William Robert NAIL

NAIL, GRAY, HOBSON, BUECHTER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/31/2009 at 15:36:01

[25 May 1921 -- 1 August 1996
son of Harry O. and May (Vulgamott) Nail of Woolstock, Wright County, Iowa]

Source: http://www.usswalker.com/memorial.htm

William Robert (Rusty) Nail
1921 - 1996

William Robert Nail joined the Navy on 8 Feb. 1939 (321-29-94) and was assigned to the USS Philadelphia. He served three years (1939-1941) in the "undeclared" war in the North Atlantic. During this time he received the nickname "Rusty" which he kept his entire life and his son David picked up when joining the Air Force. They are together now. William leaving us on August 1, 1996 and David left us August 1, 1998. David was only 43 and very close to Dad. It is fitting they had the same nickname of "Rusty". The story goes that dad was working out in the rain and the other swap-jockeys told him if he didn't get out of the rain he would get "rusty". Well the name stuck.

In Dec 1941 Rusty was assigned to the USS Walker. He participated as a gunners mate on the Walker for the duration of the war. It was on the Walker that Rusty met Don Gray. The two of them became very close friends. After the war Rusty brought Don home (Woolstock, Iowa) to meet the family. Don fell in love with Rusty's sister, Phyllis and they ended up getting married. Uncle Don and Aunt Phyllis currently live in Kansas City, Ks.

Rusty tried civilian life for about a year and then joined the USAF. He served in the USAF 18 years. He and Ruth (our mother) raised a family of six in Kansas City, KS; Topeka, Ks; Margate, England; Denver, Colorado and Tampa, Florida where he retired in 1966 with 26 years of service to his country under his belt. He spend the next 30 years in Kansas City, MO. where he worked at the NCO Club at Richards-Gebaur AFB and fished a lot with his lifelong friends.

Dad loved to tell stories, but not very many about the war, I know now that WW II was not very funny. There were some lighter moments, however. One I remember was when the Walker received some warm beer. He said the guys would pop the cap and put it to their mouths as fast as they could, so as not to loose any of the valuable commodity. The beer being warm of course foamed up and fill the mouth and ran out the nose like a spigot. It must have looked like a boat load of "rabid" sailors! He also liked to play cards and maybe even gambled a little on the ship. Maybe that's why they have gaming "boats" here in Missouri.

Rusty had the highest respect for his "buddies" on the Walker. I'm glad they never had to swim for it because Rusty never knew how. He cheated on the swimming test when he enlisted, because he wanted to go to sea. I'm glad it was to serve on the USS Walker.

John Nail

In memory of "Rusty"

Ruth Nail (wife and mother of the six of us)
Linda Hobson (daughter)
John Nail (son)
Jeanette Nail (daughter)
David Nail (son -died 8/1/98)
Kenneth Nail (son)
Nancy Buechter (daughter)

http://www.usswalker.com/memorial.htm
 

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