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WW II Memories
By Kris Fresonke
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John Farrington
An officer teaching map reading shares the lighter side of the war.
"To increase the impact of teaching GIs the dull subject of map reading, an ingenious training aid was supplied—a life-size picture of Betty Grable, posing in a white bathing suit. Superimposed was a map grid with x and y coordinates. One day I was giving coordinates to various parts of Miss Grable, and the men would shout out the answer: her right elbow, her left eyebrow, a knee, and so on. One impatient GI finally called out, 'Hey, Lieutenant! When are you going to get to the good parts?'"
Gerald Marans
The war ends in India.
"Early in August 1945, it appeared that the war was drawing to a conclusion. A buddy and I decided we should see some of the sights of India before we left.
"One bright sunny day we rented bicycles and rode the main street of the city of Srinagar-six full lanes, completely void of traffic. My friend pedaled on the right side, and I on the left, in disregard of the traffic pattern. But what matter? There were no other vehicles present.
"A small British Ford drove down the center of the street toward us. When it came abreast, a British officer stopped, got out of the car, his swagger stick under his arm, and stiffly motioned for us to approach. We knew he was planning to admonish us, for violating the traffic pattern.
"As we drew up to him he put out his hand and said, 'Good show, chaps.' And we learned that the war was over."
Dan Decker
A submarine adventure, and a sad coincidence in the Pacific.
"Just before sunset November 17, 1944, the USS Spadefish...surfaced and headed full speed to the northwest... At about 2200 hours, six torpedoes from the forward tubes were fired at an (enemy) carrier, and Spadefish retired at full speed... Later intelligence confirmed that a tanker had been hit, and that the carrier was the 21,000 ton Jinyo.
"The Spadefish was awarded the Presidential Unit citation for this patrol...
"After the war, I left the submarine service for flight training. In 1959, I was ordered to a base 20 miles west of Yokohama... My family purchased for $4,000 a home just outside the base, complete with a maid and gardener. Later in conversation with our maid, who spoke good English, she informed me that her husband had been a Naval Aviator but was lost during the war. I asked what carrier he had been on, and she replied, 'The Jinyo.' I gave her a hug, told her I was very sorry, but said no more."
Eugene LaShell
Extraordinary field medicine on Okinawa.
"I was part of the invasion of Okinawa, the 6th Marine Division. I was on point with four other Marines and a war dog. Our mission was to spot the enemy and to draw his fire. We dug in a steep hill. In the middle of the night, all hell broke loose—a mortar attack. I was hit on my feet. One leg was blown off, and the other was just hanging on. A corpsman (God bless him) cut it off with a combat knife by the light of the shells."
(The corpsman was Victor H. McSorley.)
Newt Likely
A Marine has a glimpse of history.
"It was February 23, 1945, three days before my 20th birthday. I was with the 10th Amphibian Tractor Battalion on Iwo Jima. We were busy trying to keep all the tractors running, when one of the fellows said, 'Hey, look!' as he pointed toward Mt. Suribachi. There, in all its glory, was 'Old Glory,' waving from the top.
"Words can't describe the ecstasy, the joy, the pride, that brought a choking lump to our throats, as we all gave a heartfelt salute. Reality soon caught up with us as we remembered our buddies who had given their all for this. Unashamed tears flowed from the toughest Marine's eyes.
"This was the scene of what is probably the most famous war picture ever taken."
Pat Malloy
A Marine writes home from Iwo Jima from his foxhole.
"Dear Milt, Alyce, and 'Toodles':
"...I'm sitting in my foxhole and doing my darndest to peck out a few lines on this battered old portable mill.
"The battle for Iwo is still going full blast and I can't say just when it will be secured. We've run up against fierce Japanese resistance and have to fight every inch of the way. This rugged terrain is hard on the tanks and vehicles and the ground is soft and you sink to your ankles with every step. The earth is just like a fine cinder pit and every time a shell goes off, the dirt rolls down into your foxhole and fills it up. I've kept rather close to Mother Nature since landing on this rock… That's the way it goes. We're out here to get this mess over with."
Richard L. Ridgely
The Air Corps in the Aleutians.
