Submitted by: Jeffery Vaillant

 

Willard Reed FETZER who served during WWII and
was a native of North Liberty.

Willard R. Fetzer Military Experience World War II.

Typed copy of Willard's
(Reed's) handwritten experience(also in his genealogy file).

June 19, 1942, preliminary physical at S.B and sent to Toledo, Ohio for a
final physical and induction. Same night sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison at
Indianapolis for outfitting and assignment. Here they held me until I could
be fitted. Sent to Camp Grant at Rockford, Illinois for basic training.
There were people from Medical professions here and while there I attended a
Veterinary class and applied for a commission. It came thru making me a 1st
lt. In Oct. was sent to Kansas City to buy meat and inspect same for the
Army. Here I lived like a civilian reporting every week to the Quartermaster
Depot. I was here for a couple of months and then sent to the 124th Horse
Cavalry at Brownsville, Texas where I became the Regiment Veterinarian and
had 2 other Veterinarians and 12 enlisted(aide men) under me. Here we done
lots of riding and training and then shipped to Camp Funkston(sp) at Fort
Riley, Kansas. Here we turned in our horses and prepared for overseas duty
and went to Camp Anza(sp) at Riverside, California. Here we outfitted and
prepared more and were sent to L. A (Oct of 44) to board the General
Buntner, a troop transport and were taken to Bombay, India and then by air,
narrow track train and side paddle wheel boats to Hanpuka(sp), Burma where
we were issued mules and equipment and the second brigade of Merrils
Marauders and pack field artillery were made into the Mars Task Force. Then
marched through the jungle and mountains into combat. Here we had a month of
continuous combat and finally went to what was called Camp Landis, Burma
near Lashio(sp), Burma. Here the 124th was dissolved and I was then sent
back to Mythina, Burma to take mules to Kernming(sp), China but our mules
became infected with Surra, a tropical disease, and an order came through to
destroy all the mules which I did, after confirming the order, by shooting
them behind the left ear so they fell to the right in a gully between 2
mountains to cover them when we blasted the side of each mountain. I then
went to Unmani(sp), China to prepare to ship home from Calcutta, India on
the General Buckner by way of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Suez, Mediteranean
Sea and Atlantic Ocean to N.Y. and then Newport News, Virginia and then to
Camp Atterbury, TN and sicharged on February 28, 1946. While at Fort Brown,
I attended the Army Medical Field Service school at Carlisle Barracks at
Harrisbury, Pennslyvania. I was made a captain when we first arrived in
India. I was awarded the Bronze Star after combat duty while in China.