We Build,
We Fight.
|
In
Loving Memory
Paul Phares August 3, 1920 - February 21, 2001 |
| Paul Phares was a
Navy Seabee in World War II. His battalion, the 72nd Naval Construction
Battalion, built an airstrip in the jungle of Japanese occupied
Guam. He and his battalion were honored guests at the 50th anniversary
of the liberation of Guam in 1994. This web site is a memorial in honor of Paul and the history of the 72nd NCB. Paul's "Can Do" attitude affected many aspects of his life, including his business. Other engineering firms would tell customers that what they wanted was impossible, but Paul would come up with solutions to get the job done. One person remarked that Paul was "...one of those Navy guys who didn't believe in the word impossible. He'd do it anyway." As a young man from the back hills of West Virginia he was called to serve in World War II. Paul told me that when he was shipped out, he had never heard of the place they were about to send him, so far away from home. He said that he had to look on a map of the world to find out where Pearl Harbor was. Once in Guam the men slept on cots in tents with weapons at their sides. Cigarettes, whiskey, and chocolate were like gold. When I first became acquainted with the family I was told not to touch him when waking him up for Thanksgiving dinner. Just call his name. Otherwise, I might get hit. These Seabees were in a hostile environment where they were shot at by Japanese snipers while they worked. Paul was also in plenty of situations where he was returning fire, too. I deeply appreciate the freedom that these men fought for at such a great price.
Visitors since June 25, 2008 Last update: June 25, 2008 Notes: 1) Photos contained in this web site are private property and may not be reproduced without written permission from Alan Phares: alan (at) phareselectronics.com 2) You may click on some of the photos in this web site to see larger, higher resolution images. Point to an image to see the file size of the larger version. Click the "BACK" button on your browser to return to the web site. |
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