HomeMy WebLinkAboutEdwin P. "Pete" Sulik, Brazos Valley HeroesEdwin P.
"Pete'
Sulik
By Bill Youngkin
Special to The Eagle
Edwin P. "Pete" Sul ik has spent a lifetime serving others
including his time in the service of his county during World
War 11. Life for Sulik began on March 3, 1924 in Fayette
County on a farm between La Grange and Fayetteville in a
little community named Park, Texas.
"Park, like a lot of small communities in Fayette
County in that era, had a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin and
a dancehall", and Sulik, who attended school in Fayetteville
until his Dad sold the farm and they moved into town in
LaGrange. He graduated from LaGrange High in May
1941."
"I graduated on a Friday and the following Monday
I was enrolled in classes at Sam Houston State Teachers
College. My sister helped me financially but I still had to
work two jobs. I remember sitting in my room on a Sunday
afternoon in December 1941 studying when word came
over the radio about the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the
Japanese. That was the end of my studying that day as all
my classmates were discussing what this would mean to
our county and to all of us.
"I left school in February 1942 with my teachers
certificate and went to work at the Dow facility they were
building in Freeport, Texas. I had a good job, making good
money and was having a good time as a young single guy
but I knew the draft was coming. I decided that I wanted
to fly so that meant the army or the navy. I chose the navy
because they would always have a hot meal and a clean
place to sleep every night.
"I volunteered on April 23, 1943 and was headed to
Corpus Christi, Texas Naval Station for basic training on
April 30, 1943. 1 signed up to take the officers exam but
failed for some reason, I was never told why. I was assigned
to Squadron 14 Baker which was.a twin engine outfit but
was soon reassigned to Squadron 18 Able which was a
fighter training unit.
"Because of my college training I ended up being the
person responsible for all the training schedules for all
the pilots during ground training. Not only did I have to
schedule all the training, if an instructor didn't show up, I
had to conduct the class.
was good that I hadn't gotten into flight school. But, I sure
did like the target range.'
"I had helped train so many who served in the war
but I had not gone to war myself. So, in 19441 asked to
be allowed a transfer to a combat area and it wasn't long
before I got my transfer. I was sent to San Diego and then
aboard an aircraft tender to sail to Hawaii. There were 40 to
50 LCI's alongside on the trip to Hawaii. We all knew what
they would be used for.
"I was assigned temporarily to the big island at a base
where we could see the lava flow at night down the side of
the mountain. In 1945 we were transported to the Marshall
Islands in the South Pacific. We landed on Kwajalein Island
waiting for assignment for the invasion of Japan. We were
there just little over a week when word came that Japan
had surrendered. The war was over, just as I was getting
into it.
"After about three days with nothing to do now, I was
assigned duty as the petty officer in charge of records. Our
job was to process the records of those that would now
be going home. Now I was sending home some of the
same guys I had previously helped train for war. I never let
anyone bribe their way ahead of anyone and made sure
each had their, turn to go home as it was supposed to be. I
also had to promise my CO that I wouldn't leave until the
job was done. I stayed another three and one-half months
after the war ended before I cut orders for me to go home. I
left on Easter Sunday afternoon and arrived back in Hawaii
on Easter morning'
Sulik came home, returned to school at the University
of Houston and majored in accounting. In 1951 he moved
to Bryan with an International Harvester dealership
owned by Troy and Jean Wakefield. In 1967 he became
the administrator of the Sherwood Nursing facility. Today,
Suliks family continues that business here in.Bryan and at
other facilities in Central Texas.
When asked about his time of service and what it
means to him today, Sulik responded:1 grew up in the
Navy. I went from being not so responsible to valuing life.
Not only mine but the lives and welfare of others"
That is apparent from the business he and his family
own today, the nursing and caring of others.
Edwin P. "Pete" Sun) name will be on the Brazos Valley
"The good thing about being in the training unit was Memorial. If you wantto have a name added to theVeterans
that it allowed me to fly pretty much everything the navy Memorial, for more information, to make a contribution, or
if you know a World War II veteran whose story needs to be
flew at Corpus Christi, always with an instructor. I liked told, contact the BVVM at www.bvvm.org or Bill Youngkin at
everything about flying except acrobatics which I guess (979) 260-7030