About the Author: Captain Alexander G. "Sandy" Monroe

By Sharron D'Angelo
HRNM Volunteer

Editor’s Note: Readers of our blog will not have missed the contributions of HRNM volunteer, Captain Alexander G. “Sandy” Monroe, USN (Ret.). Captain Monroe has authored nineteen blogs—and counting—contributing over 1,000 service hours since first volunteering in 2017. His articles span a wide variety of naval history topics that combine original research and engaging writing. We wanted to recognize his efforts and share a brief biography with our readers. The following interview was conducted by HRNM volunteer Sharron D’Angelo. To learn more about volunteering at HRNM visit: Join our Crew!

Alexander “Sandy” Monroe was born in New Haven, CT, to Dr. and Mrs. Willys M. Monroe. His father was a physician in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and attained the rank of captain. Dr. Monroe served in the Coast Guard as a medical officer and later various shoreside hospital assignments in the USPHS. His mother was a dietitian and became a homemaker to take care of Sandy and his sister Susan. Eventually they moved to Richmond, where Dr. Monroe accepted a position as a hospital pathologist and visiting faculty member at the University of Virginia Medical School.

Then First Lieutenant Alexander G. Monroe underway aboard USS Henley (DD 762) in 1969.

A below-average student in the public schools, Sandy did not perform as well as his parents expected. When his parents discovered Christchurch School near Urbanna, VA, he was sent there at the age of 17 to complete his junior and senior year of high school. The all-boys school was associated with the Episcopal Church and set high expectations for academics, character, and discipline. Suddenly Sandy had to do “new” things such as make his bed, clean his room, take care of himself, and get to classes on time. He vividly remembers having to wait on his teachers’ table at meal time, a humbling experience. He had to participate in regular physical exercise. With all the personal attention and encouragement, Sandy thrived. He graduated at the top of his class with honors in English. It was a turning point in his life.

Receiving an ROTC scholarship to the University of Virginia, Sandy embarked on the next step in his journey. It was not easy for him, but he applied himself diligently and graduated four years later. He earned a B.A. degree “with Distinction” in English. Prior to commissioning, he served as a midshipman on USS Corry (DDR 817) and was deployed to Key West, Florida. Later he served as Gunnery Officer/Underway Officer of the Deck on USS Aucilla (AO 56) and then at U.S. Naval Amphibious School, Little Creek, VA.

Three years later, Sandy was released from active duty. He enrolled at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and at the same time joined the U.S. Navy Reserves. Upon earning his M.A. in government, he joined the city manager’s staff in Richmond, Virginia. During his tenure, the city experienced racial tension and housing issues. Sandy was called upon to improve communications with citizens to solve and prevent problems in municipal service delivery. He retired as the City Records Manager/Archivist after a 34-year career.

Captain Alexander G. Monroe while serving as a member of the Command Historian’s Office at the United States Atlantic Command in October 1994.

With the flexibility provided by his work, Sandy was able to continue Naval Reserve activities and served in a variety of commands, including USS Henley (DD 762), Inshore Undersea Warfare Group 5-2, and Tactical Air Control Squadron Twenty-Three. It was Sandy’s reserve duties that first officially linked him with U.S. naval history, as the first executive officer of Naval Reserve Naval History, VTU 0615. This was the first reserve command to support the Naval Historical Center (now the Naval History and Heritage Command). In this role, Sandy deployed to the Arabian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will and to NAVBASE GTMO during the first iteration of humanitarian care given to Haitian migrants there. Sandy is co-author of the official history of USCINCLANT humanitarian care rendered to Haitian Migrants (1991-93) and sole author of the official history of USCINCLANT assistance to civilian law enforcement authorities, the “drug war” (1989-97). Each unclassified book-length work is held in the Library of Congress.

Retired from the Navy Reserve in September 1993, Sandy continued to participate with NR Naval History VTU 0615. He was a major contributor to the first command history of USACOM and the 60th anniversary edition of a history of United States Joint Forces Command. Sandy earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions. He has written historical articles appearing in Sea History magazine and in the Journal of the Council on America’s Military Past. He is author of In Service to Their Country: Christchurch School and the American Uniformed Services.

Captain Alexander G. Monroe volunteering in the HRNM exhibit galleries.

Sandy continues to serve the U.S. Navy in his role at HRNM, where in addition to writing blogs, he also tracks down answers to historical research inquiries and engages with the public in the museum galleries. Sandy’s unique combination of interests, skills, and experience makes him well-positioned to support the museum and its visitors. In turn, Sandy finds it rewarding to give back to the Navy and remain connected to an important part of his life.

