“Anchor aweigh, Sir”…………. “All ahead half,  come right to a course of 090”…… [Order repeated]…“Steady on course 090 Sir”………“All ahead FULL” … [Order repeated] ….”bring her to standard speed” … [Order repeated] Quartermaster, steady as she goes”… [Order repeated]

And so goes the remarkable life, and career, of Rear Admiral Charles “Hi” Gurney – resident of Gulf Shores, Alabama … summed up in 6 words: “full ahead, steady as she goes”

Born of a Navy family, his dad, a Naval Captain and aviator, just happened to be passing thru Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1930 in route to another assignment when the good Lord told his wife it was time for the birth of their baby…and there it happened.  I asked the Admiral about his first name, “Hi”, and he explained that for many months prior to his being born, while trying to think up a name for their new baby to be, his parents referred to him as “Hi.”  The nickname "Hi" is for Hieronymus, which is Greek for “unknown heir.”  Even after being named Charles Edwin, “Hi” stuck, and stayed with him.

His parents were originally from Maine. His uncle, and his grandfather, were Maine State senators. In Hi’s senior year of school, because of his good grades, his outstanding character and his athleticism, Hi was able to obtain an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis with an appointment from Sen. Owen Brewster of Maine.

Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, Hi became a blackshoe (surface Navy) for the next distinguished 33 years. Graduating from the Academy, Hi married Ann Lowrey Malstrom of Honolulu, Hawaii, whom he met in his Junior year at Annapolis. They were married in Chevy Chase, Maryland at the Christ Episcopal church. Ann tells of her family’s naval background. She also mentioned that her family was living near Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. Her dad was onboard the U. S. S. Enterprise at the time. She said that she was playing on the beach when the Japanese planes flew over. She told me that she still remembers, and can hear, the Japanese fighters attacking as they came in overhead. She still remembers the bombs exploding in the distance, and still can feel the fear she felt knowing something bad was happening.

Hi and Ann have four children, two boys and two girls. Their two sons are now retired naval jet aviator Commanders (one living in Pensacola, and the other in Washington D.C.). Their two daughters (one in Gulf Shores, and one in Houston, TX.) are both homemakers, and wonderful moms. Hi and Ann have a total of 11 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren.

I asked the Admiral how they happened to end up in Gulf Shores. He said that after retiring, they had one year to decide where they wanted all their household “stuff” to be shipped. They knew they wanted to live in the South, so they traveled to the Gulf Coast. Starting out in Gulf Shores, they drove to Key West, and then motored for 8 months traveling back along the Gulf coast from Key West to Texas. Passing thru Gulf Shores twice on their travels, they found that they loved this area, above all others, and bought a home here.

Looking over Admiral Gurney’s resume’, one can only feel admiration, and respect for this remarkable man.

Beginning with his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1952, he was assigned to the USS Noa DD841 (destroyer) for three years working his way up to Operations Officer. It was on the Noa, that he first traveled around the world passing thru the Panama Canal, and Suez Canal.

He then was assigned to the MSC 52 Coastal minesweeper, USS Rhea, as Executive Officer. The ship’s home port was Charleston, South Carolina.

Requesting more sea duty, he was made Commanding officer of the MSC19 USS HORNBILL…also home ported in Charleston.

Admiral Gurney had three tours of duty in Vietnam giving gunfire support to troops ashore on the gun line. Thousands of rounds of gunfire shot into N. Vietnam, as well as acting as a blockade force to the area.

Then, it was time to come ashore. He was assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personal in Washington as Mobilization and Logistics planner. Two years ashore, then back to sea aboard the Guided missile destroyer USS FARRAGUT as Operations Officer. The ship was home based in Mayport, Florida though they rarely got back to the home port. After two years aboard the Farragut, Admiral Gurney applied, and was accepted, at Stanford University in post grad school earning a master’s degree in International Relations.

Receiving his degree, he was sent back to sea aboard another guided missile destroyer as executive officer, and then to the USS Benjamin Stoddert (another guided missile destroyer) as commanding officer.

Time again for shore duty, and he was sent back to Washington to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in a Personnel distribution position. Excelling there, he was recognized for his intelligence and ability to lead. Making the grade of Naval Captain, he received the assignment of Commander of Destroyer Squadron 26 (Atlantic Ocean) out of Norfolk Virginia. There were eight destroyers under his command.

After a few years, he was assigned to return to Washington, to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, as distribution officer of all surface warfare personnel. It was while there that he was selected for the flag rank of Rear Admiral. After receiving the promotion, he was chosen to be in command of the U. S. Military Enlistment Processing Command in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and then the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois on Lake Michigan.

As if this wasn’t enough to be overwhelming to the ordinary person, Admiral Gurney proved again that there was nothing ordinary about him. He then was assigned as Commander of Middle East (Persian Gulf) forces with as few as seven ships and as many as 13 ships under his command, plus his flagship, the Amphibious Transport Dock, USS CORONADO, which was stationed at the Capital of Bahrain. Their main duty was to keep the “Enemy” in line and to keep the sea lanes open to prevent a blockade of oil coming out of that region. His herculean task was to prevent a worldwide crises. While there, he was able to travel extensively in the region from Pakistan, through the Arabian Peninsula, and through east Africa as far south as Kenya. As the senior U. S. Military Commander in the region, he made port calls and official visits to all but a few countries in the region.

After his tour of duty in the Persian Gulf, he was called back to Washington to the office of Chief Naval Operations in the Surface Warfare Division…….this is where he finished out his impressive 33 years in the Navy.

During his tour of duties he received the Defense Superior Service Medal (for service as Commander US Middle East Force), the Legion of Merit (for service as Commander Destroyer Squadron 26), the Bronze Star (for service as Commanding Officer, USS BENJAMIN STODDERT), the Meritorious Service Medal and numerous campaign ribbons.

Admiral Gurney doesn’t know what the word retirement means, as it does to the average person. To him, it’s the end of one career and life style, and the tackling of another. He accepted, and was director of, the Civil Defense for 10 years in Gulf Shores (now known as Emergency Management), worked on various city Committees and said that he’d work as a city official but would not want to go thru the political election process.

Since being a part of the Gulf Shores community he’s been an active member of the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. He was active in helping establish the church in 1986, and actively worked at starting a mission church. He was a main mover in starting the Thrift Shop on Hwy 59 which has allowed the church to support many local charities as well as fulfill other charity projects.

He is a member of The Naval Academy Alumni Association that meets once a month over at the Naval Base in Pensacola.

Staying active, the Admiral was a low handicap golfer, and until recently, played a mean game of tennis.

He’s a gentleman, a scholar and a hero in every sense of the word… Admiral Gurney is a treasure… a man to look up to and admire, and a man we are so lucky to have ON THE ISLAND.