I was raised, as an only child, in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California. When I graduated from High School I couldn’t wait to go to San Diego to start my college education at San Diego State College. After a year or so I moved over to the University of California at San Diego to continue my studies in geology and civil engineering. Before I graduated I suffered a shocking event in my life that reformed my thinking and my goals. In 1966 I entered the United States Navy and started my new course of studies at the Naval Training Center in San Diego.
Because of my previous education and training from my father, who was a building contractor, it was easy for me to request and ultimately become a United States Navy Seabee after attending “A” school at Port Hueneme, California where I graduated with honors.
I could not be a fighting Seabee unless I was actively working at my rate as a builder and immediately volunteered for service in Vietnam. To my surprise not only did I not get assigned to a Battalion my orders were cut for Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. To be honest I didn’t exactly go to Pearl Harbor kicking and screaming but I was not especially happy with the duty but eventually I got my wish and orders for Vietnam.
Even though I was an enlisted petty officer, when I got off of the plane at DaNang I was shortly sent to Command where I was assigned my job to head up a maintenance team of seven Seabees, five Koreans and one hundred and nine Vietnamese workers. My responsibility was to ensure the largest Navy evacuation Hospital in Vietnam, the NSA Hospital, remained operational at all times. Even though I had extensive training this job was a handful. I took this job in late 1969 and early in 1970 the Navy was relieved from the hospital and the US Army took their place and I moved on to Tien Sha to join the Seabees at the DaNang Public Works Command. In December of 1970 I left Vietnam and then shortly after my return to the United States I left the Navy.
I spent the rest of my career as a General Engineering and Building Contractor here in San Diego and helped build this County into the exciting and diverse community it is today. Now in retirement, I look forward to continued service to my community, to my Country and to the fine men and women of our military services. And that is why I am an active member of the VFW and American Legion.
Joseph Matisohn II
Winter 2009
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