By Darla Martin Tucker

By the time young Ervin Mateer enrolled at La Sierra College in 1949, he had endured more and given more than do most people in a lifetime.

His desire to help others ultimately garnered the long-serving naval machinist the Purple Heart for bravery during World War II. His willingness to fill needs prompted the creation of a gymnastics program at La Sierra, a scuba diving search and rescue team in Riverside County and more than a quarter century volunteer teaching for the American Heart Association.

Mateer enrolled as a biology major at La Sierra University’s predecessor school, La Sierra College following seven years with the U.S. Navy. Mateer enlisted on April 17, 1942. He spent his first year of duty as a machinist mate using lathes, mills and drills to make parts and perform other duties aboard the destroyer, the U.S.S. Waters. The ship patrolled the Solomon Islands during World War II.

During the war, Mateer witnessed much horror and destruction. “An ammunition ship blew up and we had to pick up guys from the water,” the Seventh-day Adventist seaman said quietly during a recent interview.

On May 21, 1944 the military awarded Mateer the Purple Heart for rescuing survivors of two burning ammunition landing ships, according to a naval summary of Mateer’s career. Mateer swam through the oil-slicked and burning sea to drag several injured men onto a rescue boat. At one point, a blast blew him overboard and shrapnel struck and wounded him.

Mateer’s identical twin brother, Chester Mateer served on submarines during the world conflict performing electrical work.  The brothers crossed paths only once, in Japan. While hundreds of other sailors lost their lives, Chester and Ervin emerged from the battle. “I guess the good Lord was watching over us,” said Ervin Mateer. “…Ships were blown up right alongside me.”

Mateer retired from active duty on Jan. 27, 1947 and from the Navy Reserves in 1981 with no unexcused absences. He served his country and the Navy as a volunteer on special permissive orders another 25 years for a total 65 years of service.

U.S. Navy Chief Machinist Mate Mateer finally retired last fall at age 85. During a Sept. 8 ceremony at the Navy Operational Support Center in San Diego, about 200 friends, family, former shipmates, Navy leaders and staff gave the seaman a standing ovation. Mateer walked down a red carpet and then circled around to walk down again with his brother who never received a military retirement ceremony. “That was quite a thing for him, and for me, too, to take him with me,” Mateer said.

The Navy awarded Mateer a medal for Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, one of numerous commendations he has received over the years. Mateer also received commendation letters from U.S. President George W. Bush, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Navy leaders recognizing his years of service, according to an article in the Dec. 2007 issue of The Navy Reservist magazine. The Navy Reserve Force in New Orleans publishes the magazine monthly.

The U.S. Department of Defense also posted photos of Mateer’s retirement ceremony on its home page along with military news from the Pentagon and Iraq.

“Chief Mateer is just one of the really all-time great guys,” said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Frank Canziani, who was quoted in The Navy Reservist article.

As a volunteer, Mateer commuted to San Diego from Riverside twice a month or more to meet and advise young sailors during an indoctrination process, Canziani said.

“He was like our goodwill ambassador. He was the person we chose to represent the command to welcome them [junior sailors] in. …He wanted to encourage and help them in whatever ways he could to further their career and Navy experience. …The guy was generous to a fault,” Canziani said.

Following the war, Ervin Mateer moved to Riverside and entered La Sierra College. Chester Mateer went to work in electronics for a corporation and then moved to Idaho.

Ervin Mateer’s sport was gymnastics and he brought along to La Sierra his own high bar. He initiated the college’s gymnastics program and its team performed at the college and in other cities. “A lot of people came here because of our gymnastics,” said Mateer, who lives a couple of blocks from his alma mater.

Mateer’s wide-ranging activities during his La Sierra days included using his pilot’s license and the school’s Cessna to fly students into Los Angeles on the weekends. He also served as student body vice president and editor of The Criterion campus newspaper. He moved up to the top student body post when polio afflicted the student body president. The new responsibilities challenged the young Mateer’s knowledge of official meeting rules. “I didn’t know a thing about Robert’s Rules of Order,” he said with a chuckle.

Following graduation from La Sierra in 1955, Mateer worked on amino acid and poisonous fish research at Loma Linda University, then studied one year in medical school at Loma Linda. He also got married. Lack of funding prevented Mateer from pursuing his interests in medicine, he said. He worked the next 33 years at the University of California, Riverside building instruments for air pollution research, chemistry and other areas of study.

Mateer’s list of community service activities includes initiating the first scuba diving program at La Sierra using diving skills acquired in the Navy. In the mid 1960s he taught ‘67 La Sierra College graduate Walt Lancaster to dive. In 1968 the two co-founded the Riverside Search and Recovery Team, a group sponsored by La Sierra College and unofficially dubbed Mateer’s Navy.

The team searched lakes and other water masses around the county for weapons, contraband and bodies and served as the precursor for the current Underwater Search & Recovery Team that works with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

“He saw a need and felt he had the expertise and resources to address that need, and that was to provide services to the county and public agencies,” said Lancaster who is principal of Jurupa Middle School in Riverside. Lancaster also holds an emeritus status with the underwater search and rescue team after nearly 40 years of diving with the volunteer group.

Mateer also started an advanced training dive program at La Sierra. Additionally he volunteered his time teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation for more than 25 years for the American Heart Association in Riverside.

PR Contact: Larry Becker
Executive Director of University Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
951.785.2460 (voice)