Fallen Crew Members of
USS KIDD (DD-661)
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Fallen Crew Members of USS KIDD (DD-661) |
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CLIFFORD ARNOLD HOEFT
The child of Arnold and Mildred Hoeft, Clifford Arnold Hoeft was born in Pilot Rock, Oregon, on April 15, 1925. One of only two boys, he had a brother named Robert. It was Robert who supplied a photo of Clifford and much of the information we have about him.
Clifford attended Pilot Rock High School all the way to the twelfth grade. He joined the Navy on May 25, 1944 at age nineteen. After going to boot camp in San Diego, California, he reported aboard the USS KIDD (DD-661) on August 27, 1944, while the ship was at Pearl Harbor for repairs and shore leave for the crew. When the KIDD was struck by the Japanese kamikaze on that fateful April 11 in 1945, Hoeft held the rank of Fireman 1st class. He was killed just four days prior to his twentieth birthday. Clifford was buried at sea the following day on Thursday, April 12, 1945, along with his shipmates while the KIDD was en route back to Ulithi Atoll from the front lines. |
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One year after the above biography was published in The KIDD's Compass newsletter, two letters surfaced regarding Clifford Hoeft. When the KIDD project first began, Commissioner Fred G. Benton, Jr., corresponded with the Hoeft family. The following excerpts from Mrs. Hoeft's letters gives us a slightly clearer picture of this young man. |
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April 17, 1984
My husband and I were happy to hear from you, and sorry it has taken so long to answer. We had only the one photograph of our son in his uniform, so [we] had to get a copy made which took some time. We will get it in the mail today.
We are especially thrilled to think, or "dream," that some day it might be possible to see the ship our son spent some time on. His letters were full of his pride in the KIDD.
We are grateful for your time in writing to us, and we are proud that his picture will be displayed on the ship that he loved.
Very sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Hoeft
May 31, 1984
... Clifford was a good boy and had lots of friends about his age. He was also a good student. He went to [12th] grade and graduated from high school in '43. Not too much interested in farm work, but was good at working on cars and machinery. He liked to get an old car and fix it up and get it to running. Cliff was active in school; liked sports, especially football. The school was small so they played six-man football, which most of the other small schools did.
He was engaged to be married shortly after he enlisted in the Navy, and planned on a wedding as soon as the war was over. She married about a year later. We have kept in touch all these years.
As I wrote, he didn't care too much about farming, and I often think he would enjoy farm work now that most is done by machinery. We didn't have the "easy" way of farming in those days....
Cliff wrote to us often as he could, and wrote about his friend Bob Hill who was a "gunner," I believe. We had met Bob in Portland when we saw the boys leave after they had been home on leave. After April 11, for quite some time, Bob Hill and his father came to see us. Bob told us he had been in the hospital for a long time as he had been wounded the same day as Cliff and so many lost their lives. We think that Bob's father was an engineer on another ship. I'm sorry I can't recall his name; the family lived in Portland. I often wonder what became of Bob. He seemed a real fine young man....
Most of the friends of Cliff have moved away. [It was] such a small town; not much to keep them here then. Pilot Rock is changed quite a lot since then. It has grown from about 300 population in 1930 to about 1,600 now on account of a large sawmill and fiberboard plant had moved in about 1941. We live close; about 2 miles south of Pilot Rock. A farming country mostly. Hunting and fishing is the main sport.
I'm sorry I'm unable to do better. My memory is pretty poor; my husband's also! He is 86 and I am 77. We celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary this year on February 16....
Thank you for your interest and again for the picture.
Very sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. Arnold Hoeft |
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**Copyright 1997-2007 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission** |
