MEMORIS WWII

I entered the military service at Camp Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas on March 16, 1943, where I was assigned to the Army Air Force. After a few days I was transported, via antiquated troop train, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where I was assigned a room in the Traymore Hotel on the boardwalk. For a few weeks I, and hundreds of other army recruits, were marched up and down the boardwalk, did guard duty and K. P., enjoyed live performances in the Convention Center, and were given a battery of tests and orientation. Since I had developed a skill with the International Morse Code while preparing for a ham radio license with a friend in high school, I was assigned to radio code school and transferred to Ft. Monmouth, Red Bank, N.J. in May 1943. After this school, I was cleared by army intelligence and sent to a Japanese radio code (Kata Kana) school on the same base. Here I learned to copy Kata Kana by hand, standard typewriter, and Japanese Kata Kana typewriter, which had a larger keyboard with more characters.

After completing Japanese code school, in October, 1943, I was transferred to the 4th AAF at Hammer Field, Fresno, Calif. and the Western Signal Aviation Unit Training Center at Camp Pinedale, Fresno, Calif. and assigned to the 8th AAF Radio Squadron Mobile. Here I received further training, including Japanese code intercept.

In November, 1943, I was sent to one of our platoons in Daly City, to an intercept station near an FBI intercept station on a hill overlooking San Francisco for practice Japanese code intercept.

I was then sent back to Pinedale and on May 11, 1944, I went with Headquarters Platoon to Rice Air Base in the Mojave Desert to receive desert training along with more intercept training. We had Direction Finder Platoons located at Needles, Rose, Rice, Vidal and Desert Center. Radio reception was extremely poor here. Blowing sand caused static electricity and hampered radio reception. During the desert stay we slept in pup tents. We half buried our metal helmets in the sand to warm water for shaving. This tough six weeks was finally over so we packed up and were convoyed by truck back to Pinedale.

Within a week after returning to Pinedale, we were sent to Yosemite National Park in June 1944, which proved to be our last maneuver before going overseas. I was stationed with Headquarters Platoon at Badger Pass. Three DF Platoons were located along the coast, one at Point Sur, one at Cambria and one at Half Moon Bay. The remaining platoon was set up at the emergency landing strip at Franklin Field near Galt. I spent a few days with the platoon at Half Moon Bay, where again we slept in pup tents set up near the beach. Every morning we awoke to the chill of thick fog. We attempted to swim one day but barely got wet because the water was so cold. The time in Yosemite was an experience in the wonders and beauty of nature. On long hikes we visited the Vernal, Nevada and Yosemite Falls, the Mirror Lake and also took a trip to the Mariposa Grove of giant redwoods. On Wednesday nights and all day Sunday we were permitted to go to Camp Curry in the Valley where we could watch the impressive "Fire-Fall".

In early August 1944, the Headquarters Platoon returned to Pinedale. Within a week all the platoons also returned. At one of our routine lectures, Major Mundorff, our C.O., announced that a group of Japanese Americans would soon join us to make up our Voice Intercept Team. They arrived shortly afterward and were processed and equipped.

We received word that Sept. 29, 1944 was the date set for us to leave Pinedale. At 3 p.m. Friday, were fed a steak dinner and were told to fallout in full uniform for the march to the train that would take us to the port of embarkation. After a few hours we arrived at Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Washington.

We were allowed pass during our short stay at Ft. Lawton, but were not allowed to tell anyone back home where we were. We left Ft. Lawton at six p.m., October 10, 1944, and were driven to the docks where we boarded the converted cargo ship, S.S. Fredrick Lykes. All available space was taken by equipment and men. Chow lines twisted round and round the decks where we were fed two meals a day in a hot, steamy mess hall. It took three to four hours to feed everyone. Some were seasick for days, although fortunately I never got sick.

