Matthew J. Yuricich

Matthew J. Yuricich

I was born on January 19, 1923 in Lorain, Ohio, just west of Cleveland. My parents were from Croatia, formerly part of Yugoslavia. I started grade school not speaking a word of English. Twelve years later, in 1941. I graduated from High School. After Pearl Harbor, I tried to enlist, but my Father wouldn't sign. My father relented, and I was inducted into the Navy on July 9, 1942. I went to Boot Camp at Great Lakes. I loved having liberty in Chicago.

I was sent to Aviation Ordnance School in Jacksonville, Florida. Those who finished school where being sent for further schooling to Bombardier school or to the Fleet. I was sent to Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. From there, I was sent to North Island in San Diego to a Carrier Aircraft Service Unit (CASU5) for more training. I spent my liberties thumbing up to Los Angeles where I met Betty Grable at the Hollywood Canteen. We became very close friends, I even visited her in her home in Stone Canyon.

I was transferred to the U.S.S. Nassau in San Diego, after her Attu trip. I was immediately put to work loading ammunition crates in the fantail hold, as we put out to sea. I believe it was only a carrier landing training exercise. I never did get seasick, as I was working my tail off, and never had time to get sick.

My duties were handling ammunition, bombs and the loading of guns on the planes. I also had to test the sprinklers in the hold where the bombs were stored. I served under Max Gunn who was the Chief Petty Officer. The torpedoes were under our care also, including the Pink Lightning Torpedo Juice.

Making it through the Tarawa Campaign is forever etched in my mind. I lost three friends who had enlisted with me. I saw them at Pearl before they joined the fleet on the Liscome Bay, a baby carrier which was sunk in this campaign. My friends were lost with most of the crew — an early awakening that this wasn't a game.

I was impressed with the size of our Fleet when we were in Kwajalein. My father sent me an aerial photo of the fleet which was published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, much later. Of course, he didn't know I was there.

I have enough points to get out of the Navy on December 10, 1945, after nearly 2 years aboard ship. This was a long time for a non-ship company person.

I entered Miami University in February 1946. I was a "walk on" for the football team under Sid Gillman. I played in the 1947 Sun Bowl, when there was only 5 bowl games. I majored in Fine Arts, and graduated in the class of 1950.

I hitch-hiked back to Los Angeles and got a job at 20th Century Fox Studios where Betty Grable was working. We were still very good friends. In 1953, I played for Marilyn Monroe's softball team, and we won the championship, for which she threw a big party for us at her house in the Hollywood hills. I still have some great photos of her and me, taken at her house. We got along great.

I took a job at MGM Studios in January 1954, working towards becoming a Special Effects Artist, called "Matte Artist." The biggest picture I worked on was Ben Hur; others were: Forbidden Planet, North By Northwest. In 1976, I won an Academy Award (Oscar) for the movie, Login's Run. I was, once again, nominated for an Oscar for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and I believe for Blade Runner.

All this time I was married to my college sweetheart. We had 5 children and were all very close. We divorced in 1976, and I never remarried.

I retired in 1990, although I still did some freelance work, as I lived in Henderson, Nevada (Las Vegas), very close to L.A. Since, I've moved to Bellingham, Washington to be near my two grandchildren. I have a daughter in Seattle and one here in Bellingham.

I have suffered some of the ills of old age and good living, such as a mild stroke in my left arm, Cholesterol problems, but am still moving around.

Archery was my hobby, and I won many tournaments, state titles, and one National Indoor Title in Las Vegas, in 1962. I participated in the Senior Competitions every year in Las Vegas, and have won my age bracket. Best I had done in the Senior Olympics was third, this is a huge event every two years.

Now I will spend the rest of my time painting watercolors, and soaking in my spa. I remain eternally a shipmate.