Links to Published Blogs by Captain Monroe:
6.8.17 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: A Fifty-Year Wound
6.28.18 Captain Paul Merwin and the Renaissance of Naval Station Norfolk
8.8.18 Naval Station Norfolk's Silent Sea Stallion
3.29.19 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: The Silent Screwtop of VAW-123, Part 1
6.27.19 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: The Silent Screwtop of VAW-123, Part 2
5.12.20 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Saving the Venezuela and Other Rescues
12.11.20 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Summer of '67: Training for the Fleet
3.18.21 A Tragedy on Granby Street: Part 1
3.25.21 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: A Tragedy on Granby: Part 2
7.29.21 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Beans, Bullets, Black Oil, and Drink Cups: Fleet Logistic Support in the Cuban Missile Crisis
11.4.21 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Book Review: Sea Stories, My Life in Special Operations
1.12.22 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: LST 333's Rendezvous with War: Loss of a Norfolk Ship
3.13.22 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: LST 333's Rendezvous with War: Loss of a Norfolk Ship
4.7.22 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Patrol Craft on the Rivers of Vietnam
9.8.22 USS Santee: The Fleet Oiler that Became an Aircraft Carrier
11.3.22 Two Sisters for Normandy: USS Raven (AM 55) and USS Osprey (AM 56)
3.23.23 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: Flights of the Albatross, 1955-1967
5.18.23 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: The President Warfield, Haganah Ship Exodus, and Citizens of Norfolk, Virginia
7.13.23 Hampton Roads Naval Museum: An Ill Wind that Blew USS Yancey (AKA 93) No Good

Historic Figure: Jim Reid

By Laura Orr
Deputy Education Director, Hampton Roads Naval Museum



LT Jim Reid walks off the tarmac at NAS Oceana in 1963. (Courtesy of Jim Reid)

Jim Reid is one of those people who always has a story to tell—and he always tells that story in such an interesting way that time will fly by without anyone realizing it.  Jim has volunteered at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum (HRNM) for almost twenty years, beginning back in 1997.  Jim is a docent for the museum, sharing his knowledge of and experience with naval history with all of our visitors.

Jim’s favorite part of the museum is the Civil War gallery, where he will inevitably share his love for William B. Cushing—the less famous of the Cushing brothers, since Alonzo fought at Gettysburg (and recently received the Medal of Honor for his actions).  Jim’s opinion is that William’s actions were just as important as Alonzo’s, and he is just as worthy of a Medal of Honor.  He makes a good case for William B. Cushing’s worthiness, too, for he was the mastermind behind the plan that sank the dreaded ironclad CSS Albemarle, as well as a participant in the Battles of Hampton Roads and Fort Fisher.

When you talk to Jim about his Navy experiences, he will share story after story. There are times when I’ve stopped him and said, “And you didn’t get kicked out of the Navy for this?”  Jim grew up around the world as a Navy brat.  In 1947, when he was in sixth grade, Jim’s family moved to Guam.  He remembers this time clearly, as the Second World War had been over for less than two years.  The Marines on Guam still occasionally tracked Japanese soldiers on the island who refused to surrender.  Jim reminisced, “These poor guys did not believe that their country had lost the war, so they chose to evade capture by living the life of a scavenger.  They were really not anxious to be seen by anyone, so they were not a threat to us.  They avoided even us kids.  We didn’t know this, so we imagined that there might be a Japanese warrior hidden behind every bush.”  Jim also remembered playing with hand grenades that failed to explode during the war.  Luckily, they didn’t explode when Jim was playing with them, either. Thus, it was at an early age that he began to tempt death.

Jim Reid contemplates his next move in the museum's Life at Sea room. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington)

