Savvy Seniors: Neal, President of Tuscora Stamp Club, remembers adventures

If is often said that if you want to get something done, you need to ask a busy person. Lee Neal, 76, of Talmadge might just be the person to ask. Originally from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he enlisted in the Navy following high school graduation, and from there took on a ‘boatload’ of responsibilities.

During the four years and seven months he was serving his country, he experienced many changes. First assigned to the destroyer, USS McNair, Neal was on board when sent to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and was standing watch back in New Jersey when President John Kennedy was killed. In rapid succession he was trained by the Sea Bees in drafting, went to Diver’s School, Hard Hat Diver’s school, and ultimately became a rescue diver who helped during the 1964 Alaskan tsunami.

Neal’s last duties were aboard the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier in Viet Nam for, as he vividly remembers, two years, 10 months and 23 days, and as part of the recovery team for Apollo 202. “The recovery of the first unmanned capsule was so important that the Navy had a second rescue ship waiting in the Atlantic in case the original missed its mark,” he said. “NASA was trying to determine whether the capsule cooled itself when the bottom burned off during re-entry. It did, thus allowing the astronauts to return safely. I was on the USS Hornet at the time and was part of the rescue.”

“There have been eight Hornet war ships,” Neal related. “The first was commissioned in 1777, and the last was the one I served on, which today, is a museum in San Francisco. The seventh Hornet was the one from which General Doolittle launched his raid on Tokyo. That ship was sunk during the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in 1942. History records that the Japanese fleet commander bragged about the loss, so when the next ship was built, its name, Kearsarge, was changed to Hornet. causing him such dishonor because it appeared he hadn’t actually sunk the Hornet, that he committed suicide. I own a small piece of the deck that was replaced before it became a museum,” he said.

Neal has documented the histories of the Hornets in a collection of stamps, patches and covers (envelopes) commemorating all the ships’ involvements. It has been nearly 30 years in the making. “My father died when I was 4 months old,” he said, “and he left a stamp collection. I wasn’t much interested as a child, but once I started traveling with the Navy, I started collecting. My living room holds my many collections now, including the Statue of Liberty, Monaco, US Air Mail and the artist, Goya, among others.

After his stint in the Navy, Neal began working for the Bellevue Trucking Company, and then retired from United Transport Industries after 39 years. His activities have not been confined to work and stamps. He was the highest ranking officer of Junior Chamber of Commerce International, president of the Hartville Photo Club, served 15 years as Senior Youth Director of United Methodist Church of Uniontown, works at voting polls, volunteers at the Akron Zoo, and was president of the Tuscora Stamp Club, where he is still an active member.

With all that busyness, Neal puts family above all else. He and his wife, Elizabeth, spend as much time keeping their family in touch as they can. They are extremely proud of their children and grandchildren. Two years ago, a grandson wrote an essay about Neal and his service for a high school competition. As the winner, he was given the opportunity to lay the wreathe at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Neal was there to photograph and cherish the event. What greater tribute for a busy man than that?

(Editor's note: If you know of a senior who is unique and deserves a story, please e-mail Lee Elliott at leeadirects@roadrunner.com. Please include contact information so she can share their story with our readers.)

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Lee Neal, President of Tuscora Stamp Club, remembers adventures