Ira George

                  Ira George "Andy" Andrews
                                                          Born February 23, 1931   Ranger, Texas
                                                Served aboard the USS Higbee from 1951 to 1955
                       Transferred to that celestial ship in heaven August 11, 2004 (El Paso Texas)

An American, devoted husband, loving father and a proud Higbee sailor.

These are his pictures and story as told by his wife Bobby Doris (Black) Andrews
and son Benny George Andrews.

I'm sending the information about my late father, a crewman of the U.S.S. Higbee DDR-806 during the Korean War:

Ira George "Andy" Andrews, Fireman (Service No. 446 02 24), served aboard the USS Higbee for almost his entire 4 year enlistment, from 1951 to 1955. He passed away on August 11th, 2004 in El Paso, TX. He was 73 years old. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mrs. Bobby D. Black Andrews and son (only child), Benny George Andrews. He was a resident of Chaparral, New Mexico, located just a few miles north of the El Paso city limits and the Texas/New Mexico State lines, for the past 30 yrs.

Born February 23, 1931 in Ranger, Eastland Co., TX, Andy was raised in an orphanage (Boles Home, along with his 3 older brothers). It is located near the community of Quinlan in Hunt County -- that's in East Texas. There's another small community nearby called Farmersville, which is where Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of WWII, is from. After his Mother died, Audie enlisted in the Army; and his younger siblings were place in Boles Home with my Dad and his three older brothers. Later, when Audie was home on leave, my Dad remembers him coming to the orphanage to see his younger brothers & sisters. In the movie version of Audie Murphy's biography -- To Hell and Back, there is a scene where Audie and his older sister talk to a Minister about placing their younger siblings in an orphanage (Boles Home is sponsored by the Church of Christ). After the war, when Audie became a movie star, his siblings moved out to California with him. Cool, huh!

There is another small community in Hunt County called Cash. That's where Monty Stratton, the one legged baseball pitcher, came from. My Dad remembers watching him play baseball. Apparently, the Boles Home School Baseball Team played Monty's school. Of course, he had two legs then. He lost his leg in a hunting accident after he had already been pitching for the White Sox. As a matter of fact, they made a "bio-picture" about his life called The Monty Stratton Story; it stars James Stewart & June Allyson.

My Dad didn't play baseball for the Boles Home Team, but he did play High School Basketball. I don't understand how he could have found the free time, since he had to take care of the dairy cows at the Home. You see, the orphanage was self-sufficient. They had their own livestock and grew their own crops. It was my Dad's job to milk the dairy cows twice a day. He had to get up before dawn each morning to milk, and then feed the dairy cows. Then, repeat the drill again in the evenings. Dad told me that Boles Home didn't get any milking machines until after he had started High School. Of Course, there were a few benefits that I should mention -- before we report Boles Home to the State Labor Board for child abuse, Dad got ALL THE ICE CREAM HE COULD EAT! You see, Boles Home sold their cream to a creamery in Greenville (that's the County seat). Whenever Dad went to town (usually to go to the movies), he would drop by the creamery and be treated to ice cream. He could eat gallons, I'll bet.

Although my Dad didn't play baseball in High School, he did play softball when we lived in San Antonio, TX, during the early 1960s. He was the catcher for a VFW team. I was really starting to get into Baseball at this time. I loved watching him play on weekends. Dad and I practiced together year-round. I was gonna go out for little league, but Dad was transferred (he worked for Cummins Sales & Service, then) to Odessa - in West Texas. By the time we finally moved there it was too late to sign up for their little league program. Consequently, I had to wait to the next summer to play. I went out for the Kiwanis Club Little League Team in Odessa, and Dad signed up as the Assistant coach. Now, even though I wasn't a very good player, I would have made the team automatically, since my Dad was a coach, right? Wrong! My Dad wouldn't have any part of it. He talked me into volunteering to be the "Batboy" before the final cuts were made. He explained that it wouldn't be fair for one of the better players to be cut from the team just so I could get to play. As the "Batboy", I would get the opportunity to improve my Baseball skills by practicing with the team. As it tuned out, I did finally make the team after one of the other 10-year-olds quit later in the season. Just as my Dad had predicted, I had become much improved by that time. When I think back about it, I believe I gained the respect of my fellow team members when I volunteered to be the Batboy. I guess they had all thought I was a spoiled brat, or something, since I was an only child and my Dad was one of the coaches. You should have seen their jaws drop when I answered the Head Coach's query about needing a Batboy just before he announced the final cuts! My Dad was a real team player, all right.

After returning to his home town of Ranger in 1950, he worked for the Fire Dept. It was, here, at the Ranger Fire Station that he met his future bride -- my Mom, Bobby Doris Black of Cisco, TX. They eloped 10 days later, on August 6th, 1950. Not long afterwards, Andy received his "Greetings from the President of the United States" (Draft notice). He chose to enlist in the US Navy.

