1.PFC Finney, Combat Medic in WW11,
2. Sgt. Rev. Dan Wright, Combat Engineer in WW 11,
3 Sgt. Tom Barksdale, POW in WW11 (last of the Hogan's Heros),
4. Emerson Beach, Nuclear Engineer on Sub. shot in Crimea, Russia during Cold War,
5. Rev. Harold W. Syfrett, Electricians Mate aboard the Yorktown in WW11 and now Honorary Chaplain aboard the Yorktown here in Charleston, S.C.,
6. Interview with the last Merrill Marauder - 95 yr. old Jim White
7. Louis Waring Jr. - last survivor of the Chicago Port Disaster
8. Ron Keeler, U. S. Navy Korean War
9.Herbert Milligan - Iwo Jima and Okinawa
10. Paul L. Baughman, Sr - 101 Airborne Parachuter into Normandy on Dday and Infantryman with 29th protecting Patton's Tanks (after recovering from injury)
11. Merrill Lee, Chief, U.S. Navy Survivor of Pearl Harbor
12. Bud Jacobs, U. S. Army Occupation forces in Germany
13. WW11 vet. from Summerville
14. Ruth Walzer, Womens Army Corps. WW11, mechanic after training as machine gun operator for a year. PFC Walzer was very disappointed not to be in combat.
15. Navy Gun Operator on Merchant Marine ships.
16. Francis WAVE nurse in WW11
17. Vietnam vet / Red Cross Volunteer by Sandra
18. John Jay Rockfeller, Marine in Korean War
19. Helen Lee, RAF Women's Auxilary Decoder in Algeria in WW11
1. PFC Finney: wounded in WW 11 while performing as a Combat Medic in Okinawa. PFC Finney, who was drafted as a teenager, became a medic after finding out in Basic Training that "I did not have a killer instinct." The platoon Sgt. sent him to the Chaplain, who suggest he become a medic. Finney was wounded while climbing from foxhole to foxhole mainly to "stop the bleeding" of the injured soldiers. He declares that "I don't know how any medic is not shot having to expose themselves moving around to help the wounded."
Finney who had to learn to walk again also suffered from hepatitis infected from "bad blood" given on the site. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze star for courageous actions. I asked them if he carried a gun as a medic? He replied affirmatively. I asked him if he would use it if necessary? "Of course, to protect my brothers in arms."
After the war, he used the GI Bill to go to Northwestern U. and on to Grad. School at the University of Chicago. He maintains he was thrown out of Grad. school because of his association with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called a "troublemaker" . He was grateful, as "I went upstairs and helped the other "troublemakers" write the Equal Opportunity Act, and do other writing work for Civil Rights.
2. Rev. Dan Wright was working at the Charleston Naval yard with a wife and a child when he was drafted into the Army. After basic, he received extra training as a truck driver and mechanic. He got on a British Freighter in New York to ship out to the Pacific theater. It took the small ship (stopped at lots of ports loading and unloading freight) 52 days to get him to Australia, where a small destroyer moved them to the beach at New Guinea, which was being protected by the Japanese forces. He observed on of his friends being shot on the beach - "he was shot in the stomach and his guts were hanging out." However, "I met him later fully recovered after end of war in Manila."
Rev. Dan became the Captain's driver and bodyguard because of his sharpshooting. "I grew up in the country (near Walterboro, S. C.) hunting so I could shoot pretty good before basic". Somehow, he and the capt. ended up near the front line being shot out and both evacuated the jeep to be protected from the bullets. At about the same time, a Japanese recon. (small) Zero plane landed near them. The pilot jumped out with his hands up and said "don't shoot, I surrender, I was in school in San Francisco." Sgt. Dan said he could "speak English better than I could." He said the Captain (Engineer) never wanted to go near the front again.