On the morning of the eighth day out, we sighted the Hawaiian Islands. We passed Diamond Head and docked alongside the Aloha Tower where the clock was still stopped at the time of the Pearl Harbor bombing. The next day we were told we would be in Hawaii for about a week. A truck convoy took us to the Aiea Staging Area, which was just above Pearl Harbor, about twelve miles from Honolulu. We slept in tents where we had to use mosquito nets. I didn't get much sleep because of the mosquitoes, which sneaked into the net, and because of the airplanes taking off and landing nearby. During the days we hitchhiked or rode buses to Honolulu. This was a real treat for those of us who had never seen this tropical paradise. Wartime Hawaii was jammed with servicemen, but this didn't keep us from enjoying the sights, visiting the Royal Hawaiian and Breakers Hotels and swimming at Waikiki.

After a week, we again boarded ship and left port. Soon a small convoy was formed consisting of nine cargo and troop ships and three destroyer escorts. We had repeated practice drills for submarine, surface, air attacks and fire. A strict blackout was enforced from twilight to sun up. As the weather grew warmer, some of us would go up on deck at night to sleep to get out of the steamy, hot quarters where we slept in bunks, five deep. Occasionally we would run into a storm so violent that the bow of the ship would come completely out of the water, the ship would quiver as the bow slammed back into the water. One night I climbed up to get a view of the deck during a storm and saw that the waves were so high they were washing over the deck. I immediately went below.

Seven days after leaving Hawaii, we anchored at Eniwetok Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. The next day we were on our way to what proved to be Guam, Marianas Islands. One month after leaving Ft. Lawton, we arrived at Guam on November 9, 1944.

The next day, Nov.10, 1944, at about 3 p.m., our duffel bags were loaded onto Higgens boats and the first group of men went over the side and climbed down the landing nets into other Higgins boats which took them ashore. They landed at Sumay where trucks took them to the Suprad area.

As we passed through Agana, there didn't seem to be a house that hadn't been damaged. The shoreline had been battered by naval gunfire and palm trees were broken and bare. There were damaged tanks and half-tracks and "ducks" strewn over the beach, as well as concrete Japanese bunkers and pillboxes.

The next task was to bring up from the docks the huge amount of equipment we brought overseas with us. This twenty-four hour a day task took almost two weeks to complete. We were given the first operational assignment as soon as a sufficient amount of equipment had been brought up from the docks.

One platoon was sent out to try to locate a Japanese radio station that was thought to be on the island. For the first half of their mission they circled the northern end of Guam in an LCI, taking DF bearings. They also broadcast from the ship over a PA system to the Japanese hidden along the shore, telling them to come out and surrender. A small group did so and was taken aboard. The platoon then came ashore and set up a DF at Pati Point. After computing the DF fix, it was determined that the station was not on Guam, so the mission was declared over.

In preparation for actual operations, jungle was cleared and construction was begun for several Army and Navy intercept and DF stations. Guards were posted at the unfinished sites day and night. Japanese stragglers in these areas threw stones at the guards and generators, raided the food supply at night and on occasion would resort to violence. It was on one of these occasions that one of our guards was shot, and died from the wound. He was given a military funeral at the Anigua Cemetery. Construction went on in spite of the Japanese harassment and the heavy downpours of the rainy season. Early in December the work was finished and we were ready to start operations.

Headquarters intercept section, voice intercept section, traffic center, photo lab and communications team all worked at Baker Station; while traffic analysis, cryptanalysis and intelligence evaluation worked at Able Station.

One DF Platoon was set up at Peleiu, one at Saipan, and after Iwo Jima was taken, one was set up there. After six months, replacements were sent to Peleiu to relieve the platoon there. Finally the Saipan platoon broke camp and prepared to move on to Okinawa, but they were delayed, waiting for the island to be secured. They arrived at their destination on Sept. 1, 1945.

