October 2026 Lights of Peace Flag to Honor the Memory of Frederick Hall WWII Naval Veteran

During the month of October, the 85th Lights for Peace flag to fly at the Fort Taber–Fort Rodman Military Museum honors the memory of Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (BM/1/C) Frederick Hall, who served in the United States Navy as a Seabee during WWII.

Frederick Hall, or “Fred” as he was known, was born on January 17, 1912, in Manchester, England. He was the son of George Thomas Hall, born in 1868 and Sarah Elisabeth (Jackson) Hall, born in 1869. The Hall family moved to the United States in 1912, traveling aboard the SS Cymric. Frederick came from a family of nine children, eight boys and one girl. Many of Fred’s siblings were significantly older, in some cases 20 plus years older than the younger siblings. The names of the known Hall children include Edward, Laura, Frederick and Norman. According to Fred’s son, Rick Hall of Rochester, his father was the seventh son of nine children.

Fred Hall came from a family with a long tradition of military service. According to his son, Rick, Fred’s father, George T. Hall, was a decorated veteran who served during World War I. Fred’s family also made significant sacrifices during both World Wars. Two of his older brothers were killed in action while serving during World War I, and another brother was killed in action during World War II.

Military records confirm that Fred’s brother, PVT Edward Hall, was killed in action on September 27, 1918, while serving with the 15th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I.

Once arriving in the United States from England, the Hall family settled in New Bedford, MA. Frederick married Clarice Allison on April 23, 1934, at the age of 22. He was inducted into the U.S. Navy on July 12, 1943, and reported for duty in Boston, MA. He was stationed at the United States Naval Construction Training Center at Camp Peary in Williamsburg, VA.

During his time in WWII, Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Hall served in 123rd Naval Construction Battalion as a salvage diver, performing vital, hazardous work in dark and debris-filled waters. His son, Rick, explained that his father was stationed on both Midway Island and Wake Island during his military career. Both areas “were vital strategic American outposts in the Pacific Theatre that became the sites of famous, fiercely contested battles,” according to the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Rick explained that as a navy diver, his father worked on dredging around the islands so that ships could come through. According to Wikipedia, Seabee divers performed numerous tasks including removing coral reefs, sunken ships and downed aircraft using dynamite to reopen shipping lanes. They were also tasked with constructing and repairing piers, docks and bridges as well as patching holes in damaged hulls and replacing propellers on damaged ships. Probably the most dangerous duty was removing or neutralizing unexploded bombs and torpedoes left behind from enemy attacks. Lastly, Seabee divers were also responsible for recovering equipment, ordnance and remains of fallen service members.

Frederick Hall was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy on November 1, 1945, earning the following awards: The Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Medal with 1 star, The Philippine Liberation Medal with 2 stars, The American Theater Medal and The WWII Victory Medal.

Frederick and his wife, Clarice, had two sons: George Frederick “Rick” Hall and Stephen Allison Hall. They moved to Snipatuit Road in Rochester, MA, in the early 1960’s.

Fred held many jobs throughout his lifetime. Before entering the military, Fred worked as a tool and die maker, a fisherman and a salvage diver. Upon discharge from the military, he purchased a fishing boat, named the “Harvest” and worked as a fisherman while going to school for refrigeration part-time. After suffering from a severe arm injury, while fishing, he went to work for Aerovox, where he worked on printed circuits. He was later employed by Nu-Era Gear Manufacturing Company in New Bedford. Rick explained that before retiring, his father also taught small engine repair classes to inmates who were incarcerated in Brockton, MA.

Over the years, Hall was a member of VFW Post 6643, attending several Officer Training courses at the Officer Training Institute from 1981 to 1983.

He was also involved in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, which is “the uniformed, all-volunteer civilian component of the United States Coast Guard that act as non-military, non-law-enforcement ‘force multipliers,’ according to cgaux.org. They use their own boats, aircraft, and radio equipment—as well as Coast Guard assets—to assist with search and rescue, community boating safety, and marine environmental protection. Due to the 9/11 attacks, his final year of service would have transitioned away from standard peacetime duties into intense homeland security operations. He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Oct. 17, 2002.

Throughout the years, following his military service, Hall attended numerous 123rd Naval Construction Battalion reunions including ones in Grand Rapids, MI, Columbus, OH, Niagara Falls, NY and Itasca, IL.

Hall’s first wife, Clarice, passed away on September 23, 1998. Years later, he moved to Dunnellon, FL, where married his second wife, Lee Hall. Frederick Hall passed away on April 7, 2004, at the age of 92, and is buried at the Florida National Cemetery, in Bushnell, Florida. He was survived by his son, G. Frederick “Rick” Hall and his wife Cecelia Ann Hall, as well as Rick’s late wife, Teresa Ann, all of Rochester. He was also the father of the late Stephen A. Hall and his wife, Margaret Hall.

Fred’s two sons followed in their father’s footsteps, carrying on the family’s tradition of military service. Rick served in the U.S. Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, while his brother, Stephen, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.