Family members of World War II veteran Lt. Cmdr. Aubrey H. Gunn gathered at the USS Whitehat on Naval Station Great Lakes to see the building dedicated to their patriarch, Aug. 4.

Lucy Murphy and Jennifer Almond, both granddaughters of Gunn, along with their children and Lucy's husband toured the "ship in a bottle" and learned about the duties their grandfather would have performed as a boatswain's mate during his 30-year Navy career.

"As a boatswain's mate, moving all the way up to lieutenant commander, he went from someone who drives the ship, someone who paints the ship to becoming the one in charge of those to becoming the one in charge of those all the way up to commanding the Sailors on the ship," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Levi Wallace, an instructor with Surface Common Core and BM 'A' school, Center for Surface Combats Systems Unit (CSCSU). "That's pretty cool."

Gunn joined the Navy in 1919 as a recruit assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes, and trained to become a boatswain's mate. During his career he earned chief boatswain's mate in 1934, warrant boatswain in 1936 and chief boatswain in 1942. Gunn also served as the commanding officer of USS Jade (PY-17), USS Carib (ATF-82), USS Arapaho (ATF-68) in the Atlantic and Pacific combat theaters. He earned three battle stars during his career.

The Boatswain's Mate 'A' School building was dedicated to Gunn in the mid-90s during a ceremony there. For Jennifer, this was her first time visiting the building dedicated to her grandfather.

"It was very special because I was not here for the original dedication but I could bring my own son to come back and see it and have an understanding of who his great grandfather was and what he contributed to our country. It means a lot to me to bring him here and see that," she said.

Seeing the plaque and display case commemorating her grandfather's service allowed the family to share their pride in Gunn's service with each new generation of Sailors who pass through the building.

"It's been an honor and a privilege to see his service and how it's transferred to younger servicemen coming in," said Lucy.

For more news from Training Support Center, Great Lakes, visit www.navy.mil/.