It was at the US Navy Recruiter's Office in Abilene, TX, that my Dad met future shipmate Bill Foster. He and Bill entered into active service on July 2nd, 1951, in Dallas, TX. They rode a bus to San Diego, CA, where they went through basic training together. Afterwards, they were both assigned to the USS Higbee. A year later, Bill Foster was transferred to Mine Sweeping School. Consequently, he and Dad lost touch with one another. Dad served aboard the Higbee for a total of 4 tours of Korea (1951-55), before being released/separated from the Navy on June 21st, 1955. He didn't actually receive his Honorable Discharge until 1959. He moved his family (I had been born in 1952 while Dad was in Korea) back home to Texas.

Dad worked 2 jobs while attending a trade school in Ft. Worth, TX. He worked as a Diesel Mechanic for the next 33 years (1959 -1993). He was employed by Cummins Diesel Sales & Service for a total of 17 years in Farmington, New Mexico as well as San Antonio & Odessa, Texas. He also worked in North Africa in Libya for a Cummins subsidiary, Laughlan Bros. In fact, he was working in Libya when the "7 Day War" broke out between Israel & Egypt. The Libyan Government, an allay of Egypt, began arresting American workers; fortunately for Dad, he was in Rome waiting to have his work visa to be renewed. He chose to return to the US instead!

It was in Odessa, TX, at the Cummins Diesel shop that Dad just happened to run into his ole shipmate, Bill Foster, in 1968. Bill, now a Truck Driver out of El Paso, TX, had driven in to the shop to have his 18 wheeler repaired. Dad just happened to be the Mechanic that worked on it that day! For the next few years, Dad & Bill renewed their friendship. When Bill came through Odessa, he would always stop by the shop to see Dad. They took their families (Bill & his wife had 3 children) to visit in each others homes. Yet, eventually they lost contact with each other. The last we heard, Bill Foster had divorced, and had moved back to Abilene, TX. We also heard that he has a sister living there.

In 1969, Andy and a partner opened a Diesel Repair Shop in Van Horn, TX -- Andrews & Wood. Late one night, Dad received a call that a 18 wheeler had broken down between Van Horn & Sierra Blanca, TX -- off Highway 80. He had to tow the rig back to the shop. As he worked through the night to make the necessary repairs, a group of government agents ("Men in Black," complete with dark sunglasses, two-way radios, dark suits, and armed to the teeth with shotguns & 9 mm machine guns) guarded the perimeter of the diesel repair shop. We learned, later, that the rig was hauling components of the first manned Apollo moon shot, including the Apollo spacecraft, from California to Cape Kennedy in Florida!

IN 1971, Dad moved to El Paso, TX, to work for Peterbuilt/GMC Quality Trucks on Airway & I-10. In 1975, he & Mom moved to Chaparral, New Mexico (located approximately 2 miles north of the El Paso City limits & the Texas/New Mexico State lines). Here they bought 2 1/2 acres of land. They built a garage and barn, and later, built a house onto their mobile home. They planted a large garden & fruit trees. Raised chickens, pigs, rabbits, goats and a few feedlot fed beef cattle. Mom & Dad had their hogs & steers processed at a meat packing company, and then, put the meat in the freezer. My Mom stayed busy canning & dehydrating fruit & vegetables; and making goat cheese. It was a good thing, too, because my Dad had a legendary appetite. He loved to eat. We think it was because he was raised in an orphanage and probably never got enough to eat. For breakfast, he was known to eat a dozen eggs, along with pork sausage, raw fries and 4 slices of toast! He once ate 25 pancakes at one sitting, and he regularly devoured grocery sacks full of popcorn while watching' TV! In spite of his eating habits, Dad remained fit & trim, until his prostate surgery in 1998.

In 1977, Andy's only granddaughter was born -- Laurel Kathleen Andrews, in San Francisco, CA. He & Mom drove out to the West coast to see our latest addition to the Andrews Clan. While there, he remarked that it was at the US Naval Receiving Station on Treasure Island that he had been released from the Navy. He had arrived there from Korea on an aircraft carrier back in 1955.

Later that same year -- 1977, Dad went to work at the truck repair shop at the Safeway Foods Distribution Center on Railroad Drive in Northeast El Paso, although the company's distribution center was sold twice (first, to Furrs Grocery Stores and then to Fleming Foods Inc.), he stayed on until his retirement in 1993.

In 1998, my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer; after years of radiation & chemotherapy, plus two surgeries, he passed away on Aug. 11th, 2004 at my home in El Paso.

My Dad always spoke fondly of his years aboard the USS Higbee (1951-55). And he always wondered what had happened to her. Unfortunately, I didn't discover your website until after he passed away. He would have been proud to learn that the "Leapin' Lena" had gone on to serve her country for a total 33 years, and had retired as "Top Gun" of the US fleet!

Benny George Andrews

Click here to view the photos gallery the Andrews Family has shared with us of "Andy's" Naval career.

Click here to see a scan read a transcript of the newspaper article "4 Ships Back From Asia" July 31, 1954

Return to the Higbee Home Page