Correspondent photo / John D. Bagnola David Hammond, 78, of North Jackson, shows off one of his award-winning duck paintings. He found art to be a stress reliever during his service in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

NORTH JACKSON — David Hammond followed in his parents’ footsteps and joined the U.S. Navy in 1965, serving for four years during the Vietnam War.

His parents, Betty and George Hammond, each served three years in the Navy during World War II. He also had four uncles who served in the Army at that time.

“One of them even fought in a fierce battle in Monte Cassino, Italy in 1944,” Hammond said.

He left for boot camp just two weeks after marrying his high school sweetheart, Patti Soos, whom he met in the fourth grade at Price Town Elementary School. The couple dated at Jackson-Milton High School, attending prom together twice.

Patti was not overjoyed about Hammond enlisting while the Vietnam War was happening. Neither was his grandfather, Charles Birch, who served in the Army during World War I. He was shocked by his grandson’s enlistment and cried when he found out, Hammond recalled.

His basic training was on Lake Michigan in Great Lakes, Illinois. Following basic training, he was stationed in Cuba on the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La.

“There were 72 aircraft on our ship. This array of aircraft included 36 fighter jets, 36 attack planes, three radar planes, three helicopters and one COD (Carrier on board delivery),” he said. “This ship was not the largest ship in the fleet, but still weighed in at 45,000 tons and was just under 900 feet long.”

The USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier was the largest at 100,000 tons and 1,100 feet long.

Hammond was serving as a technical specialist in data communications, sending and receiving encrypted messages aboard the ship. He was initially stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba from 1966 to 1967. Then in 1967, he spent several months on the USS Shangri-La, running training missions back to Florida from Cuba until sailing on to Greece, France, Italy and Spain until 1969, when he was honorably discharged.

He utilized what little free time he had on the ship to hone his art by drawing and painting.

All military personnel received 30 days leave a year, so he did have some free time to relax and paint.

Hammond found out that more than 100 Mahoning Valley soldiers were killed in Vietnam, along with two of his best buddies with whom he graduated — Tommy Webster and Ray Holman. “They were so young and such great guys. No one should have to die that way. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” he said.

His home office is filled with hundreds of award winning artworks — not just war ships and aircraft — but eloquent images of nature on canvas. Some of his favorites include mallards, red head ducks, and wood ducks.

“These are beautiful waterfowl,” he said.

Hammond has won many blue ribbons and even Best in Show honors at the Canfield Fair each year. His works are also displayed at the YMCA Spring Art Show each year.

Another one of his greatest works, so far, was a painting of a waterfowl entered into a national competition called the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. That winning stamp art is distributed throughout America.

“I enjoy painting scenes with various people in them because it adds character to my art. But I really enjoy anything that floats, flies or is on wheels,” Hammond said.

He admired his parents’ military service so much that he has a portrait of them in their Naval uniforms hanging in his living room next to his painting of the USS Shangri-La.