Michael Hemming

Mike was a Tewkesbury born lad who lived in East Street with his Mother and Father and two brothers and sister of which he was the youngest. He lived there from 1935 and attended Barton Road Primary School and then Chance Street Senior School until he was fourteen. Significantly, he was a member of the Tewkesbury Sea Cadet Corps whose Commanding Officer was H.A.C. Freeman and 1st. Lieutenant was (the late) Dennis Vickeridge. After his Mother died suddenly, Mike then emigrated to America, living with his Sister who had married an American Serviceman. He finished schooling there and went to work for his brother-in-law. At the age of 17, he tried to join the Navy but they would not let him join because he was not an American citizen. Eventually, however, Mike took American citizenship and, instead of joining the Navy, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Mike did his basic training and started his marine career by taking part in battle training, fire arms drill, survivor training, unarmed combat and of course squad drill. Mike went on to serve in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was awarded 3 Purple Hearts for being wounded. He was also awarded a medal for saving 30 of his comrades when they were in Vietnam.

Mike went on to become the top Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He trained the top Marine drill squads, Ceremonial Squads and most of all the Presidential Guards which was the highest honour a Marine could have.

Mike retired from the Marines when he was 40 after serving 23 years of Meritorious Service. He went on to become a civilian drill instructor in Virginia, San Diego and Orlando in Florida where he resided after retiring.

Mike was married to Virginia and they had 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. Since leaving for America he had only visited Tewkesbury once which was to attend his Father’s funeral in 1975. Mike has never forgotten Tewkesbury and was still corresponding with Mrs. Bunty Walker (née Liddel).

Mike died on 13 October 2006 in Orlando and will be remembered by all his friends in Tewkesbury.

MASTER SERGEANT MICHAEL HEMMING

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

R.I.P.

Privacy Policy: rest assured that any personal information you share with us will be kept in the strictest confidence and will not be passed on to third parties.

This page was last revised 10 January 2007. Please report any errors or problems with these pages to the Webmaster

THS

Tewkesbury Historical Society

MICHAEL JOHN HEMMING – 1935-2006

By John Lampitt