Jim attended the Naval Academy, graduating in 1957.  He became a naval aviator who saw action during Vietnam.  Prior to Vietnam, in the early 1960s, Jim was a member of VA-85, an A-1H Skyraider/”Spad” ground attack squadron assigned to the carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59).  One of his well-told stories was about Sandblower training, which was designed to help pilots fly below enemy radar en route to a nuclear target.  Jim’s plane took off with seven others from USS Forrestal in the pitch black at 0400 in the morning for this training, with Jim wearing his exposure suit and carrying his chart, knee-board, maneuvering board, a boxed lunch, and his helmet.  Jim took off in the dark, using more fuel during the ten-hour flight than anticipated because he tried to catch up when he checked in late at one of his checkpoints.  Exhausted and hurting after sitting in the exact same position for ten hours, Jim still had to land his plane on the ship.  When the cut came from the Landing Signal Officer (LSO), he was still too high.  He put both hands on the stick and pushed, in so much pain from sitting that he didn’t care if he crashed.  At the last second, Jim pulled back from the dive and came down like a brick, hitting the deck hard.  He was so stiff that he needed three plane captains to help extricate himself from the cockpit—and, when he reached the ready room, he expected to lose his wings for such a terrible landing.  When he got there, though, the LSO said, “Okay, three.” Jim remembered, “I was astonished. ‘How could that be? It was the worst pass I ever made.’ The LSO smiled at him and said, ‘You should have seen the other seven.’”

This story is typical of Jim’s time in the Navy.  He shares his wit, wisdom, and experiences with the staff of HRNM and with our visitors who come into the museum. The museum is a much better place because of what people like Jim add when they’re here.  Jim’s favorite part of volunteering is, of course, being able to tell his stories to willing audiences, and being able to have historical discussions with our visitors.

Jim Reid discusses the circumstances surrounding the Battle of Hampton Roads with museum visitors Matthew, Ed, and Stephanie Simpson, from Charles Town, West Virginia. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington)

World War II Veteran Sebastian Rio

Sebastian Rio at the World War II Memorial, April 2016 (Photo by Laura Orr)

By Laura Orr

Hampton Roads Naval Museum Deputy Education Director

For the past six years I’ve worked at HRNM, I didn’t know Sebastian Rio was a World War II veteran.  Like many of that generation, Sebastian talks more about his family than he does about his own accomplishments.  It was only this past November when he mentioned in passing that he was the last veteran wearing the World War II victory ribbon at his church the Sunday before Veterans’ Day.  That led me to think about Honor Flight Historic Triangle Virginia, an amazing non-profit group that takes World War II and Korean War Veterans to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C.  When I found that Sebastian had never been there, I immediately began conspiring to get him on the next Honor Flight.  He was easy to convince—I simply gave him the application and offered to act as his “guardian,” which meant I would spend the day with him in D.C. and help him out with anything he needed that day.  I was excited to make this happen—but I had no idea it would be such a life-changing experience.

When we stepped off the bus on that rainy Saturday and I saw Sebastian’s face as he looked at the World War II Memorial—HIS memorial—I knew it was all worth it.  In that one day, I learned more about Sebastian Rio than I ever knew before.  Sebastian is one of our dedicated Naval Museum volunteers.  He has volunteered at HRNM since the Battleship Wisconsin arrived in 2001, making the transition to working in our library after the ship was turned over to the City of Norfolk in 2009.  While I’ve spoken to Sebastian on a regular basis, I never learned about his background until this trip.



Sebastian Rio in 1944.

Sebastian, a native of Boston, joined the Naval Reserve at the age of 17, in 1944.  As he told me, “Boston was a Navy town. Everyone in my neighborhood joined the Navy as soon as they were old enough.”  Sebastian was sent immediately to a year of radar training school, from which he emerged in 1945.  It was the end of the war, and he served aboard USS Iowa (BB-61) as a member of the occupying forces in Japan.  When we were discussing whether he had photographs of himself in uniform, Sebastian shook his head and said, “Now that I’m looking back at it, I wish I had carried a camera with me during my time in Japan.  But it was all so devastated—at the time, I just couldn’t think of taking photographs of it.  Now, I want to be able to remember what I experienced.”  He may not have photographs, but his memory draws a picture that made me feel as though I was there.  Sebastian remembered going into Tokyo for liberty, when he and the other Sailors were allowed to go only into the areas already cleared by the Army.  One time he went to buy some silk for his sisters and, before he entered the shop, he could hear the women inside talking away.  He entered and they became completely silent the whole time he was there.  He related, “The Japanese people were very respectful to us, but they had been shown propaganda about the American people throughout the whole war, so they didn’t go out of their way to be friendly.”


