3472426 BTC (E-7)

United States Navy - 1945 - 1966

            Grady Franklin Shaver was born 16 November 1927 in Parkin, Arkansas, the youngest child of Arthur M. and Agnes Taylor Shaver.   He grew up with five brothers and sisters: Eloise, Georgia, Gladus, Virginia and Thomas.   Grady attended the Birdeye Elementary School and graduated from the Parkin High School.

            Grady entered the U. S. Navy in September 1945 and took his boot training in San Diego, California. He served on the USS Chicago, Long Beach, California (China Service); the USS Buck, Hunters Point, California (West Coast Service); did shore duty at Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois (1949 - 1954); served on the USS Hommers, San Diego, California (West Coast and Pacific Area); and the USS Sproston and the USS Renshaw Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.    His duties included instruction and training shipboard personnel in repairs on board their ship.    He was transferred to U.S. Naval Destroyer School, Newport, Rhode Island in 1965 to train and instruct officers in shipboard engineering.    He retired from the Navy 14 September 1966 with 21 years, 8 months of service (4 years, six months foreign service).    His awards are the National Defense Service Medal (Bronze Star); six Good Conduct Awards for Service and the China Service Medal (Extended).

            Taken from an article appearing in the Cross County Times Newspaper - August 1965: “Three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Shaver of  Birdeye have served 68 years in the U.S. Army and Navy and two of them are still serving.........Grady was visiting here (being re-assigned after 8 years in Pearl Harbor) with his brother, Gladus Shaver who retired after serving 26 and 1/2 years in the Army........The third brother, Thomas Shaver is stationed at Warrenton, Virginia with the Army, and has 22 years of service.”

            Grady married Betty Shaulis in 1950 and they had two children, Keith and Jon. Betty died in 1996 and Grady then married Lois Bitterman and they lived in Glenview, Illinois.    After his retirement from the Navy, he worked for Signode, Corporation in Glenview (a heating and air conditioning service).

            Grady Franklin Shaver died 19 April 2004 in Glenview, Illinois and was buried with full military honors at Woodlawn Cemetery, McHenry, Illinois.    On 16 August 2006, he was re-interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D. C.

                                        12 February 2007     /7/