Dykes, Herbert Thomas, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate.
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Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives
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From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews
With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1995.  Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and
reprinted with permission.

     Herbert Thomas Dykes (Tag) was born in Baton Rouge and moved

with his family to their farm near Montpelier when he was five

years old.  This was quite a change as this was before electric-

ity was avaialable in the rural areas.

      After graduating from Pine Grove High School in 1945, Tag

attended Southeastern Louisiana College for a semester.  Fully

aware that he would soon be drafted, Tag volunteered for the 

Navy in New Orleans on January 31, 1946.  The Navy was his

choice of service.

     Basic training was at San Diego Naval Base.  Tag also

attended radio schools at a base near San Diego.

     Tag was assigned to the U.S.S. Lyman K. Swenson D D 729, a

destroyer.  The ship was in the Pacific Ocean and as Tag said

theirs were mostly training exercises and they also served as

occupational forces.  They docked in the countries of China,

Japan and Korea.

     Fulfilling his two-year obligation in the Navy, he returned

to the States late in 1947.  He had a furlough home in December

and received his discharge on December 3, 1947.

     Upon being discharged he returned to Southeastern and re-

ceived his degree.  Tag worked for the Louisiana Department of

Agriculture until his retirement in 1980.  He continues his

farming activities and works part time at Dykes' Feed Mill in

Amite.

     Tag and Miss Betty Jo Young were married in April 1948.

They are the parents of three children and have three grand-

children.  Their son Richard served in the U.S. Navy during the

Vietnam War.  Richard was also assigned to a ship.

     Tag and Betty Jo live near Montpelier at the home place of

his parents.  Betty Jo enjoys her retirement from the Public

School system of St. Helena.  They travel to visit their daughter

in Virginia and other points of interest.  They have attended

reunions with those who served aboard the same destroyer - the

U.S.S. Lyman K. Swenson.

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