Top: Sebastian attended World Series Game 5 at Wrigley Field while attending radar school in Chicago. Bottom: This is a scan of one of the beer tickets the Navy gave Sebastian in Yokosuka, Japan. (Courtesy Sebastian Rio)

Sebastian served aboard USS Iowa (BB-61) in Japan for about five months.  This experience drew him to become an HRNM volunteer when he heard that Iowa’s sister ship, USS Wisconsin (BB-64), would be berthed here in Norfolk.  As a young teenager reporting to Iowa, he remembered how beautiful she looked, and he was so excited to serve aboard her.  When I asked him about coming to Wisconsin years later in his life and whether that brought back memories of his time aboard Iowa, he said, “I don’t care what they say—as an adult, Wisconsin looks so much smaller than Iowa looked when I was just a teenager!”  Same ship, much different perspectives.

Sebastian served in the Navy until 1946, then spent the rest of his career as a mechanical engineer.  Since volunteering at the battleship and HRNM in 2001, he has accrued approximately 1600 hours.  He spends half his year here in Norfolk and the other half in Nova Scotia, where his wife's family is from.

We have so many dedicated, amazing volunteers at HRNM.  I feel lucky to be able to spend time with them on a daily basis, and Sebastian will always be special because of the Honor Flight experience we shared.  I will never forget that day, and I hope he doesn’t, either.  Sebastian, thank you for being you.

In Memoriam: Welland T. "Doc" Shoop

By Joseph Miechle
Hampton Roads Naval Museum Educator



Editor's Note: The following post was to have been released as a personality feature about Welland T. "Doc" Shoop, who was to receive an award for 12,000 hours of volunteer service, more than any in the Hampton Roads Naval Museum's history, during the HRNM Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on April 14.  Sadly, he became ill on March 30 as he was preparing for his normal volunteer duties aboard USS Wisconsin and passed away the following day.  

The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is fortunate to have a dedicated team of docents who enthusiastically represent the museum.  One of the most dedicated was the venerated Welland T. Shoop, or “Doc,” as he was most often called. He had always wanted to join the Navy and spoke to a recruiter in December, 1941.  The recruiter advised him to come back after Christmas because it would be a long time before he would be able to spend another with his family.  Doc took his advice and enlisted on December 26, 1941, beginning what would become a naval career spanning 33 years.

As a Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class temporarily assigned to USS Wisconsin (BB-64) in 1947, Welland "Doc" Shoop would have expanded and converted one of the battleship's wardroom tables into an operating table during an attack or after an accident.  Thankfully he never had to during an actual emergency, but Shoop showed that until the end, he and his equipment were still ready if need be.  Sadly, he passed away on April 1. (Photograph taken in March 2016 by M.C. Farrington)

Volunteer service for Doc began in 2002 with the battleship Wisconsin here in Norfolk, VA.  Doc was initially unaware that the ship had been berthed next to the Nauticus National Maritime Center (also home to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum) and when he found out, came down for a visit.  He found out from the museum's volunteer coordinator, Tom Dandes, about the many opportunities for docents aboard the ship and once again volunteered for naval service aboard USS Wisconsin. 

It was in fact not his first tour aboard the storied ship.  Doc Shoop first sailed aboard USS Wisconsin as a reservist on a “summer cruise” in 1947 when the ship left New Jersey for the Caribbean.  He learned some important lessons very quickly on that cruise. He was the senior person left in charge of the sick bay one night when the medical doctors went ashore for liberty. The shore patrol brought aboard a Sailor who had been injured ashore while on liberty and required stitches to close a wound.  Doc administered anesthesia and proceeded to sew up the wound with the help of another petty officer and knowledge he had gained from his studies.  Nobody involved spoke of the incident for the remainder of the cruise.

USS Ault (DD-698) photographed during the mid-1950s.  Shoop picked up his moniker "Doc" as an independent duty corpsman aboard the destroyer from May 1953 to September 1955. (Naval History and Heritage Command Image)

Doc Shoop also saw service aboard a wooden hulled minesweeper in the Great Lakes and aboard the destroyer USS Ault as a chief petty officer when he made an “around the world” cruise. He was aboard the latter ship when it collided with the destroyer USS Haynsworth off the coast of Japan during training maneuvers. 

Welland "Doc" Shoop's personal decorations from World War II as well as the wars in Korea and Vietnam include an Air Medal earned during his service at Naval Support Activity DaNang, Republic of Vietnam, where he led aerial spraying missions to mitigate the numbers of mosquitoes plaguing troops on the ground.   

Doc also saw service in Vietnam when he was assigned there and took over the job of mosquito abatement. This underrated job saw that the sailors and soldiers operating in the jungles of Vietnam would not be effected by diseases such as malaria carried by these insects.

