The War Years (World War II)

The War Years (World War II)

 

 

I was drafted in 1943 during the middle of World War II at the age of 19.  During my evaluation, I was determined to have severe arthritis in my hands, my arms, my legs.  I could not even have blankets on my legs due to the extreme pain.  Because of this condition, I was deferred from military service.

 

During this time, I worked on Fred Zollars’ farm.  He owned 200 acres.  But when I would go into town, I would always be asked why I was not in the service, so in 1946 I enlisted and went into the service.  I was first stationed in Fort Sheridan in Chicago.  From there, I was transferred to Fort Knox in Kentucky.  But before I left, I was singled out by my officers, and they told me that they couldn’t force it upon me, but that I should strongly volunteer for a position out in Baltimore…to work with counter-intelligence.  I was the only one in my unit they asked.


Fort Sheridan, Chicago



Fort Knox, Kentucky

Being young and naïve, I heeded their advice and volunteered.  I was then shipped out to Baltimore to Holabird Signal Depot.  I had a year’s worth of teaching shoved down me from September 1946 to February 1947.  I was then sent out to Fort Lawton in Washington where I was to be a part of the 441^st Counter-Intelligence Corps.

Fort Lawton, Washington

East Gate, Fort Lawton, Washington

From Washington, I boarded a ship named the ET Collins bound for Japan, though I didn’t know where.  On the way over there, they fed us Navy beans, and as we were sitting there eating those beans on tops of these large trays, the ship was rocking to and fro, and my bowl of beans slid over to the soldier to the right of me who proceeded to throw up into my bowl, and then it slid right back in front of me.  I immediately went up to the deck where I nearly threw up myself.

 

 

We ended up being stationed in the Kimitai Building where Japanese prisoners of war were held.  That building was converted over to our headquarters, and then from there, I was sent down to Tokyo, where I spent my time typing, typing, typing, typing…for the 441^st Counter-Intelligence…typing information as it came out of Korea.

 

I was released from Japan and sailed back on the Omar Bundy ship in December 1947…to Fort Lawton in Washington again.

 I was discharged from Fort Lawton, so I caught a soldier train home from there, and I remember passing through Three Forks, Montana. We stopped in Chicago where I caught a train to Lincoln where my parents picked me up.