Footsteps of My Father with Mark Shoemaker

Description

On this Veteran's Day, in honor of Andrew Jefferson (A.J.) Shoemaker Jr., U.S. Navy Chief Pharmacist Mate, his son Mark is making a photo rich presentation on A.J.'s Pacific tours of duty during WWII.

Mark researched his father's military activity and recently retraced his footsteps in the South Pacific by traveling on a cargo ship throughout the coral atoll island country of Tuvala (Ellice Islands) where he found many WWII remnants.

The presentation will cover island life before, during and after WWII, including the current struggles with rising sea level due to Climate Change. A.J.'s second tour of duty was on the Fletcher Class Destroyer USS Charles Ausburne where after numerous kamikaze attacks off Okinawa, celebrated the end of WWII.

Afterwards, like so many other Veterans, A.J. settled in the South Bay, raised his family, and enjoyed a career in aerospace.

This presentation will follow the 11:00 AM Veterans Day Ceremony hosted by the City of Hermosa Beach. A reception will be held in the Museum afterwards, followed by this historical presentation.