The late Clyde Duckworth in a seaman’s uniform obtained by his family. Duckworth served aboard the USS Bunker Hill, CV 17, during World War II in the Pacific. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — A Wood County man wrote a story about fulfilling a dying wish from his father that will be published in November in Reader’s Digest.

Joe Duckworth of Kanawha wrote about how he obtained a flag flown over an aircraft carrier that his dad, Clyde, who died in 1995, wanted draped over his coffin. The working title was “An Aircraft Carrier Flag for a Dying Sailor,” although Reader’s Digest may change the name, he said.

“This is more of a how-to story of what I had to do,” Duckworth said.

Clyde joined the U.S. Navy shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He was discharged after the war, but served in the Naval Reserve for the next 20 years before retiring as a seaman second class.

He served on the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier, during World War II in the Pacific.

The flag that draped the coffin of Clyde Duckworth in July 1995. His last wish was to have a flag flown over an aircraft carrier to be draped over the casket. His son, Joe, wrote a story that will be published in the Reader’s Digest about fulfilling his dad’s last wish, to get a U.S. flag that was flown over a carrier to be draped over his casket. (Photo Provided)

“Dad was really proud of his service on the Bunker Hill,” Duckworth said.

A couple weeks before his father died, Duckworth and his wife were visiting his parents at their home. He was talking with his father while the women were talking elsewhere.

Clyde, who retired from Corning Glass, was terminally ill, Duckworth said.

“Dad looked into my eyes when he said ‘Joe, my road is short. I will be leaving here soon,'” Duckworth wrote in the second paragraph in the article. “The words hurt, but I tried not show it.”

His wish was for an American flag that was flown over an aircraft carrier be draped over his coffin, Duckworth said.

Duckworth immediately began looking for a flag.

“I had no clue on how to do it,” Duckworth said.

He first contacted the Parkersburg office of the former U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan. He was referred to Mollohan’s office in Washington, D.C.

He contacted the Washington office and less than an hour later he was contacted by Mollohan. Mollohan gave him the phone number of an admiral from whom to obtain a flag, Duckworth said. The Navy has such flags available for deceased sailors, Duckworth said.

Duckworth doesn’t remember the name of the admiral, but he was helpful and told Duckworth he knew the history of the Bunker Hill.

The carrier was struck by two kamikazes in May 1945, killing about 400 sailors. Bunker Hill was decommissioned in 1947 and later sold for scrap metal.

“The admiral said ‘we owe these old sailors a debt of honor,'” Duckworth said.

The admiral gave him the phone number of a captain at the Norfolk, Va., naval base, to get the flag.

“He said ‘you tell him I said to get you a flag in the mail today,'” Duckworth said.

The flag arrived two days later and Duckworth showed it to his father. Dad became emotional, Duckworth said.

“He had tears in his eyes,” he said.

Clyde died on July 4, Duckworth’s birthday, about 10 days after getting the flag that was used to drape his coffin. Clyde was buried with military honors at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Mineral Wells where his wife, Virginia, also is buried.

Which carrier the flag was flown over isn’t known, Duckworth said.

Duckworth, who is retired, said he is a freelance writer who has had other pieces published in his career.

“I’ve had a few hits,” he said. “This is the best one yet.”

“An Aircraft Carrier Flag for a Dying Sailor” will be the second article Reader’s Digest will publish from Duckworth. The first was in June 2023 titled “A Heads Up Buy,” a story about karma, he said.

He purchased a jar of coins at a flea market where the seller said it contained Indian head pennies from the 1800s. The jar was $4, but only had one indian head cent and that had an eighth-inch hole through it, making it worthless for collectors.

However, a rare Canadian nickel was in the jar and it was worth around $250, Duckworth said.

Reader’s Digest was soliciting for such stories of karma and accepted his submission.

That was an edge with at least one editor when the unsolicited “An Aircraft Carrier Flag for a Dying Sailor” was submitted in September, Duckworth said.

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.