Henry T. Revell

Henry T. Revell was born in Warm Springs, Georgia in October 1937, and enlisted in the Navy a month after graduating from high school. His older brother had joined the air force some years prior, and Revell was impressed and inspired by him to also join the military. He recalled the adjustment to military life to have been overwhelming, considering he came from a small country town. After enlisting, Revell took a series of placement tests where he was able to choose a possible naval career. He ended up picking dental technician, and attended boot camp in Bainbridge, Maryland. Before attending dental technician school in San Diego, California, however, Revell was sent to Morocco in North Africa for almost two years of duty, while awaiting an opening at the school.

Revell traveled abroad on a large military transport ship that made many stops along the European coast to drop off American troops before reaching Morocco, which he recalled as being vastly different from the environment he was used to. He enjoyed his time there, however, and traveled to see surrounding towns. Revell was able to immerse himself in this new culture during his wait, as well as buy souvenirs to send to his family. When a spot opened in the dental technician school, he was immediately sent to San Diego, California. Revell started out as a chairside dental assistant, after which he was assigned to dental supply duty. He recalled liking the supply job more, because it was easier to learn new things.

Revell was discharged in March of 1961. At this time, his family had moved from Georgia to San Francisco, California. He attended college there to be near his family, and had to deal with protests and civil unrest on a regular basis. Other Navy men were attending his school at the time, and Revell and some of them decided to re-enlist to spite the protesters. After re-enlisting, he was stationed on the U.S.S. Hornet, an aircraft carrier, at Long Beach, California. On the Hornet, Revell worked as a chairside dental technician. In 1963, the Hornet participated in an almost six -month “WESTPAC” deployment to the Western Pacific. During the cruise, his ship stopped in several ports in Japan, including Sasebo and Okinawa.

Revell was stationed in Sandy Point, a highly regarded beach in the Philippines, in 1965. During his time there, he worked in a small dental clinic located in a large medical building. Revell mostly helped American soldiers and sailors; but, if there was time and extra supplies, the dental techs all tried to help the local population, in a “humanitarian effort.” He was then transferred to Quantico, Virginia and stationed there from 1966 to 1968, where he managed a small clinic. Revell described this time as being remarkably busy, because of the influx of drafted Vietnam soldiers. He was soon sent to Vietnam himself with Mobile Construction Battalion (MCB) 11. Revell explained that MCB units are the “builders” and are usually in the close vicinity of units that were engaged in combat, even though he himself was not a soldier trained for combat. He was stationed in Vietnam for 13 months. After Vietnam, Revell was sent back to California in January of 1970, and worked in Mare Island Shipyard in a big dental clinic.

Revell re-enlisted and was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina for about three and a half years. He oversaw a small clinic there, and worked on the sailors in the Minecraft base in the area. Revell was then sent to Oahu, Hawaii. He recalled with a smile how he loved Hawaii. Revell was in Hawaii for two years, earned his Chief stripes there, and was then sent to Great Lakes, Illinois, where he stayed from 1977 to 1978. The last station of his career was in California aboard the USS Coral Sea. Revell retired at the age of forty-one years old, after having served from 1956 to 1979. He received the Navy Good Conduct Award, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, and several others.