Linville Hamblin

Linville Clark Hamblin


Linville was born August 7, 1919 to James D. Hamblin and Mary G. Draper Hamblin in Park Grove, Missouri. He had four brothers (Leonard, Estelle, Elvin, Dennis) and two sisters (Pauline and Nadine).

While his grade school years were spent in Park Grove, Missouri, he completed two years of high school in Cole, Missouri. In 1935, Linville moved to Olathe Kansas to work on a dairy farm for his uncle, as well as to graduate from Olathe High School in 1939.

After graduation, Linville spent the summer helping a family rebuild their home that had been lost in a fire. His residence consisted of a hay bed in the barn. Looking for a warmer place for the winter, and three meals, he joined the Navy on October 29, 1940.

Upon completion of Boot Camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, this young sailor received his first assignment to the USS Texas in Norfolk, Virginia as a Gunner Mate on fourteen-inch guns. The ship cruised the southern island and was later responsible for escorting troops to England. In March of 1942, Linville was transferred to the USS South Dakota and was there when the ship was first commissioned on March 20, 1942.

While on the USS South Dakota, he and his fellow crewmen were involved in the largest air battle in World War II, the Santa Cruz, as well as the largest sea battle around Guadalcanal. In Linville's words, "The South Dakota was a real fighting lady". Of course, this is validated by the fact that the South Dakota saw more action than any other ship in the US fleet.

• Battle of Santa Cruz on October 26, 1942
• Second Battle of Gavo Island on November 14-15, 1942
• Captured and defended Guadalcanal in November 1942
• Operations with British Fleet in the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, and North Sea (Norway), Spitsbergen, Iceland, Greenland and Bear Island in June/July 1943.
• Pacific Battle of Gilbert Island
• Bombardment of Nauru Island, Marshall Islands
• Defense of several other islands (listed in the book of the South Dakota, The Queen of the Fleet).

In June of 1944, Lin was transferred back to the States to complete training, and soon sent to Quincy, Massachusetts to join another ship, the Springfield. Again, in Linville's own words, "While the Springfield was being built, I met a nice young girl named Rita Ann Palma and we got married on November 17, 1944 in New Port, Rhode Island".

Once the USS Springfield was commissioned, he was on the shake down cruise then sent back to the Pacific, where they were involved in the air battle around Okinawa in April 1945.

The USS Huntington would be his next assignment, in which he participated in her shake down cruise. Linville was transferred back to Great Lakes, Illinois, and after six years, twenty-two days of Navy service on several ships, he was discharged in November 1946.

After the war, Linville and Rita returned to Olathe to raise their six sons.

Linville then joined the Naval Air Station in Olathe, where he remained in the regular Navy. He retired from the Navy on September 20, 1960 after completing 20 years of service. After a short time, he joined the Civil Service, where he completed 20 more years, and retired in 1980.

The next phase of life was spent working small jobs, but he didn't want to be tied down; he and Rita wanted to travel a bit and relax, which they did until Rita became seriously ill. She underwent a heart transplant in 1987. After celebrating 50 years of marriage, she passed on November 27, 1994.

The final seven years of his life were spent with his wife, Dee Andres, who survives him of the home.


Surviving are his wife, Dee Hamblin, his sons John (Carol) Hamblin, Mike (Wendy) Hamblin, Rick (Shelly) Hamblin, and Joe ( Pamela) Hamblin, twelve grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, sister Pauline Ash, and brothers Estelle Hamblin, Elvin Hamblin, and Dennis Hamblin. Preceding him in death are his parents James and Mary Gertrude Hamblin, sons Linville Hamblin, Jr. and Stephen Wayne Hamblin, grandson Brian Hamblin, brother Leonard Hamblin, sister Nadine Junkin, and his wife of 50 years, Rita Ann Hamblin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church of Olathe or to Sacred Heart Hospice, 7735 Washington Ave., Ste D, Kansas City, KS 66112.