American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Furman Oliver, 84, who joined the U.S. Naval Reserves while in high school in 1958 in Florence, S.C. While in the Reserves he attended Boot Camp at Great Lakes, Ill., so that in 1961 he could go on active duty and attend Hospital Corpsman School also in Great Lakes. His first duty station was at the Naval Hospital (NAVHOSP) at Camp Lejeune. He next attended Aviation Medical School in Pensacola, Fla., to become qualified as an Aviation Medical Technician before being assigned to the NAVHOSP at NAS Patuxent River, Md. His follow-on tour was at NAVHOSP Portsmouth, Va., before being assigned to USS Saratoga (CV-60) that included nine months in the Mediterranean. He and his family then relocated to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for two years.
Returning to the States, he was assigned to the Naval Auxiliary Air Station Pensacola medical clinic. Back to NAVHOSP Portsmouth, he trained as a Medical Service Technician for independent duty before being assigned to MCAS Cherry Point,N.C., for four years during which he deployed to the Mediterranean with the Marines aboard USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20). Staying with the Marines, he next served at the clinic on Parris Island. His final assignment was aboard USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938) that included deployments to the Mediterranean and Red seas and the Indian Ocean. In 1981 he retired as a Chief Hospital Corpsman with 20 years of active service.
Returning to Beaufort, he worked for United Telephone before using his GI Bill at TCL to earn an RN degree and then begin 10 years of work at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. He had a son who graduated from Beaufort High School and eventually retired as a Navy Hospital Corpsman.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
