SOUTHINGTON — While serving in the U.S. Navy, Southington resident Michael Hogan always made sure the service people received their mail from family at home.
Hogan was assigned to the postal service, first on the West Coast and then on the East Coast, during the Vietnam War. Hogan was born and raised in Warren, and after graduating from Western Reserve High School, he enlisted in the Navy in June 1968 and soon attended basic training in San Diego.
“It’s a family tradition. My dad (Joseph) and grandpa (Mike) both served in the Navy, so I thought I would too,” he said.
Hogan said his father served during World War II and his grandfather during World War I. Neither of them spoke much about their time in the military, he said.
Hogan spent time on the USS Hector, which was a repair ship stationed at Long Beach, California.
“I was assigned to be a Navy postal clerk. Me and two and three other guys would sort and deliver the mail,” Hogan said.
Hogan went to a Naval air facility in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, where he worked at the base’s post office for about 20 months.
“It was always nice to see the grins on guys’ faces when they received a letter from home. They were all young guys in their late teens and 20s,” Hogan said.
