Albert Brantley "Al" Block, 86 years old, passed away August 30, 2008. Al was the oldest of eight children born to Albert and Margaret Ruth Block in Yorktown, DeWitt County, Texas.
Al joined the Navy on 20 May 1940 and was stationed aboard the Battleship USS West Virginia on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. He then went on to survive two more sunken ships during WWII and retired in 1960 after 20 years of honorable military service.
(The West Virginia was ultimately raised from the depths of Pearl Harbor, returned to the mainland for rebuilding, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet in time for the invasion of the Phillipines.)
During his navy career, Al was awarded the American Area, American Defense Medal with one star, Asiatic Pacific Medal with fourteen stars, Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Award.
In an interview, Al stated that he was very blessed to have survived the war, as he had a wonderful family and lived a good life. In 1947, Al married the love of his life, Imogene. They were blessed with a beautiful family of five children, which blossomed into many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
After retiring from the Navy, Al continued on to a career of technical writing at Texas Instruments in Austin. But he never put aside the love of country and remined active in Veteran's organizations including the Pearl Harbor Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fleet Reserve, and the American Legion.
Preceding Al in death were his parents, his brothers, John Robert and Jack Howard Block, and sisters Margaret Jean Block Murphy and Hazel Ruth Block Mikel.
Survivors:
Wife -- Imogene Block
Son -- Albert Block, Jr.
Son -- Donald Block
Daughter -- Carolyn Block Cooper
Daughter -- Bonnie Block Garrison
Daughter -- Barbara Block McDavid
Brother -- Raymond Block
Sister -- Lois Block Oxford
Sister -- Irma Lee Block Pickett
Twenty grandchildren
Ten great-grandchildren
Services were on 4 September 2008 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home near Pflugerville, Texas with burial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
Obituary: Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 3 September 2008
Al joined the Navy on 20 May 1940 and was stationed aboard the Battleship USS West Virginia on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. He then went on to survive two more sunken ships during WWII and retired in 1960 after 20 years of honorable military service.
(The West Virginia was ultimately raised from the depths of Pearl Harbor, returned to the mainland for rebuilding, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet in time for the invasion of the Phillipines.)
During his navy career, Al was awarded the American Area, American Defense Medal with one star, Asiatic Pacific Medal with fourteen stars, Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Award.
In an interview, Al stated that he was very blessed to have survived the war, as he had a wonderful family and lived a good life. In 1947, Al married the love of his life, Imogene. They were blessed with a beautiful family of five children, which blossomed into many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
After retiring from the Navy, Al continued on to a career of technical writing at Texas Instruments in Austin. But he never put aside the love of country and remined active in Veteran's organizations including the Pearl Harbor Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fleet Reserve, and the American Legion.
Preceding Al in death were his parents, his brothers, John Robert and Jack Howard Block, and sisters Margaret Jean Block Murphy and Hazel Ruth Block Mikel.
Survivors:
Wife -- Imogene Block
Son -- Albert Block, Jr.
Son -- Donald Block
Daughter -- Carolyn Block Cooper
Daughter -- Bonnie Block Garrison
Daughter -- Barbara Block McDavid
Brother -- Raymond Block
Sister -- Lois Block Oxford
Sister -- Irma Lee Block Pickett
Twenty grandchildren
Ten great-grandchildren
Services were on 4 September 2008 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home near Pflugerville, Texas with burial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
Obituary: Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 3 September 2008
Albert Brantley "Al" Block, 86 years old, passed away August 30, 2008. Al was the oldest of eight children born to Albert and Margaret Ruth Block in Yorktown, DeWitt County, Texas.
Al joined the Navy on 20 May 1940 and was stationed aboard the Battleship USS West Virginia on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. He then went on to survive two more sunken ships during WWII and retired in 1960 after 20 years of honorable military service.
(The West Virginia was ultimately raised from the depths of Pearl Harbor, returned to the mainland for rebuilding, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet in time for the invasion of the Phillipines.)
During his navy career, Al was awarded the American Area, American Defense Medal with one star, Asiatic Pacific Medal with fourteen stars, Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Award.
In an interview, Al stated that he was very blessed to have survived the war, as he had a wonderful family and lived a good life. In 1947, Al married the love of his life, Imogene. They were blessed with a beautiful family of five children, which blossomed into many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
After retiring from the Navy, Al continued on to a career of technical writing at Texas Instruments in Austin. But he never put aside the love of country and remined active in Veteran's organizations including the Pearl Harbor Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fleet Reserve, and the American Legion.
Preceding Al in death were his parents, his brothers, John Robert and Jack Howard Block, and sisters Margaret Jean Block Murphy and Hazel Ruth Block Mikel.
Survivors:
Wife -- Imogene Block
Son -- Albert Block, Jr.
Son -- Donald Block
Daughter -- Carolyn Block Cooper
Daughter -- Bonnie Block Garrison
Daughter -- Barbara Block McDavid
Brother -- Raymond Block
Sister -- Lois Block Oxford
Sister -- Irma Lee Block Pickett
Twenty grandchildren
Ten great-grandchildren
Services were on 4 September 2008 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home near Pflugerville, Texas with burial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
Obituary: Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 3 September 2008
Al joined the Navy on 20 May 1940 and was stationed aboard the Battleship USS West Virginia on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. He then went on to survive two more sunken ships during WWII and retired in 1960 after 20 years of honorable military service.
(The West Virginia was ultimately raised from the depths of Pearl Harbor, returned to the mainland for rebuilding, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet in time for the invasion of the Phillipines.)
During his navy career, Al was awarded the American Area, American Defense Medal with one star, Asiatic Pacific Medal with fourteen stars, Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Award.
In an interview, Al stated that he was very blessed to have survived the war, as he had a wonderful family and lived a good life. In 1947, Al married the love of his life, Imogene. They were blessed with a beautiful family of five children, which blossomed into many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
After retiring from the Navy, Al continued on to a career of technical writing at Texas Instruments in Austin. But he never put aside the love of country and remined active in Veteran's organizations including the Pearl Harbor Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fleet Reserve, and the American Legion.
Preceding Al in death were his parents, his brothers, John Robert and Jack Howard Block, and sisters Margaret Jean Block Murphy and Hazel Ruth Block Mikel.
Survivors:
Wife -- Imogene Block
Son -- Albert Block, Jr.
Son -- Donald Block
Daughter -- Carolyn Block Cooper
Daughter -- Bonnie Block Garrison
Daughter -- Barbara Block McDavid
Brother -- Raymond Block
Sister -- Lois Block Oxford
Sister -- Irma Lee Block Pickett
Twenty grandchildren
Ten great-grandchildren
Services were on 4 September 2008 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home near Pflugerville, Texas with burial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
Obituary: Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 3 September 2008
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