August “Gus” Kulick joined the Navy in October 1942. He had tried on numerous occasions to get his mother to sign him up, but she wouldn’t. So, Gus decided to take matters into his own hands. He made a birth certificate that said he was 21 years old. The navy chief signed him in and did not say a word about the certificate. After he had been in a couple of months, a letter arrived from the draft board in Baltimore, MD telling Gus to report to them. It seems that he had not registered for the draft! So he asked his skipper to let him go to register. However, the skipper turned down the request. To this day, Gus is not sure he ever did get registered.

After Basic Training and A-School at Great Lakes, IL, he volunteered for the submarines. After attending the New London Submarine School, he was one of two men (out of twenty), chosen for this field. After graduating from submarine school, he got on a troop train going to California and eventually the USS Parchee. Gus tells this true story about an event while aboard.

“We were having depth charges dropped on us…you know, the ash can type things. Two of us were told to check the sea valves and make sure they were closed. My fellow checker disappeared and I found him in an area away from the valves and asked him what he was doing. He said he was saying some prayers and did I need any help. I told him to mention my name and I would take care of the valves.”

After 24 years in the navy, he retired and worked at Westinghouse in Baltimore, MD until he was 62. Then he went California and worked for an outfit that made train signal equipment.

Gus is very active at the home. He plays bridge and pinochle and volunteers at the library. Recently, he spearheaded the cleaning of the 1868 bell in front of the old Scott building.