Volunteer Spotlight: Allen Nelson
Allen Nelson, 93, is our youngest-at-heart volunteer! A second-generation resident of New Britain, Al is a World War II U.S. Navy veteran. He enlisted on July 9, 1945, and after boot camp served on the USS Mansfield DD-728 from 1946 to 1949, achieving the rank of Gunner’s Mate. During an interview with board member Dave Sadlowski, he recalled a memorable incident from his tour of duty. When he was stationed in Japan, he was part of a convoy to Shanghai, China that sailed up the Yangtze River to pick up five hundred cases of liquor– only four hundred of which made it to their destination!
After his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1949, Al worked briefly at both Landers, Frary, & Clark and Stanley Tools. He married his beautiful wife Eleanor in 1950, who worked in the New Britain Tax Department. In 1954, he took the New Britain Fire Department exam and scored top of his class– and found his lifelong passion. He served with NBFD for more than thirty years, retiring in 1984.
Al has been a volunteer at the New Britain Industrial Museum for twenty years. He winds the grandfather clock weekly, and performs clerical duties for the Museum. Come down and see Al’s smiling face on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3 PM and ask him to show you his tattoos!
