A to Z Challenge 2024 - Professionally Speaking - E is for Engineer

 My father, Arden Packard, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1934, with a degree in civil engineering.  During World War II, he devoted his career to his first love: flying.  Medically retired in early 1941, he was recalled to active duty in October of 1941, as the country experienced a military buildup in anticipation of future involvement in war raging across the world.  The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, brought the future into focus for everyone in the nation as the U.S. entered World War II by declaring war on Japan.

After the war, unable to find engineering work, he entered into the world of advertising with his brother, Jack.  This endeavor was chronicled in the first entry in this year's A to Z Challenge: A is for Advertising.  After the agency dissolved and my uncle went into business for himself, also in advertising, my father served as the general manager of a printing company, then sold insurance.

Finally, in about 1951, he landed a civil engineering job helping design a duPont chemical plant in Pensacola, Florida.  My memory is sketchy on this because I was only four years old at the time.  There was a book published on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Class of 1934, but our copy of it was disposed of without our knowledge by someone who shared living quarters and wanted our space for her belongings.  I have tried to track down a copy of that book, and intend to try again this week.  In that book is an essay by my mother on my father's life and career, and she mentioned this engineering job of my father's.