He told of having to endure racist taunts from other soldiers, however the worst were from the Japanese side - "Tokyo Rose" who said we ought to desert, because we "Blacks" were treated so badly in the U.S.A. I asked them what they called them and Sgt. Dan said "we were anything but Children of God." Later, he said that some of the racists were put into brig. and the verbal abuse was stopped.
He also said he had to sleep under mosquito nets, but could not help but being bitten by these "Anopholes mosquitos when on duty. He was sick a lot after the war spending a lot of time in hospitals but was not told until recently ("last few months") that he had contracted malaria in New Guinea.
Sgt. Dan, next, was shipped to the Phillipines to be part of the invasion - Gen. MacAuther's Return. He was stuck for awhile in the large harbor with many more boats. He watched kamikaze zero planes coming in attacking the boat. "I saw one fly so close to the water, that it put up a "spume", so we could not shoot at it, as we would hit another boat." "Once it flew up to fly into its target, though I saw it shot down."
Later, he drove trucks around Manila and was used as a guard for the Japanese POW's I asked if he would shoot one if he tried to escape, and he said if he didn't he would be required to stay in the Phillipines until the POW was caught.
Dan Wright after the war became an AME minister ordained by Mother Emmanuel AME church in Charleston. Then, he and a Rev. Middleton returned home to Jacksonboro and founded an AME church, which he proudly stated is "still open and doing well". Rev. Middleton's daughter was unfortunately one of the "Emmanuel Nine". "She was a member of my church as a child.
Sgt. Rev. Dan stated he was treated very well here at Patriots Point (palliative care and hospice) at the
Charleston V. A. He is very happy and especially appreciative of being able to go to Washington last summer on the last Honor Flight for WW11 vets.
I am proud to interview this wise WW11 hero who has served our country and God in a inspirational manner. He now resides in the VA hospice in Charleston, S. C. and was enthused to go on the Last Honor Flight to Washington, D. C. last summer escorted by his son. Rev. Dan was ordained after the war by the Mother Emmanuel AME church here in Charleston, S. C. He co-founded a church in his hometown of Jacksonboro, S. C. (near Walterboro) with a Rev. Middleton, who daughter was one of the Emmanuel 9, who I mistakenly identified (on video) as Ms. "Singleton" whose son Chris is a baseball player at Charleston Southern U., and was instrumental in helping bring about a quick forgiveness from the congregation there. What an honor for me to interview Rev. Wright. Thank you Sir!
3. Sgt. Tom Barksdale, POW at Stalag 17 in WW11. 96 year old Sgt. Tom, also drafted, became a radio operator on bombers from England over Germany and it's surrounding territory. On their 13th mission, their plane was shot up and pilot killed and several crew members were injured. Sgt. Tom put a parachute on the most injured one and pushed him out of plane telling him to pull the ripcord when he could not hear the engine anymore. After helping the rest of the crew put on parachutes and jump, Sgt Tom put on his and jumped. When he hit the ground, he saw that the first injured one was hurt so badly that he knew he had to get help quickly even if it meant capture. Sgt. Tom even climbed a tree to look for help. When they were captured a few hours later ("It felt like forever"), the most injured crewman was taking to a hospital in Germany, while the rest were evacuated to Stalag 17 in Austria. There the injured one ended up about a month later in the same barracks. They remained captive for 18 months. The last month, they were forced march 280 miles South over some of the Alps. for 18 days. This was probably because the Russians were coming toward them and the Americans could capture them further South. At the end of the march, the guards handed over their weapons to the POW's Sgt. Tom said they were treated well the whole time by the guards, and "Hogan's Heros" was based on lot of truth.
