John W. Hoffmeister: Navy Corpsman At Home with the Marines

By Andy Dunning, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interviews Volunteer

Korean War veteran John “Whitey” Hoffmeister knows life’s hardships are an opportunity to grow and succeed in life. The Tinley Park resident, who joined the Navy and then served as a corpsman in the Marine Corps, turned a challenging childhood into an opportunity to serve his country.

Born in Chicago, John lost both of his parents by the time he turned five years old. He was placed in the Angel Guardian Orphanage, one of the largest residential facilities for children on the city’s North Side. After a few years, John was placed with a family, but he says he found the transition difficult. Despite the adversity, John maintained a positive attitude.

“I had a hard life growing up, but I have no complaints,” John says. “You can’t live on sympathy. I always looked forward.”

With this spirit of independence, John decided he would strike out on his own by joining the U.S. Navy. However, John was only sixteen years old at the time, one year short of the military’s minimum age requirement, he says. He would not be deterred. John leaned on a friend who helped him forge a birth certificate, and he headed to the Navy’s recruiting office.

John reported for Basic Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in July, 1952. However, his duplicitous enlistment was almost too good to be true. “The chaplain calls me in to his office and asks me ‘when was the last time you saw your parents?’ I knew I was caught, and I couldn’t lie to a priest.” Then, John told the chaplain about his troubled childhood and explained his desire to move forward. “He said alright, you belong with us. The Navy owns you now,” he said.

Following Basic Training, the Navy enrolled the young recruit in dental corpsman school where he trained as a technician. Although he never finished high school, John graduated in the top 20 percent of his class. He saw this as an “opportunity for a cushy job,” but the accomplishment wasn’t so rewarding.

“Other classes before us were sent to Barcelona, Hawaii or other nice places,” he says. “However, they took the top 20 percent of our class and stuck us in the Marines, headed to the beautiful peninsula of Korea.”

Next, the Navy shipped John to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island. He would repeat Basic Training, this time focusing on Marine Corps indoctrination and infantry training. He and his fellow corpsmen also endured cold weather mountain warfare training at Pickel Meadows, CA. The Marines placed John with the 3rd Marine Division, and in November he boarded a transport ship headed to Korea. John served in the sick bay aboard the USS Sanborn. The vessel was an attack transport ship used for amphibious assaults. It transported 1,500 soldiers and equipment.

This duty lasted only a short time, John says. “When they don’t know what to do with you, they stick you here and there.” He then joined replacement troops who landed at Incheon, two years after the Battle of Inchon provided a pivotal push against the invading North Koreans. The weather was cold and dreary, he says, but morale was high. He rarely used his training in dentistry, focusing on battlefield injuries and other maladies. John doesn’t talk about his experience in combat, but he expresses his respect and gratitude for his fellow Marines. “These were some fantastic guys,” he says. “You couldn’t beat this group of fellows.” 

 John rotated out of Korea after two years, he says, and returned stateside. The Marines stationed him at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. During this time, he rose to the rank of petty officer, and met his wife, Serino, a native of New York. They married in May,1955. Following his discharge in July 1956, John worked a number of “menial” jobs including a position as a job placement counselor for college students.

The couple then moved to Chicago where they rented an attic apartment in Brighton Park, later moving to Lawndale and then Tinley Park where they have lived for 60 years. John found a job in asbestos removal, but he thought he needed a less dangerous job. So he enrolled in beauty school, attending night classes for two-and-a-half years. After working for other shops, he opened his own parlors in Tinley Park and Lemont. John also opened Whitey’s Hot Dog and Italian Beef, then sold those businesses and opened Whitey’s Dairy Palace in Tinley Park, which he still runs. 

John and Serino have been married for 63 years. They raised three children and have 10 grandchildren. “Life’s been good to me,” John says. “My experiences have made me appreciate my family, which is so important.” He will join his longtime friend, Jim Wall, on Honor Flight Chicago’s July trip. Wall is a Coast Guard Veteran who lives in Lemont. “It’s so nice to have him go with me.” 

John, we thank you for your service to your country. How special that you and your friend Jim will be enjoying your well-deserved Honor Flight together!