The battleship USS Alabama welcomed an original crewmember from 1944 who celebrated his 99th birthday.
“When I saw it, I felt moisture in my eyes,” said Bernard “Ben” Teevan, who loaded five-inch shells on the battleship during World War II. “I was coming home.”
He toured the battleship and strolled on its newly renovated deck during a visit on Sept. 26. Teevan was born in Ireland in 1925 and boarded the “Lucky A” in 1944. He was posted in the upper handling room with five-inch guns which were lifted by hydraulics, loaded and fired.
“I was behind the 2½-inch armor plate loading five-inch projectors every five seconds in a cup,” Teevan said. “The tip of the projector was fixed and the second one was the one that was fused. If I didn’t get them in the cup right, you might as well drop them off the ship.”
He said his favorite spot to sleep was turret 2 because it had a catwalk and it was cool.
“I could sleep on a steel deck, take my hat off, put it on my shoe and I’d be asleep just like that,” he said. “For me to go to sleep anymore, I have to take a bunch of pills.”
Teevan heard about the deck restoration project, which began in 2021, and wanted to visit his old ship. With the help of some friends and his hometown fire chief, Rodney Baldwin, Teevan walked the deck once again and complimented the efforts of the crew and volunteers.
Teevan spent the morning describing his duties, memories and fellow crewmates.
“They were the finest sailors and people you would ever want to be involved with,” he said. “We were basically like brothers and we looked after each other. We also picked up soldiers that had fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany and I could see the expressions on their faces. It was very sad to see.”
Teevan concluded his reunion by reflecting on the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by Americans during World War II.
“The Greatest Generation kept our country safe,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the Greatest Generation, half the country would be Japan, the other half would be Germany. There are some public schools that teach World War II history and there are others that don’t. This was history that should be taught.”
After serving in the U.S. Navy, Teevan returned to his home in Missouri and married Betty Teevan, with whom he raised three children. Teevan is a member of the USS Alabama Crewman’s Association.
Courtesy of Call News.
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