96 yr. old. Sgt.Tom was a real Hogan's Hero POW - fascinating heartwarming story - long and you might fast forward through the interview as it is all clarified and summarized with the help of his daughter Suzie in the last ten minutes or so. I am improving my videography and editing as this is first one, but any feedback would be welcomed, Sincerely, Ron Alexander (remember this is a volunteer open to all of us)
4. Emerson Beach -
5. Harold W. Syfrett - 92 years old
6. Fascinating Interview for the Veteran History Project at the Library of Congress today
Ron Alexander I just had a great interview with the last Merrill Marauder - 95 yr. old Jim White at an assisted living center in Conway. A delightful old man who had terrible experiences including malaria in an almost unknown part of WW11 in Burma. It took him years to recover and captured my heart when he let me know that he built a sailboat to help recover and sailed around his homeport of Gloucester, where his Father was a Lobsterman!
Merrill’s Marauders (named after Frank Merrill) or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), was a United States Army long range penetration special operations jungle warfare unit, which fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, or China-Burma-India Theater (CBI). The unit became famous for its deep-penetration missions behind Japanese lines, often engaging Japanese forces superior in number.
The unit was to have 700 animals that included 360 mules. There were to be as many more but the ship that was carrying them was torpedoed in the Arabian Sea. They were replaced by 360 Australian Waler horses that had originally been with the 112th Cavalry in New Caledonia who were deemed unfit for jungle warfare. They had traveled to India where they served with the Chinese Army before being assigned to the 5307th.[7]
SUCCESSFUL MISSION HOWEVER AT GREAT COST
In their final mission, the Marauders suffered 272 killed, 955 wounded, and 980 evacuated for illness and disease; some men later died from cerebral malaria, amoebic dysentery, and/or scrub typhus.[33] Somewhat ironically, Marauders evacuated from the front lines were given jungle hammocks with protective sandfly netting and rain covers in which to sleep, equipment which might have prevented various diseases and illnesses had they been issued earlier in the campaign.[34] The casualties included General Merrill himself, who had suffered a second heart attack before going down with malaria. He was replaced by his second-in-command, Colonel Charles N. Hunter, who later prepared a scathing report on General Stilwell's medical evacuation policies (eventually prompting an Army Inspector General investigation and congressional hearings).[35][36] By the time the town of Myitkyina was taken, only about 200 surviving members of the original Marauders were present. A week after Myitkyina fell, on 10 August 1944, the 5307th was disbanded with a final total of 130 combat-effective officers and men (out of the original 2,997). Of the 2,750 to enter Burma, only two were left alive who had never been hospitalized with wounds or major illness.[37] None of the horses and only 41 mules survived.[38]
Message to a younger generations:
Interview for Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress
Paul L. Baughman, Sr. Paul is on the far right of the
photograph with a helmet on. (famous photo with Gen. Eisenhower)
It was our pleasure to meet you today at the Veterans Victory House in Walterboro.
These vets. of 101 Airborne are on the verge of parachuting into Normandy on D-day
General Eisenhower was so impressed when speaking with Paul, that he offered him a "field commission" then and there. However, Paul refused the honor being satisfied with his sergeant (non-commissioned officer status). After a few weeks of courageously leading his men against the Nazis, he was hit by a sniper in the St. Lo battle. Afterwards he was evacuated and hospitalized back in England.
Considered "recuperated" Paul was sent back to Europe with 29th Infantry to help protect Patton's tanks. They had to guard the tanks while waiting for fuel and then follow them into action. Paul said Patton had his tanks going so fast that they ran to try to keep up. Then, later, he was crawling into a position, leading his men from ahead. when he tripped a mine. This injury was so serious that it ended his combat days. The war was almost over, so he was flown back to hospital in the States near Ft. Dix, where he was able to re-unite with his fiancé. Of course, Paul got the Purple Heart along with the Bronze Star. He is s true hero, Thank you Sir for your service.
Afterwards, he had a nice stable career as a "Tool and Die Maker" which enabled him to live well while using his GI Bill to go back to school in engineering. Paul became a mechanical, design and manufacturing engineer. He married his fiancé and they had children providing for them well.
The last question in interview asks "What do you want future generations to know?"
His wise answer:
PRIORITIZE,
DO THE BEST YOU CAN
STAY OUT OF CONFLICTS
No comments:
Post a Comment