Dresden+&+Ben+G

= = = **//Veteran's name: Richard Hardy//** = =**//Ship: USS Willis (DE-395) (Destroyer Escort)//**= =**//Highest Rank During Service Time: Torpedoman 2nd Class//**=

__Richard Hardy: The Life Of__

 Richard Lee Hardy was born in Little Kutztown, PA, on April 7, 1924. He grew up with his, “mother and dad,” five brothers, and two sisters, as the second youngest boy. On the farm in which he lived, he would work a lot outside, and play with his siblings. He described his youth as “A great childhood”. He attended Myerstown High School and later worked at Boyer Printing. Prior to enlisting in the United States Naval Corps, he had never been on the water in his life. Hardy enlisted on February 23, 1943. He enlisted so he could choose the Navy. He was sent to a new camp, in Bainbridge, Maryland, for his basic training. He did not have his mind set on what he wanted to do. Consequently, he chose torpedo school. Although he was not mechanically inclined, he still enjoyed this school. Mr. Hardy was then sent to Newport, Rhode Island, where he was given the rank of Torpedoman Second Class. He graduated from torpedo school 30th out of 200. Just before Hardy was sent to Orange, Texas, where he would reside in a barracks, until his ship was fully built, he married his girlfriend at the time, Rachel. This was in 1943.  While in Orange, Texas, in 1943, Mr. Hardy would watch the ship being built everyday, for a long time. Finally, the U.S.S. Willis/ DE-395 was finished, and he and his crew-members embarked on the ship. The areas that they served in were the North Atlantic, and in the Philippines. Their objective: to find and destroy German submarines in the North Atlantic and Philippines, and to protect an assigned aircraft carrier.  Through the duration of his entire service period, he and his shipmates sank 13 submarines. His main job was to regulate the torpedo tubes on the ship. He had a few men under him, since he was a Torpedoman Second Class. While cleaning the torpedo tubes one day, he slipped off of it, and his wedding ring got caught. As a result, his ring finger was torn off. He performed many duties on this ship, along with the other men. Some of these duties included shoveling frozen water from the deck, so the ship would not be weighed down any more than it already was and sink.  The submarines they sank were primarily German, but they once destroyed a Japanese sub. In one instance, they destroyed a German submarine, and took the survivors as prisoners of war. The Japanese submarine they sank after a lengthy battle, on the other hand, was completely destroyed, leaving no survivors. As they were fishing the wreckage out of the sea, they discovered the disembodied stomach of a deceased Japanese man.  Mr. Hardy was discharged on December 4, 1945. After he was discharged, he was sent to Seattle, Washington, and was treated like a real war hero. When he returned home, he continued to work at Boyer Printing, and stayed there for 50 years of his life. He was welcomed home by his family, and treated exactly how someone would want to be treated, after serving in a war. He would have liked to reenlisted in the Navy, but he did not because of his wife, (although he later found out that she would have stayed with him if he had done so). He ended up just settling down, and starting a family with his wife, Rachel.  Mr. Hardy stayed in contact with some of his shipmates from the Willis. They would have annual reunions, where they would pick a place in the country, and go there, just to sightsee and whatnot. He also only received his medals a few years ago. He obtained the following medals: the American Campaign Medal, the European/African/Middle-Eastern Medal, the Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. These were all earned in the time period from 1943 to 1945, but he received them later in life at a ceremony held at the pavillion of Frieden’s Lutheran Church, in Myerstown, PA. The ceremony was organized by Ronald Haag, after he had written a letter to the government, asking for Mr. Hardy’s medals.  Mr. Hardy is currently 88 years old, and lives in Arbor Gate, in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. He has three daughters, and is still with his wife, Rachel. He never regretted enlisting in the military, and he was happy to do this interview. He did a great service to his country by serving in the United States Naval Corps, and for that he will forever be remembered. Thank you, Mr. Hardy, for all you have done for your country, and for agreeing to help us with this project.