FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Last Tuesday, the Baldwin County Commission honored a Fairhope resident for his military service and for a patriotic poem he penned.

Joseph Gould, a native of Brunswick, Ga., graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1943. Those ceremonies were held early so the graduates could be deployed for service in World War II.

During his 23 years of military service, Gould was assigned various commissions which included service on an aircraft carrier and submarine. Capt. Gould was commander of the LSM499 amphibious ship, served in Naval Intelligence, served as executive officer of the USS Radford destroyer, served as commander of the USS Silverstein DE534 destroyer escort, and commander of 15 ocean mine sweepers. His last duty assignment was as a fleet intelligence officer with the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Following his retirement on Nov. 1, 1965, he served as an assistant in the U.S. Navy Reserve Officers training program at the University of California at Los Angeles. Later, he established the junior reserve training program at San Clemente High School where he served as a Naval science instructor for nine years.

The Commission also honored Gould for a poem he wrote titled “Old Glory,” which was inspired, he said, by his country and its flag. During recognition ceremonies for Honor Flight, the Commission uses this poem as part of its presentation materials to honor World War II veterans.