Doc was then assigned as the administrative officer at Preventive Maintenance Unit 2 in Norfolk Virginia and later was assigned to the Naval Supply Center and identified some deficiencies which he quickly rectified.  He was approaching his 30 year mark and the Admiral in charge of him encouraged him to stay Navy for another five years.  Doc declined as he disliked Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and his new leadership style.  He retired from active duty in 1974.  He retired a second time from the City of Portsmouth at the age of 65 after working in public safety.

The jobs aboard USS Wisconsin changed a bit for Doc over the years.  His vision was not what it used to be and this made it a bit more difficult for him to maneuver in his old ship, but he still happily assisted the Nauticus staff members with tours inside and stood watches when asked.  In April of 2016 Welland “Doc” Shoop was to be presented with an award for more than 12,000 hours of dedicated service to the museum.  This is more than any other docent or volunteer.  He has also been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for the President's Call to Service program.  When asked about this impressive accomplishment, always humble, he replied, “All in a day's work."  

Addendum:

The majority of information in the above article was gained from an interview conducted with Doc on March 23, 2016.  On March 30 as Doc faithfully prepared to report for duty aboard Wisconsin, he fell ill and subsequently passed away on April 1. The museum has lost one of its most valuable and irreplaceable assets in the death of Doc Shoop, as well as a dear friend. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Petty Officer 1^st Class Joshua Stanley salutes as the casket of retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer Welland “Doc” Shoop, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum’s longest-serving docent in terms of hours served, is removed from a hearse by members of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Honor Guard at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, VA, on April 6, 2016.  Shoop was almost a daily fixture aboard the museum ship USS Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk since he began volunteering at the museum in 2002.  Shoop, who was 94, first experienced the life of a battleship Sailor aboard Wisconsin in 1947.  He was to receive an award on April 14 for the 12,000 hours of service he has contributed since becoming a docent at the museum in 2002, the most by any docent in the museum’s history.  (Photograph by M.C. Farrington)

From HRNM Director Becky Poulliot:

Two years ago, Doc reached the pinnacle of HRNM Volunteer Success--the 10,000 Hour Award.  He was honored during the annual volunteer dinner with a shadowbox containing mementos of his service to the museum and to the battleship.  In typical fashion, Doc was humble about his accomplishments, yet truly touched and grateful for the acknowledgements and the present.  

Doc was a happy man.  He could do many things to promote the cause of naval history, and do them well.  He was the type of person that you wanted to be around-you could learn from him, and it was fun.  Doc set a high bar for himself--when he suffered a stroke some years back, most thought he would never recover.  But not only did he recover, he continued to thrive!  He returned triumphantly to the next volunteer dinner, wheeled in by his son, to the sound of applause.  Doc promised that he would be out of that wheelchair and return back to his museum watch.  He kept that promise.

Members of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Honor Guard carry Welland “Doc” Shoop to his final resting place at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, VA, on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, followed by family and friends.  The World War II and Vietnam War veteran and retired navy chief warrant officer was the Hampton Roads Naval Museum’s longest-serving docent by number of hours served. He was to receive an award on April 14 for the 12,000 hours of service he has contributed since becoming a docent at the museum in 2002.  All told, Shoop accrued over 12,200 hours during his time as a docent, the most by any volunteer in the museum’s history, mainly aboard the battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk where he first served as a Navy Pharmacist’s Mate in 1947. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington) 

At this year's volunteer dinner, there will be an empty seat--but knowing that Doc lives on in memories and in the instruction he gave each of us, makes his legacy the ultimate triumph.  Fair winds and following seas, shipmate.

Construction Electrician 2nd Class Gabriel James, Yeoman 2nd Class David Baxter, and Aviation Machinist's Mate Airman Christopher Torres fire a salute during the memorial service for retired CWO4 Welland "Doc" Shoop at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, VA, as Boatswain's Mate Seaman Cardell Mason looks on. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington) 

Electrician's Mate 1^st Class Joshua Stanley of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Honor Guard presents the flag that draped the casket of Welland “Doc” shoop to his son David T. Shoop as other assembled family members and friends look on as military honors are rendered on April 6, 2016 at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, VA. Shoop, a retired Navy warrant officer and veteran of both World War II and the Vietnam War, was to receive an award on April 14 for the 12,000 hours of service he has contributed since becoming a docent at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in 2002.  All told, Shoop accrued over 12,200 hours during his time as a docent, mainly aboard the battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk, where he first served as a Navy Pharmacist’s Mate in 1947.  (Photograph by M.C. Farrington)