On 12 Jul 1921, Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Jr. was born in Alexandria, Rapides
Parish, Louisiana, USA. Family and friends called him Pete. He was the only son
of Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Sr. and
Mildred Mae RAINEY. Mildred was born in Josserand, Trinity
County, Texas, USA. (Sources: family genealogy and
Statement of Military Service)
On 1 Nov 1923, Mildred Hughes began working as the Postmaster of the Onalaska
Post Office in Polk County, Texas, USA. (Source: Postmasters
and Post Offices of Polk County, Texas)
On 2 Aug 1924, Mildred married John Raymond Jordan in Onalaska. Mildred
Jordan continued as the Postmaster of the Onalaska Post Office until 1 Feb 1925.
(Source: Postmasters and Post Offices of Polk County,
Texas)
On 24 Jul 1925, the Jordan family increased by one
while they were still
living in Onalaska, Polk County, Texas, USA. (Source: family genealogy)
On 26 May 1927, the Jordan family increased
by one while they were living
in Oak Hurst, San Jacinto County, Texas, USA. (Source: family genealogy)
On 1 May 1929, the Jordan family increased by
one while they were living
in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, USA. (Source: family genealogy)
On 1 April 1930, John Raymond JORDAN was a laborer working for the railroad
in Trinity County, Texas, USA. This family consisted of John, his wife Mildred and
her son Lloyd, and their three sons "James, Raymon and Curtis." (Source:
1930 US Census Records of Trinity County, Texas)
On 21 Dec 1931, the Jordan family increased by one
while they were living
in Josserand, Trinity County, Texas, USA. (Source: family genealogy)
Between 21 Dec 1931 and 1 Apr 1935, the family moved to Refugio, Refugio County, Texas and lived on
Plasuela Street. Pete was friends with Benny
Jones, Will Borgland, John Borglund, Dick Bartow and Rex Pitzer. In high school,
Pete participated in basketball, tennis, track and dramatics. He was an offensive
end for the school football team, the Bobcats, and president of the Glee Club. (Source:
Refugio County Press)
Pete had 15½ units from high school: English, Spanish, Civics, General Science,
Algebra, Plane Geometry, Typing, Public Speaking, Ancient History and American History.
He also took a class in something called “M. History” which may have been Modern
History, or Military History. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
Sometime between 1937 and 1939, Pete's parents and younger half
siblings moved to Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, USA. Pete stayed to
finish out his high school years in Refugio High School.
Prior to going off to college and possibly while still in high school, Pete had
an ice route and a newspaper route. He also worked as an usher and an oil field
worker. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
In the Spring of 1939, Pete graduated from Refugio High School, Refugio,
Refugio County, Texas, USA. (photo) He had an
average of 86.2. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
On 20 Sep 1939, the Jordan family was living at 915 11th Street in Corpus
Christi, Nueces County, Texas, USA. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
On 20 Sep 1939, Pete became part of the Texas A&M Class of 1943 when he
entered the Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas (which became Texas A&M University
in 1963) in College Station, Brazos County, Texas, USA. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
Pete was 6 foot 2 inches tall and weighed 184 pounds. He was interested in a
career in the oil industry and was majoring in Petroleum Engineering. He liked English,
science and typing and found Spanish and public speaking difficult. Pete’s religious
affiliation was Methodist. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
For his first semester at Texas A&M, Pete signed up for eight classes: General
Inorganic Chemistry, Mechanical Drawing, Rhetoric and Composition, Algebra, Plane
Trigonometry, Engineering Problems, Infantry Military Science and Freshman Physical
Education. He did not do well. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
On 4 Jan 1940, an article entitled, "Lloyd
Hughes Returns To College Station" was printed stating that on the 3rd, Pete
returned to Texas A&M, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, USA, after
visiting his family in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, USA.
As of 16 Feb 1940, Pete was living at 1230 15th Street, Corpus Christi,
Nueces County, Texas, USA. He had enrolled in Corpus Christi Junior College (C.C.J.C.)
(which became Del Mar College in 1948) in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas,
USA. Identified as the Spring Semester 1939-1940, he took an English class and two
Math classes. (Source: Del Mar transcript)
About Sep 1940, Pete started the Fall Semester at C.C.J.C. He signed up
for five classes: Chemistry, English, Drawing and two Mathematics classes, Algebra
and Trigonometry. (Source: Del Mar transcript)
In this same time period, Pete met
Mary Margaret Baucom.
He gave her "The Complete Works of O. Henry", a book by O. Henry, and signed
it "My One Big Mistake." A picture of them
also appeared in C.C.J.C.'s 1940 annual, The Cruiser which he signed.
About Feb 1941, Pete started the Spring Semester at C.C.J.C. He took Government,
Chemistry, Mathematics and English. (Source: Del Mar transcript)
On 18 Jun 1941, Pete's C.C.J.C. transcript was sent to Texas A&M. In all,
he had earned 26 grade points at C.C.J.C., of which 25 grade points were accepted
by Texas A&M as being transferred. (Source: Del Mar transcript)
In Sep 1941, Pete was back at Texas A&M College in College Station, Brazos
County, Texas, USA for his second semester. He signed up for five classes: Quantitative
Analysis, Engineering Problems, Analytics, Infantry Military Science and a class
abbreviated as “Dex. Geometry” which may have been an abbreviation or typo for
"Descriptive Geometry." (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
As of 1 Nov 1941, Pete was passing all of his classes, but a month later
was not doing as well. (Source: Texas A&M transcript)
On 3 Dec 1941, Pete resigned from Texas A&M College for “personal reasons”
and received no grades for the semester. He left school because his stepfather was
sick and his mother was at home with Pete's four younger half brothers. (Sources:
Texas A&M transcript and family genealogy)
On 7 Dec 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.