Porter W. Colvard (Tim), is a native of Rosalie. He joined the Navy in February 1946 at the age of seventeen. He decided to sign up voluntarily before he was drafted. He attended boot camp in Norfolk, Virginia. Colvard was assigned to the U.S.S. Randolph, stationed as a telephone talker on #3 elevator and talked to the Landing Signal Officers on the back of the ship.
While on the first cruise, two different planes came into the catwalk almost on top of Colvard. He remembered being scared to death. He asked for a longer telephone cord for his headset, so that he could escape the catwalk into a hatch inside the ship.
Later he was assigned to V-1 Division in the flight deck control until the ship was put out of commission. His new assignment was located on the side of the ship (known as the “island”). Tim’s duty was the placement of the aircrafts in their designated spots on the flight deck once they landed. The planes took off on the front of the ship (bow) and landed on the back of the ship, the “fantail” as he called it.
There were three elevators on the ship that lowered the planes to the hangar deck. Once the planes were placed in their spot, the telephone operator would call Tim and he would place small airplanes on a planning board to show that the t slot was already taken.
He was discharged in December of 1947 at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. His rank was Seaman 1st Class.
Tim attends the Anniversary celebrations of the U.S.S. Randolph when he is able. Recently, he attended the 75th Anniversary celebration. During that time, he was able to meet up with two of his former shipmates.
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