of his time
during the war on troop transports. He landed in Pearl Harbor thirteen times
during his tour and participated in several invasions in the South Pacific.
Harold’s vessel was only the second troop ship to go into Manila, located in
the Philippines. While getting ready for D-Day his ship was sent through the
Panama Canal, and later sent back to prepare for the invasion of Japan. After
the A Bomb was dropped, his ship was brought to San Francisco to unload troops
and with a short crew, they sailed with empty cargo
bays through the Panama Canal to Mobile, Alabama, where it was to be
decommissioned. About a month later, Harold was assigned duty on another ship,
and made two more trips across the Atlantic to Europe. World War II was coming
to a halt and it was late 1946. Harold asked for a discharge and was happy to
return to Fresno. In 1948 Harold married his sweetheart Vada
Duvall, and they had two sons James and Keith. Son James is also a four year
veteran of the Navy. Harold has volunteered at the Veterans Memorial Museum “Home of the Legion of Valor” since 2008 and enjoys the camaraderie with his fellow docents. |