Gordon C. Everett
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Gordon C. Everett
Mr. Everett entered the Army on March 19, 1943, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Duluth, Minnesota.
He served as a Private First Class and infantryman with 164th Infantry, Americal Division in Northern Solomans and Southern Philippine. Basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Fought in Los Negros, Fiji Island, Bougainville, and Leyte and Cebu, Philippines.
"On Christmas Day 1943, we relieved the Marines and on the way up the hill, I ran across a Dr. Christienson from Duluth and after the war we had lunch together."
"The first night on the lines I was to relieve the man on guard. So I gave the password and I heard a click like a safety. So I flattened out in the trench and he opened up on me. He was sent back to the rear area; and we, 'the family', never heard from him again."
He was awarded the following: Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star, and four overseas service bars.
Mr. Everett was honorably discharged on January 23, 1946, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, page 355.
Mr. Everett entered the Army on March 19, 1943, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was born in International Falls, Minnesota. He is the son of Harvey and Ruth Everett. He graduated from Duluth Denfeld High School in 1941. Home at entry: Duluth, Minnesota.
He served as a Private First Class and infantryman with 164th Infantry, Americal Division in Northern Solomon and Southern Philippines. Basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He was assigned to the 164th Infantry as a machine gunner. He participated in three major operations over the course of three years of service, and he spent most of his time in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines, and fought in Los Negros, Fiji Island, Bougainville, and Leyte and Cebu, Philippines.
Mr. Everett shared the following: "On Christmas Day 1943, we relieved the Marines and on the way up the hill, I ran across a Dr. Christienson from Duluth and after the war we had lunch together."
"The first night on the lines I was to relieve the man on guard. So I gave the password and I heard a click like a safety. So I flattened out in the trench and he opened up on me. He was sent back to the rear area; and we, 'the family', never heard from him again."
He was awarded the following: Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star, and four overseas service bars.
Mr. Everett was honorably discharged on January 23, 1946, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
“Honor Flight Veteran: Putting a Life to Music”
If you like jazz, you might stop by Club Saratoga some Saturday afternoon to listen to 89-year-old Gordy Everett croon. You’ll also get to see him do softshoe on stage.
“I’m the oldest guy that’s ever been on that stage,” said Everett. He sat at a small round table, neatly clad in a jacket, shirt, suspenders, dress pants, and leather shoes with rubber soles. “These soles make it hard to dance up there,” he said with a smile. Half a glass of beer sat in front of him. Onstage, a jazz guitarist, bass player, keyboard player and drummer performed “Who Can I Turn To.” Mr. Everett took a sip of beer.
“I was born in 1923,” he said. “I started doing vaudeville when I was fifteen.”
A woman threaded her way through the tables to where Everett was seated. “Please remember to sing ‘My Baby,’” she purred.
“I’ll sing it for you,” he promised.
In ones, twos, and threes, people walked in and took a seat, some of them waving to Everett.
One of Everett’s uncles, a former member of a vaudeville troupe in New York in the 1920s and 1930s, gave Everett his start. His uncle, Tommy Williams, had retired and returned to the Upper Peninsula, where he organized a traveling vaudeville troupe. For three summers--1938, 1939, and 1940--Everett performed with them in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, dancing and singing in barns and other low-budget venues.
“I got paid about $9 a week plus expenses,” Everett recalled.
Everett was a junior at Denfeld High School when Norman Cecil Johnson, director of vocal music for the Duluth Public Schools, said, “You should be singing on radio.” He took Everett to KDAL to audition. “I was shaking in my boots,” Everett recollected. “I had no chance because I was afraid I wasn’t good enough.” KDAL turned him down.
He helped form a quartet, the Four Sharps, when he was at the Duluth State Teachers College (now UMD). They competed in the Minneapolis competition “Stairway to the Stars.” The organizer of “Stairway” was impressed and was also friends with Arthur Godfrey. Godfrey wanted the quartet to come to New York to sing on his show. But no plans were ever made.
John Stone, Everett’s voice teacher at the Orpheum Theater, told him, “I want you to try out for the ‘Lawrence Welk Show.’” Stone arranged the audition, but Everett didn’t go. He’d convinced himself, “I’m not good enough, so I’m not going to go.”
The truth, he says now, is that he had no confidence and was afraid of crowds.
In 1943, Everett joined the Army. He was assigned to the infantry as a machine gunner and served in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. Everett participated in three major operations over the course of three years. Of his many service medals, he is most proud of his Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman’s badge.
Everett returned to Duluth and worked in the administrative offices of U.S. Steel.
When he was about 50, something changed. “What the h---,” he thought, “Why am I holding back?” He began to sing in the Duluth Superior Symphony Chorus, the DSSO opera chorus, Gilbert and Sullivan productions, and a barbershop quartet. “He was also involved in the Northland Male Chorus,” said friend and fellow singer, Robert Ballou.
“Gordy used to sing at the Hotel Duluth, the Flame, and piano bars,” added Urania Zorbas, whose late husband, John, was a jazz musician who sometimes performed with Everett.
Everett retired in 1983, giving him an opportunity to pursue music wholeheartedly. He even tried out for “America’s Got Talent” in 2011.
This past Tuesday, he went on the Honor Flight, which recognizes World War II veterans by flying them free of charge to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II Veterans Memorial. When asked if he would consider singing a song on the charter bus on the way to the memorial, he answered, “Maybe I will.”
