Later Years Hubert registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 at the age of 21, the same date the first compulsory peacetime draft in U.S. History took place. Standing at 5’8” and 154 pounds, Hubert had gray hair and brown eyes. Prior to registering, he worked for the Magnolia Pet Company near Mount Pleasant, Texas. On May 9, 1941, Winstead officially enrolled in the Naval Reserve at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base in New Orleans, Louisiana. On June 28, 1941, he transferred to NAS Jacksonville, Florida. On July 24, 1941 Hubert enlisted as an Aviation Cadet.
Carrier: USS Sangamon (CVG-26)
Hubert’s squadron, VF-26, were stationed on the USS Sangamon (CVG-26). However it is important to note that, especially in the first year of the war, squadrons were assigned to whichever carrier or airfield they needed to be at. The USS Sangamon, named after a river in Illinois, was originally an oil tanker, but she was converted to an auxiliary aircraft carrier after Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). Her conversion included adding a flight deck, elevators, and a hangar deck. The USS Sangamon also was armed withtwo 5"/51 caliber guns, eight 40 mm guns, and twelve 20 mm cannons to serve as anti-aircraft protection. She had a crew of 830, including the air wing and could carry 25 aircraft. The USS Sangamon’s first mission occurred during Operation Torch, the allied invasion of North Africa during November 8-10 of 1942. The invasion, though short, was successful and served as a base of operations for future campaigns. In January of 1943, the carrier relocated to the Pacific campaign and provided protection for convoys in the Guadalcanal Campaign. Codenamed Operation Watchtower, the Americans met fierce Japanese land resistance, and the outcome was uncertain until the Japanese evacuated their troops on February 8, 1943.
Fighter Squadron Hubert flew in the VF-26 Squadron, originally called VGF or Escort Fighter Squadron, which was redesignated in 1943 to VFs or Fighter Squadron. The squadron operated from March 1, 1943 until November 13, 1945. The group was stationed in Guadalcanal Bay, which had recently been captured in the Guadalcanal campaign (August 7 ,1942 - February 9, 1943).As a whole, the VF-26 squadron earned 31 kills between April 1944 and October 1944. At the close of the Guadalcanal Campaign, the military gave approval to start Operation Cleanslate, a military endeavor to take the Russell Islands, a series of islands twenty five miles northwest of Guadalcanal. Although the islands were undefended, while establishing a base with two airfields, a radar station, and diverse naval facilities, the islands came under attack from Japanese planes on two separate occasions. The establishment of a naval base in the Russell Islands were crucial for further military developments in the Pacific, such as conquesting the rest of the Solomon islands and seizing parts of New Guinea and New Britain. The Solomon islands were also utilized to practice amphibious loadings and landings. The Fighting 26th Squadron earned considerable notoriety back home, with official commendations from the air commander at Guadalcanal and the Commander in Chief of the Southwest Pacific fleet. The squadron was also the first naval aviation command to fight in both the European and Pacific theatres.