"As a second lieutenant bombardier on a B-24 crew, we were en route to Shemya in the Aleutian Islands, and had a layover in Anchorage. It was the norm to dynamite the Yukon River ice jamb annually at Fairbanks in the spring. The powers that be decided it would be more efficient to break up the ice jamb with a 500-pounder, and a B-24 would be sent from Anchorage to do the job. Two Majors were assigned as Pilot and Co-pilot, and I was tabbed to go along as Bombardier. The damn system malfunctioned, and I had to release the bomb with a screwdriver. Its fin caught on my sleeve and it was almost curtains for me."
Nora Bosley
A defense plant gets a famous caller.
"I was a Work Order Clerk in the Remington Arms Defense Plant in Denver, Colo. One of the most memorable phone calls was from Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower (she was at her mother's home near Denver), calling for an officer who was not at his desk. Due to poor reception, the call was not clear, and she was asked to spell her last name. When the officer returned and was given her message, he was asked to assure her that her name was well known in our office. He told us of the time Mrs. Eisenhower was at a gas station. When service was slow in coming, she told an attendant, 'You know I'm General Eisenhower's wife!' The attendant replied, 'Yes, and I am Christopher Columbus.' She had to show him her driver's license and soon all service was directed at her car."
Ashmore Grenard
The war comes home.
"During World War II, an enormous army hospital was built two miles northeast of Galesburg, Ill. The hospital had seven miles of corridors. I determined to get a job there.
"I was hired in the information office just inside the entrance. When we admitted our very first patient, I worked that evening shift. The wounded soldier, in pajamas and slippers, came to the information desk. He wanted to chat. He asked me if I knew what a cat's eye was. I didn't. He reached into his pocket and produced a small stone.
"'I was in the South Pacific, and I got it at Guadalcanal,' he explained.
"I admired the stone and was about to return it when he said, 'You keep it. I'm giving it to you.' He said goodnight and returned to his room.
"When I arrived at work the next day, the office workers were very upset. 'Do you know our first patient shot himself?'"
Dorothy Moran
A stenographer in the War Department recalls unusual mail.
"I went to work in the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Recruiting Office, in August 1941. The men wore business suits, but the day after Pearl Harbor, they came in with their uniforms. One recollection stands out in my mind. Our fighting men were being attacked by Japanese kamikazes. We received numerous letters from people volunteering to do the same thing to the Japanese. A file of these offers was kept just in case because we did not know who would win the war."
Bob E. Reddick
A seaman witnesses the explosion of the Mount Hood.
"My ship, a minesweeper, was headed into port on Manus Island for repairs. On our arrival, we were told to get in line to take on ammunition. The next day, we moved in close to the ammunition ship, the USS Mount Hood. I was coming off watch when a shipmate stopped me. He said, 'Look at the size of that ship and all the ships alongside her.' He barely got the words out when there was a terrible explosion.
"My shipmate and I were blown 75 feet off our ship. There were bodies everywhere. The explosion had blown off my dog tags, my watch, my pants, and my shoes, but I did not have a scratch on me. I am now 76 years old, and I will never forget how lucky I was. To this day I thank God every night for giving me my life."
Don Davidson
A witness to the "second Pearl Harbor."
"On March 21, 1944, 34 Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) were tied up in clusters at West Loch, a shallow anchorage at Pearl Harbor. Each LST was fully loaded with trucks, jeeps, tanks, tractors, gasoline, ammunition, approximately 600 troops, and a crew of over 100 men. The flotilla was to leave the next day for the invasion of Saipan Island.
"At about 3 p.m., I was in a Higgins boat returning to my ship when I saw the first LST blow up, sending bodies, jeeps, trucks, and debris hundreds of feet into the air. Within minutes, two more LSTs blew. There was a maddening exodus of LSTs trying to escape. Our ship, having started its engines and chopped its lines, sailed by us headed for the open sea, with others following. Soon, three more exploded, one after the other. It was the most frightening experience of my life, as we tried to rescue swimmers from flaming oil and gasoline, while debris was falling all around us.
"This catastrophe was not the magnitude of what had happened on December 7, 1941, but it did happen and was kept secret for a number of years. Why? I don't know. The cause of the first explosion has never been officially determined."
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