RESERVE — Convent native Dudley Melancon, 92, has been a resident of Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home for 18 months.

It’s a quiet time for a man who gave decades of service in active duty and military support roles, surviving the bombing of Pearl Harbor and dangerous frost bite along the way.

Melancon’s parents were George Melancon and the former Justine Landry. He graduated from Lutcher High School in 1940, joining the U.S. Air Force June 11, 1941.

Melancon was transferred to Fort Custer in Michigan, where he suffered frost bite due to the extreme weather.

The temperature dropped to 47 below zero with a 75 mph wind chill. After a lengthy hospital stay, Melancon was transferred to a staging area in Baltimore.

He also served at Camp Torragara in San Juan, Puerto Rico for three years, working to build a highway permitting access to a B-29 air base. There, he trained with two members of The Navaho tribe to perfect a language the military could use to stop the Japanese Imperial Army from monitoring their military codes.

The language was based on The Navaho language and was featured in the movie “Wind Talkers.”

Melancon then traveled to Hawaii to be stationed at Pearl Harbor, where he experienced the Japanese attack. In the aftermath, Dudley worked on cleaning up the destruction. After Pearl, Dudley finally went back home in Convent.

His first order of business was to get married to his sweetheart, Mildred Scioneaux. They exchanged vows on Jan. 28, 1942. They had four children: Marsha , Dudley Jr., Dean and Daniel. Mildred died July 4, 2004.

He was employed at the Godchaux Henderson Sugar Refinery in Lutcher for 42 years and also worked for Reserve Public Utilities for 35 years.

Melancon served as commander of the American Legion post No. 159 for 32 years and was commander of the Disabled American Veterans for 14 years. He then served as quarter master for The Veterans of Foreign Wars for 12 years.

The veterans home is always looking for volunteers to help in various roles from activities, room visits and talent shows.

Those interested in helping can call Sonya Hebert, resident activity director, at 985- 479-4080, ext., 1028, or email sonya.hebert@vetaffairs.la.gov.