Clinton Varney O'Connell Collection
Dublin Core
Title
Clinton Varney O'Connell Collection
Subject
World War II, Pacific Theater
Description
This is a collection of WWII photographs, letters, documents and memorabilia from the O’Connell/Reese family. It includes artifacts from Clinton Varney O'Connell (Clint) who served in the US Navy during WWII.
Clint was born January 29, 1918, in Los Angeles, California. He was raised bouncing around between his mother, paternal grandmother and father. As a young boy he lived with his grandmother Obie and her husband for a while on Jack London's ranch in Petaluma, California. In his teenage years he lived in San Diego with his father Varney O'Connell who owned a radiator shop at Park Blvd and University Ave. Clint attended Horace Mann Jr. High School and San Diego High School, but did not graduate from high school until 1963 in the first class from Midway Adult High School.
Clint raced midget cars and was a stunt car and motorcycle performer in Balboa Stadium near downtown San Diego and around Lindo Lake in Lakeside in the few years before the war. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the US Navy and was stationed at NAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii serving on ships in the Pacific Theater. Clint was attached to several carrier aircraft service units with NAS Kaneohe Bay including CASU-8, CASU-5, CASU-65 and CASU-33. He received the Asiatic-Pacific 3 star, WWII Victory and Good Conduct medals. After achieving the rank of Aviation Chief Metalsmith, he received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946 and remained in the Navy Reserve for several years.
He also got his pilot's license and worked for a year in Bethel, Alaska, for Alaska Airlines. Always the wanderer, Clint initially got his Able Seaman license and worked in San Diego’s tuna fishing industry off and on during his life. He got his Third Mate Any Gross Tonnage (AGT), any waters (Oceans) license in 1966 followed by his Second Mate AGT/Oceans and Master Inspected Vessel licenses in 1968. He served in these capacities in the Merchant Marine making numerous trips into Saigon Harbor during the Vietnam War, delivering food and various supplies to our veterans fighting in the conflict. Clint also worked on research vessels taking scientists around the world. He would always bring home souvenirs from faraway places such as Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Lima, Peru, to his wife Arlyne and daughter Kathleen.
Clinton Varney O'Connell died on May 5, 1979.
Clint was born January 29, 1918, in Los Angeles, California. He was raised bouncing around between his mother, paternal grandmother and father. As a young boy he lived with his grandmother Obie and her husband for a while on Jack London's ranch in Petaluma, California. In his teenage years he lived in San Diego with his father Varney O'Connell who owned a radiator shop at Park Blvd and University Ave. Clint attended Horace Mann Jr. High School and San Diego High School, but did not graduate from high school until 1963 in the first class from Midway Adult High School.
Clint raced midget cars and was a stunt car and motorcycle performer in Balboa Stadium near downtown San Diego and around Lindo Lake in Lakeside in the few years before the war. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the US Navy and was stationed at NAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii serving on ships in the Pacific Theater. Clint was attached to several carrier aircraft service units with NAS Kaneohe Bay including CASU-8, CASU-5, CASU-65 and CASU-33. He received the Asiatic-Pacific 3 star, WWII Victory and Good Conduct medals. After achieving the rank of Aviation Chief Metalsmith, he received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946 and remained in the Navy Reserve for several years.
He also got his pilot's license and worked for a year in Bethel, Alaska, for Alaska Airlines. Always the wanderer, Clint initially got his Able Seaman license and worked in San Diego’s tuna fishing industry off and on during his life. He got his Third Mate Any Gross Tonnage (AGT), any waters (Oceans) license in 1966 followed by his Second Mate AGT/Oceans and Master Inspected Vessel licenses in 1968. He served in these capacities in the Merchant Marine making numerous trips into Saigon Harbor during the Vietnam War, delivering food and various supplies to our veterans fighting in the conflict. Clint also worked on research vessels taking scientists around the world. He would always bring home souvenirs from faraway places such as Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Lima, Peru, to his wife Arlyne and daughter Kathleen.
Clinton Varney O'Connell died on May 5, 1979.
Creator
Teri Delcamp
Date
1942-1946
Contributor
Kathleen O'Connell Reese with Teri Delcamp
Language
English
Collection Items
Japanese Naval Headband
Cloth banner with anchor flanked by Japanese flags and characters. The left kanji 勇 means "Brave" and the right kanji 忠 means "to serve a master faithfully (from bottom of your heart)."
Kamikaze Headband or Body Scarf
Cloth banner with the flag of Japan (red sun) flanked by two Japanese characters. The kanji 海 means "ocean" (sea) and the kanji 軍 means "a force," hence "Navy."
Imperium Neptuni Regis Certificate
A certificate commemorating "Crossing the Line" (the "Line" being the Equator) issued to Clinton O'Connell during World War II. The rite commemorated by the certificate usually involved several "initiation" exercises. O'Connell served in the Pacific…
Order to Report for Induction
Order for Clinton O'Connell to report for active service in the Army during WW II. O'Connell ended up serving in the Navy.
US Navy Honorable Discharge
Honorable discharge for Clinton Varney O'Connell, Aviation Chief Metalsmith
Postcard from Home
Postcard written to Clinton O'Connell (aka Butch) from his parents (aka Dad and Ma)
Clinton O'Connell
Clinton O'Connell enjoying some R&R climbing a tree while deployed in the South Pacific.
US Navy Letter of Appreciation
Letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Clinton O'Connell acknowledging his service in WW II.
