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The student news site of Coginchaug Regional High School

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The student news site of Coginchaug Regional High School

CRHS News

Neil Gervais – Petty Officer 2nd Class – United States Navy

Petty Officer 2nd Class, Neil Gervais, United States Navy

Middletown, CT

1951-1954

Neil worked as an instrument nurse in the OR for two years and as a Corpsman with the Marine's for several years.
Mr. Neil Gervais, Petty Officer 2nd Class, joined the Navy when he was 27.

In 1951, 27-year-old Neil Gervais was at a crossroads in his life. He wanted to go to college and wasn’t sure how to make that happen. He knew that if he enlisted in the Navy for four years he would be put on the G.I. Bill and get to go to college, so that is what he did.

He spent a lot of his service in training and medical school. First he went to Newport, Rhode Island for 11 weeks of bootcamp. Then he was sent to Portsmouth, Virginia for nursing training. This entailed a course for medications and dosages and several basic nursing courses, including one that taught him general patient care.

After that he was sent to Jacksonville, Florida’s Naval Hospital. He applied to work as an instrument nurse in the operating room and worked as one for two years. His role in the operating room was to supply the doctors with surgical instruments and assist in the actual surgery; many times he got to close up the patient. He was then assigned to “B School” for surgery training and was sent to Memphis, Tennessee for six months of training. This training included surgical courses, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology.

In Aug. 1952, 21 days after the Korean War ended, he married his wife Jean. Jean worked as an X-ray technician in the Navy. They were married for 56 years.

He got sent to Charleston, South Carolina’s Naval Hospital for six months. After that he was sent to the Marines to work in their medical division because “their medical division is supplied by the Navy.” There, he worked as the head Corpsman, a medical specialist that is essentially second to a doctor. Ordinarily, Corpsmen would go out onto the front lines of war with the Marines and treat the wounded or work to prevent diseases. The Korean War had ended while he was in medical training, so he was not on the front lines of war.

Gervais has many fond memories of his work, but one case in particular is very meaningful to him. “I was taking care of a young married man who had a wife with a newborn baby in another section of the same hospital. The man was gravely ill; he kept having terribly high temperatures, and I kept having to give him alcohol baths to get rid of the fever. It worked, but then he would start shaking because he was freezing. All night I worked on him, and he ended up pulling through. The young man credited me with saving his life, and I figured I would never see him again, but a few years ago I received a phone call from a young woman who turned out to be his daughter. She invited me and my wife to her father’s 50th wedding anniversary. We gladly accepted, and they wined and dined us all night. It was very nice to know he remembered me after all these years.”

Gervais was technically discharged as a Marine since he was working with them when his term of service ended. After serving in the Navy, he went to college and graduated in three-and-a-half years and went on to become a teacher. He worked as an English teacher at Middletown High for many years, eventually becoming head of the department. He and his wife had six children, one of which is my father, Joel Gervais. My grandfather is now 90 years old and has lived a fulfilling life. He spends his days reading and watching Red Sox games and occasionally plays in Wii Bowling Tournaments with his friends.

Mr. Neil Gervais, Petty Officer 2nd Class, joined the Navy when he was 27.
Neil worked as an instrument nurse in the OR for two years and as a Corpsman with the Marine’s for several years.
Neil and Jean on their wedding day in August 1953.
Neil and Jean on their wedding day in August 1953.
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  • K

    Karen Ercolani WinesJul 2, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    Your grandfather was my English teacher as well as the year book advisor. I babysat for your Dad and his siblings. And later, when I needed a babysitter Margo & Claudia took turns babysitting for my son, Keith. I’m still in touch with Neil, thanks to Peter Lofreddo. Your grandfather is a great man.

    Reply
  • D

    Diana PayneMay 28, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Hi, Caroline.

    I have very fond memories of your grandfather as one of my high school English teachers at Middletown High School. He was very complimentary of my work. I ended up in science and education, but can credit my success in part to my ability to write well. I think I always feared the typical artist’s fear – not being able to make a living. I’m back in school working on an MFA in environmental science writing. I searched your grandfather’s name and came across this article. Please know he (and your grandmother, our school librarian) touched so many lives.

    Thank you,

    Diana Payne

    Reply
  • D

    Diana PayneMay 28, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Hi, Caroline.

    I have very fond memories of your grandfather as one of my high school English teachers at Middletown High School. He was very complimentary of my work. I ended up in science and education, but can credit my success in part to my ability to write well. I think I always feared the typical artist’s fear – not being able to make a living. I’m back in school working on an MFA in environmental science writing. I searched your grandfather’s name and came across this article. Please know he (and your grandmother, our school librarian) touched so many lives.

    Thank you,

    Diana Payne

    Reply
  • H

    Harriet ThielaFeb 28, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Mr. Gervais was a great teacher and an equally great pet. He really cared about his students and made literature interesting and fun. Because of his influence all my electives in college were either literature or writing. I even dabble a bit in writing poetry.
    I met up with Mr. Gervais again as a hospital volunteering and he remembered me! We had a nice chat and reunion.
    He touched many of us at MHS. THANKS MR. Gervais!
    Harriet Leipziger Thiela class of 1967

    Reply
  • L

    Linda Atwell GriffoFeb 7, 2020 at 9:56 am

    I had Mr. Gervais at MHS (Class of 1969). We all liked him very much. He got a kick out of some of our comments. He once asked me “Is that a Freudian slip?” And I replied “No, I got it at Bunces”. Then Sharon H referred to “Lady Chastity’s Lover”. He always laughed out loud. He made the class fun.
    We invited your mom and dad to our 50th Reunion this past September but it was a bit much and a late start. Your dad was so pleased.

    Reply
  • J

    Jo-Ann LangsethFeb 6, 2020 at 10:26 pm

    Your dad was my junior-year (’62) homeroom and English teacher. Coinkydinkly, I was just thinking about him the other day, 58 years later, clearly visualizing his face but blanking out on his first name! Now I know much more about Neil than I did back then — thanks! — and am delighted that he’s still planetside, scintillating people as he did back then! Please tell him that I found him to be a VERY stimulating (and kind) teacher.
    I have excellent recall of those days, so not only is his image clear in my miind’s eye, but also his voice, in my mind’s ear…He left quite an impression! I’m especially grateful to him for having recommended me for Molly Trinkaus’s special honors English class in senior year. Tell him that I became a book and magazine editor (and the mother of three)!
    Maybe he also remembers me? Jo-Ann Alquist (now Langseth). (I’m on Facebook.)

    Reply