Thursday, January 30, 2020
Eulogy for Lawrence "Larry" Richard "Dick" Hoban
On December 7, 1941, the US Navy Ship U.S.West Virginia, anchored at Pearl Harbor, was sunk by our soon to be WWII enemy Japan. They repaired this sunken ship and got it back into action before WWII ended.
Lawrence Hoban proudly rode the repaired U.S.S.West Virginia back from his WWII war zone to the United States when his tour of duty was up. Then on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., at age 95, Lawrence Hoban, dressed in suit jacket, necktie and VFW U.S. Military hat, rang the U.S.S. West Virginia's bell! This bell stands beside the mast of the that great ship, now situated on West Virginia University's downtown campus--Woodburn/Olgebay Hall section! That was great!
Most people that knew him closely called him Dick Hoban. There are not many WWII Veterans left. Dick was one of those from "The Greatest Generation"! That generation came through tough living conditions and hard work. Often there was no indoor plumbing; often no refrigerators; often no heating except by coal and wood stoves and furnaces; often no telephones; and often no way for news except for U.S. mail, radio, an occasional newspaper and if you lived in a town an occasional newsreel at the movie house.
That generation came through so many public diseases--diphtheria, typhoid fever, whooping cough, polio, tuberculosis, etc.
That generation came through great national/world economic depression. The Stock Market crashed in October 1929, many people starved, banks closed, jobs were lost, and times were tough. Many people feel that The Economic Depression of 1929 and 1930's did not end until after WWII started.
During the WWII era, rationing of goods and services was necessary to help the U.S. war effort--sugar, flour, gasoline, tires, nylon hosiery, etc. Also U.S. Savings Bonds sales with Norman Rockwell's "The Four Freedoms" promotion, helped finance the war. United States' automobile companies stopped making cars for the public and started building tanks, jeeps, cannons, supply trucks, planes, etc.
Dick Hoban came through all of that! His generation came up with: many improvements for our living comfort; with cures for those public diseases; with ways to prevent another economic depression--such as FDIC with banks, U.S. government and states work programs, food banks, etc. As for war, the Greatest Generation came up with NATO, the United Nations, occupation of troubled world areas with peacekeeping troops and ambassadors.
Yes, our lives today are so much better because of Lawrence Hoban's "Greatest Generation"!
In the spring of 2018 or 2019 in the "Preston County Journal", I saw Dick Hoban's group picture as WWII Veterans of Preston County, West Virginia and surrounding areas were viewing the WWII Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. (between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial). I am glad to know his U.S. Military Service (risking his life) has been recognized in a big way! Dick got to see the Atlantic and Pacific Arches and the 56 U.S. States' and Territories' (especially W.Va.'s) pillars in person. How wonderful!
If U.S. Army WWII Veteran, Lawrence "Dick" Hoban, is not on the Registry (On--Line) there in Washington, D.C . I will try to get him and his WWII U.S. Military picture on myself, through his family!
