Sergeant Major Shelton D Nave
Shelton Donnely Nave was born on June 26th, 1916 in Johnson, Tennessee to Margaret Arnold and Edward Nave. He finished high school and began attending the local Milligan College, but eventually stopped and joined the Marine Corps instead on May 26th, 1937. Pvt Nave completed boot camp in two months and was skilled enough to join the anti tank platoon of Company D, 5th Marine Regiment for a short while before switching to 1st Battalion’s Headquarters Company. He would accompany the 5th Marines to Puerto Rico and St Thomas in early 1938 and combat exercises in Pennsylvania later in the year. Eventually, Pvt Nave’s services would be needed somewhere else.
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Worlds Fair and Recruiting
On April 1st, 1939, he joined the Marine Detachment, World’s Fair Detachment in Quantico, Virginia and arrived in New York on June 5th. For a Tennessee native and new Marine, now Pfc Nave must’ve thought the fair was a spectacular sight. Created with a futuristic theme and ranking as the second most expensive World Fair, it boasted pavilions hosted by countries from all around the world and saw 44 million visitors. However, the beginning of WW2 sparked by Germany’s conquest of Europe occurred just four months into the event. The Polish and Czechoslovakian pavilions did not reopen for the second season and tensions rose between allied and axis lined countries. Regardless, the fair was a success and after gaining a promotion to Corporal, Nave transferred to the Marine Corps Schools’ Detachment back in Quantico where he became an instructor for its candidates’ class and attained the rank of Sergeant.
Guam
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 and dragged the United States into WW2, Nave worked with the new influx of Marines eager to fight back, and bounced around stateside stations for the next two years. On December 2nd, 1943, Nave ultimately left the states with the 33rd Replacement Draft with the rank of Sergeant Major, and joined Headquarters Company, Replacement Battalion, 5th Amphibious Corps upon his unit’s disbandment in Hawaii. SgtMaj Nave was detached with their provisional working party and the 4th Marine Division until transferring to Hq Co, 1st Provisional Base Depot, VAC on May 1st, 1944. The next month, his unit left on the USAT J H Kinkaid and sailed to Eniwetok Island in preparation for the Invasion of Guam. While the invasion kicked off on July 21st, SgtMaj Nave’s 1st Provisional Base Depot did not land until the Army and Marine forces had nearly cleared the island on August 4th. They immediately got to work coordinating supply routes and preparing to transform the island into the principal naval base in the Pacific.
The island was within striking distance of Japan by plane, and it was incredibly crucial to get the airstrip underway and adequate housing for personnel there. Additionally, Guam became a massive supply depot and influential support area for future operations. Distributing and keeping track of equipment became the main job of SgtMaj Nave for the duration of the war. Two months after the atomic bombs were launched on Japan from the nearby Island of Tinian which prompted their unconditional surrender on September 2nd, 1945, Nave returned to the United States. He was discharged on January 7th, 1946 and awarded his 2nd Good Conduct Medal for excellent character during his nearly nine years of service.
In civilian life, Shelton got a job at the Universal CIT Credit Corporation in 1947 and eventually rose to branch manager of its office in Panama City, Florida. Later, he relocated to Albertville, Alabama where he married Mary Howard in 1955 and became a representative of United Funds Inc. His family would welcome two children into the world before his retirement. Sadly, Shelton passed away on December 10th, 2008 and is buried in Memorial Hill Cemetery in Alabama.
On April 1st, 1939, he joined the Marine Detachment, World’s Fair Detachment in Quantico, Virginia and arrived in New York on June 5th. For a Tennessee native and new Marine, now Pfc Nave must’ve thought the fair was a spectacular sight. Created with a futuristic theme and ranking as the second most expensive World Fair, it boasted pavilions hosted by countries from all around the world and saw 44 million visitors. However, the beginning of WW2 sparked by Germany’s conquest of Europe occurred just four months into the event. The Polish and Czechoslovakian pavilions did not reopen for the second season and tensions rose between allied and axis lined countries. Regardless, the fair was a success and after gaining a promotion to Corporal, Nave transferred to the Marine Corps Schools’ Detachment back in Quantico where he became an instructor for its candidates’ class and attained the rank of Sergeant.
Guam
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 and dragged the United States into WW2, Nave worked with the new influx of Marines eager to fight back, and bounced around stateside stations for the next two years. On December 2nd, 1943, Nave ultimately left the states with the 33rd Replacement Draft with the rank of Sergeant Major, and joined Headquarters Company, Replacement Battalion, 5th Amphibious Corps upon his unit’s disbandment in Hawaii. SgtMaj Nave was detached with their provisional working party and the 4th Marine Division until transferring to Hq Co, 1st Provisional Base Depot, VAC on May 1st, 1944. The next month, his unit left on the USAT J H Kinkaid and sailed to Eniwetok Island in preparation for the Invasion of Guam. While the invasion kicked off on July 21st, SgtMaj Nave’s 1st Provisional Base Depot did not land until the Army and Marine forces had nearly cleared the island on August 4th. They immediately got to work coordinating supply routes and preparing to transform the island into the principal naval base in the Pacific.
The island was within striking distance of Japan by plane, and it was incredibly crucial to get the airstrip underway and adequate housing for personnel there. Additionally, Guam became a massive supply depot and influential support area for future operations. Distributing and keeping track of equipment became the main job of SgtMaj Nave for the duration of the war. Two months after the atomic bombs were launched on Japan from the nearby Island of Tinian which prompted their unconditional surrender on September 2nd, 1945, Nave returned to the United States. He was discharged on January 7th, 1946 and awarded his 2nd Good Conduct Medal for excellent character during his nearly nine years of service.
In civilian life, Shelton got a job at the Universal CIT Credit Corporation in 1947 and eventually rose to branch manager of its office in Panama City, Florida. Later, he relocated to Albertville, Alabama where he married Mary Howard in 1955 and became a representative of United Funds Inc. His family would welcome two children into the world before his retirement. Sadly, Shelton passed away on December 10th, 2008 and is buried in Memorial Hill Cemetery in Alabama.