Men and equipment of the Peleiu Platoon left Guam on a liberty ship and were taken to Ulithi where they were transferred to a C-1 cargo ship and carried to Peleiu. They set up camp, intercept and DF on Ngesebus, a little island about a mile from Peleiu. When AACS DF broke down they helped them bring in three lost planes. They were thrilled when one of the pilots called to thank them. The Japanese Americans in the platoon received a letter of commendation for their interrogation and interpretation work. One of the men in the platoon put Jap bones all around the mess hall. When someone would ask him what they had for chow, he'd just point to the bones.

The Saipan platoon left Guam on January 12, 1945 aboard an LCI. They set up camp and operations on Marpi Point. In April, Lt. Miller's platoon stopped in for a visit on the way to Iwo Jima.

Late in May they started packing for a move to Okinawa. However, the men were sent to Guam to wait until Okinawa was secure. About August 15th the men returned to Saipan to pick up their equipment to continue to Okinawa, where they arrived Sept. 1, 1945.

In April 1945, Lt. Miller's platoon left Guam to set up operations on Iwo Jima. After two days, as was stated earlier, they stopped by Saipan to visit the platoon there. After a couple of days they left for Iwo Jima. In about a week from the time they left Guam, they sighted Iwo. Their impression of this sulfuric little hellhole is not printable and was depressing, especially after Guam. It was almost completely lacking of any vegetation. They pitched one squad tent to sleep in the first night. The next morning they began moving the mountain of equipment they brought with them. By trading of such luxuries as beer, lumber etc., they were becoming quite prosperous in their new home. Then came the first air raid in the middle of the night. They thought it was a drill until the "ack-ack" started to roar all over the island. Then in the moonlight they saw one Jap plane go down in the ocean and another on the airstrip near by. On the next raid the Japs dropped their bombs from about 19000 feet so it was not so impressive. A few nights later an ammunitions dump about a mile or two away blew up but no damage was done in the area.

They had just gotten their installation set up when word came from the island authorities that they had to move. So the DF, transmitter, and all were moved and they were shortly back in operation.

The Nisei (Japanese American) group was assigned Voice Intercept missions, and occasionally translated documents. Ten of the men were chosen for dangerous flight missions near the Japanese homeland. They all had been trained for Combat Intelligence, but performed well in the tasks assigned.

Headquarters operations on Guam seemed to run smoothly and according to plan. The intercept group did rotating shifts. Baker Station was set up in the jungle in the northern part of the island. During the night shift, occasionally the guard on top of the building would fire off a few rounds and we would have "lights out" in the station. Our living quarters were in the JCA (Joint Communications Activities) area near the northwest coast.

During our time off, we were allowed to swim at Tumon Bay, look for tropical seashells in the shallow waters inside the reef, or roam the island. We roamed at will when we could get a jeep, visiting many of the small villages, and talking with the friendly Chamorros. They were glad to see us and see the Japs go, as they were oppressed and mistreated during their occupation. One little boy, about eight or ten years old, showed me a deep scar on his leg where he said a Jap soldier bayoneted him. He begged me to take him to the states with me. In all of our exploring, we avoided the isolated, thick jungle areas, as we knew there were still Jap stragglers in hiding there. On one occasion, while looking for bananas and papaya, we ran across an avocado tree. Any type of fresh fruit was cherished so we filled our pockets and arms with avocados to take to our quarters for ripening. I ran across a Japanese shoe on the ground, the type with the big toe separated from the rest of the toes. I kicked it and discovered there was a foot in it.

Early in August 1945, when I was on the day shift, I noticed that Japanese radio traffic had practically ceased. I picked up a message in International Morse Code that stated the atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima on August 6. This took us by surprise. Then in rapid succession Nagasaki was bombed. This brought about Japan's surrender with their actual signing the surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.

A few weeks later, for all practical purposes, we ceased operations. I was asked if I'd like to be assigned to another unit in Manila and receive a promotion in rank. I declined and was assigned to another unit, as a radio Teletype operator, on Guam to wait my turn to be sent home.

Finally I was returned to Los Angles on the SS Queens and was discharged on Feb. 28, 1946.

July 2001

Additional 8th USAAF RSM Information