Harold (Hal) Daugherty
{Hal is pictured with wife, Darby}
A young Hal is pictured in Navy attire at right.
Born January 3, 1939 to Abner and Lee Ella Daugherty on a farm north of El Reno, OK. One brother, Ronald Daugherty, deceased November 10, 1998. We moved to Long Beach, CA in 1943 . My dad worked in the shipyard. Than we moved to National City, CA, where I started school in 1944. My parents divorced in 1948 after 14 years of marriage. Ron and I moved to Kingfisher, OK to live with our grandparents , Marion and Esther Thomason. I attended 6th 7th and 8th grades and lettered in all sports. In the summer of 1953 we moved to Enid, OK. I started the 9th grade at Emerson Jr. High. Being one of the new guys on the block, I made new friends playing football, basketball and track. Lettered in all 3. I ran around with Bales, Brummett, Sampson, Frantz, Gibson, Ruth, Hinson, Bowart, Huston, Lichtenberg, and George Holmes, to name a few when I wasn’t over at Judy Geigers “my study girl friend”.
High school was a different story. I was not a good student. Main focus was on football and girls {NO NAMES}. I suffered a knee injury my junior year but still lettered. On March 1st, 1956, I quit school, joined the U.S. Navy and never looked back to that time. Received my G.E.D. while in the Navy. My first duty station was the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christie, TX, boat division, sea rescue, beach and re-arm seaplanes. While at Corpus went T.D.Y, to US Naval Underwater swimmers school, SubBase Key West FL. In 1957 after 14 months I left for the Naval Amphibian Base in Coronado, CA. Then to Long Beach CA , Terminal Island. I was assigned to the Special Projects Unit , Atomic Energy Commission for Operation Hardtack 1, Eniwetok proving ground test series of atomic weapons and devices from April until June 1958. After returning to the states, I received my last assigned orders to the N.A.S. Ford Island, Territory of Hawaii. On arrival, I was assigned to the boat division again. However, the Special Services Officer changed my orders to base lifeguard at the swimming pools. I left Hawaii 14 months later with very dark skin. In November 1959, I separated from the Service at Naval Depot, Treasure Island, San Francisco
Upon returning to Enid, OK, I did civil service work at Vance AFB Crash fire department for 5 years. Positions held were crew chief and assigned station captain. Linda Smith (class of 1958) and I were married in 1960. We have 2 children. Dirk, born in 1961, and Denise born in 1962. Because of union labor problems in 1965, I left the Fire Department and started working for The Western Company of North America. – Western specializes in pressure pumping service, acidizing, fracturing, and cementing oil and gas wells. In 1979 Linda and I divorced. In 1980, Darby Ann and I were married at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, Enid, OK. She had 3 children from a previous marriage: Gloria, Kelly, and Michael Hamlin.. In 1986 Western closed the yard in Enid and I was transferred to Yukon, OK. I retired in 1995 at age 56 1/2 with 30 years service and a full pension for life. Positions held with the company included equipment operator 1, 11, 111, 1V,V, District Trainer, Service Supervisor, Field Sales and Service Rep.
Darby and I have lived in the Oklahoma City area for over 21 years. Our 5 children live in Texas and Oklahoma. We have 5 grandsons, 4 granddaughters, 3 sons-in-law, and 1 daughter-in-law. We are enjoying retirement and just returned from the Black Hills where we discovered that we forgot about the motorcycle party at Sturgis, SD. So we shared the road with thousands of motorcycles. We were VERY fortunate to find 1 motel room. We also attended Darby’s all school reunion in Sioux City, Iowa.
I am looking forward to deer season—-the only hunting I do anymore…..So we will see all of you in October.
Take Care and GOD Bless!
Hal