Staff photo / Bob Coupland Southington resident Michael Hogan, 74, shows the medals and honors he received while serving two stints in the Navy. He served as a postal clerk from 1968 to 1972 and again from 1974 to 1989.

EDITOR’S NOTE: To suggest a veteran for this series, email Metro Editor Marly Reichert at mreichert@tribtoday.com or call her at 330-841-1737.

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.

He said he remembers enemy planes would come through the perimeter of the base at times.

“They were always after our aircraft. We had to protect the towers along the perimeter where the administrative personnel were,” Hogan said,

The Vietnamese from the south parts of the country were friends of the United States, but those in the northern parts were not.

“If they were shooting at us, we knew they were from the north,” he said.

Hogan said mail was delivered daily while on land, but when at sea everyone had to wait until the ship got to port.

“It was mostly letters from home and care packages. Most care packages, including mine, were filled with candy,” he said.

Hogan said the weather was always hot in Vietnam and they had to deal with heavy rain from monsoons.

Hogan said every Naval ship has an original crew and he was a member of the original crew for the USS Peterson, a destroyer. He received a piece of the wooden plank from the ship.

“That was my best sea duty,” he said.

He then went to the Naval air station in Lemoore, California.

After he left the Navy in 1972, Hogan served as an inactive reservist from 1972 to 1974, which meant he would be available if there was a war.

Hogan said when he came home, there was mixed reaction with family and friends, with some being very supportive and others not because of the harsh feelings and protests over the Vietnam War.

“I always felt I should serve because it was a family tradition to serve,” he said.

His younger brother, Jim, also served in the Navy.

Hogan said he liked traveling to Iceland and Greece while in the Navy.

“I loved Greece, It was a beautiful island with a lot of history,” he said.

In Greece, Hogan was part of the Naval support activity. In Iceland, he was at a Naval air station in Keflavik. After serving four years and a short break, Hogan re-enlisted in the Navy in 1974 and served until 1989.

“I felt I had a good experience for four years so I went back,” he said.

Hogan returned to his postal job.

“The biggest difference was that the war was over. It was now the oil crisis. I also got to see three presidents,” he said.

Hogan saw President Gerald Ford in New York harbor in 1976 during the American bicentennial, President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter on the USS Peterson in July 1977 and then President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev from the Soviet Union while in Iceland in 1986.

After his second service was completed, he worked for the U.S. Post Office in Brookfield.

Hogan said he was a member of the American Legion Post 751 in Southington and served as post commander and also as assistant chaplain and assistant adjutant.

He also was a member of the Trumbull County Honor Guard from 2007 to 2018.

Michael Hogan

AGE: 74

RESIDENCE: Southington

SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Navy

MILITARY HONORS: Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Vietnam Service, Sea Service, National Defense, Philippine President Unit Citation and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry

OCCUPATION: retired from U.S. Post Office in Brookfield