‘A long life will lead to great stories', says Alvin Magee
By KELLY MOORE/Staff Writer

Living the great life is what Alvin Magee of Leesville works for every day. Magee spends much of his time reminiscing with the crew at BJ's Diner, telling stories of the past when he was a young man serving his country.

Magee's story is one-of-a-kind in that he has earned a discharge from the United States Army without ever having served a day.

Magee, now 82, was born in New Orleans and began school in Simmsport before moving to Chicago with his mother and attending school until he was 16, when he decided to go work for the rail road.

After holding down several jobs, Magee decided to join the National Guard, of course he was underage so he did what many of his generation did at that time, he lied and told them he was 18.

Soon the National Guard was taken into federal service, his true age was discovered and he was kicked out.

On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed and Magee, now of age, decided to join up again.

“I figured I was dead meat so I decided to rejoin, but the Army denied me because they said I had a bad heart,” Magee explains.

After not being allowed to join the Army Magee made his way back to New Orleans where he went to work as a civilian for the Army on ocean liners that carried supplies and soldiers.

While on the water he worked up and down the east coast a couple of months then was assigned to a seagoing tug called the ‘Henry James Connor'.

“We left New Orleans and went to the Panama Canal,” Magee said.

On that voyage he would end up traveling to Manzanilla, Mexico, Los Angeles and San Francisco before heading to the Hawaiian Islands.

”We arrived in Honolulu on December 7, 1942 and because the Army didn't want an anniversary of the bombings they searched us too.”

After leaving Honolulu Magee and the crew headed toward the Christmas Islands, where he would spend Christmas. Soon after Christmas they began making their way to the Phoenix group.

“As we were going there we were surrounded by the Japanese and were reported sunk.”

Their ship had not been sunk and they continued on to the Canton Islands where as a civilian he was issued a 50 caliber machine gun, and 2,500 rounds of ammunition, a MI rifle, 45 automatic and six hand grenades.

After being armed Magee and his crew mates continued their journeys to surrounding islands transporting supplies some of the islands included Palmera and Johnson Island.

“We ended back up at the Canton Island and I stayed there till we were relived around Thanksgiving in 1943.”

After returning in 1943 Magee applied to and was accepted into the Merchant Marine Officer Candidacy School.

He was accepted in to the OCS and went to Fort Trumble in New London Connecticut. “The OCS was run by the Navy and when I graduated I had earned my commercial license as a third mate and a Reserve Commission as an Ensign in the United States Maritime Service.”

During his service time he was sent to Glasgow Scotland and several trips between England and the United States, staying mainly in Europe until the close of WWII.

Upon arrival back in the U.S. after the war he had raised his license to second mate and was put on a troop ship that carried Italian prisoners from the U.S. back to Italy.

During that time Magee had earned enough time to set for a Masters License and went to New Orleans where he took the test.

“It took me one week to write the examination, so I asked the instructor what was taking so long. The Coast Guard Inspectors who administer the test thought I was too young, (23 years old) and they didn't want to give me the license, but I passed the test, so they had to give it to me.”

Magee remained with the Merchant Marines until 1975 and during that time traveled the world.

Magee has proudly framed his Honorable Discharge from the United States Army which is dated May 9, 1944 displayed along side his United States Coast Guard License, United States Merchant Marine Officer.

It is seemingly impossible that Magee, who had been denied entry into the United States Army because of a heart condition and was enrolled in the U.S. Merchant Marine OCS, could have been Honorably Discharged, but the certificate tells the tale, almost as eloquently as Magee.

This story is just a glimpse into the life of Alvin Wade Magee. There are more fascinating stories for Magee to tell, so if you are at BJ's Diner or at the Catfish Hut, south of Leesville, introduce yourself and listen to just one of the many life stories that he has to tell.

Ellie