HURST, Jules W., 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.

     Jules W. (Sugar) Hurst was born near Greensburg and lived
with his family at various places in St. Helena Parish until
his parents settled in the Sixth Ward near Bethel Church.
Jules graduated from Kentwood High School in 1944.  He worked
in Baton Rouge for about six months.

     In October 1944 he joined the Merchant Marines, training
at the Maritime School in Florida.  While in training he did
some boxing.  Jules was aboard a ship which took him to the
Panama Canal and to Saipan.  This island was secured by this
time.  From Saipan they returned to the Panama Canal, to the
small island of Arubi then to Norfork, Va.

     He resigned from the Merchant Marines and joined the
Marine Corp in August 1946.  Basic training was at Parish
Island, S.C.  Additional training was at Camp Lejune, Cherry
Point, N.C. then to Naval Air Station, New Orleans.

     Service was in Korea for about 15 months in 1952-53, then
to Cherry Point until 1955.  Jules was scheduled to be sent for
another stint overseas and as this was not to his liking, he
resigned the Marines and joined the Air Force in 1955.  He was
assigned to Keesler, Biloxi, Ms. at Air Traffic Control.  Jules
began taking college courses at this time.

     While stationed on Okinawa 1957-60 he studied judo which
he found to be quite enjoyable.  Then back to Keesler where he
began to take as many college courses as possible.  He recalls 
long nights spent driving to Hattiesburg, Ms. to take courses at
Mississippi Southern.  In this way he completed enough courses
to allow him to graduate in one more year.  He was permitted to
enroll at a university full time.  He chose Southeastern Louis-
iana University where he graduated in 1965 with a major in 
biology and a minor in chemistry.

     Jules then returned to Keesler and was at the hospital in
the lab technician school in histo-pathology assisting in doing
post mortums.  He was in the hospital for 18 months, duty he
requested as he had intended entering medical school.  However,
Vietnam 'broke on the scene' and he went back on duty at Air
Traffic Control.  He recalls attending a meeting once shortly
thereafter when he had been told to expect a Colonel who would
be working there.  This was how he met Roy Broadway, a cousin,
who had always lived in Texas.  He has fond memories of working
with this highly competent man.

     Jules retired from the military on March 1, 1967.  He began
a second career working for the State of Louisiana, first brief-
ly for Child Welfare, then Support Enforcement, and last for
Juvenile Probation.  He has been retired since June 1984.

     Jules and Ms. Vera Shettles were married on April 30, 1949.
They have three children, five grandchildren and one great
grandchild.  You could say that Jules is from a military family.
Two brothers served during World War II.  One was shot down and
was held prisoner by the Germans and the other, like Jules, had
a military career.  Now his son has retired from the USAF where
he served as a C-130 pilot.  Sadly, a son-in-law was killed in
Vietnam on May 1, 1967 where he was a CWO W-2 in the Army and a
pilot.  His son, Jules' grandson, is a captain in the Army at 
the present time.

     Since retiring, Jules and Vera have traveled some by
motor home.  They have also made trips abroad to Europe.  Jules
is a licensed pilot and has a small plane.  Now he contents
himself with his family research on the Travis and Hurst
families.

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