World War II in the Pacific
    Stories of Some Who Were There

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    • "On the morning of December 7, 1941, I was eleven years old. These are
      my memories of the bombing and the days that followed." -- Yvonne's story.

    • "We were in the outer channel of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked." -- Gunner's story

    • "The USS Henderson expects to arrive at Midway Island, the most western of the Hawaiian Islands, about noon tomorrow - April 26, 1941." -- For All Hands

    • 0930 ship was called to divine services.
      0957 Received message stating hostilities had commenced with Japan with an air raid on Pearl Harbor, T.H. -- Henderson2

    • On Mon. 16 March, became aware that my friend, Gus Graves and 6 SOC float planes had been lost and that they had been found on Rossel Island   -- Missing SOCs
      This pilot's experiences at the Battle of Midway.

    • On December 5, 1941, we shipped out alone to reinforce the Philippines on the SS President Johnson. We entered Hawaiian Islands, Jan. 7th, 1942 by way of the Aleutians along with a bunch of Marines in a convoy "larger than the human eye could see".

    • This three man crew flew seven missions in what is now The Bush Avenger.

      I was almost 15 years old when the Japanese soldiers walked into Malang. From now on I was a slave from the Japanese Army.

    • Concrete Ships.
      I was a supply officer with some of the concrete ships; once we were caught in a typhoon, broke the tow and were adrift in an angry ocean.

    • Sinking of General Frank.
      I was a young boy on a sugar plantation on Hawaii and heard the explosion.

    • First Days of the War on Pyro
      Pyro (AE-1) was at West Loch Ammunition Depot. With tons of ammunition on board for the Nevada and on the dock we were attacked buy four Jap planes.

    • Battleships sailed by unseen.
      Izard (DD-589) was the luckiest ship as the Japanese battle fleet sailed by and hit Taffy 3.

    • Monster Submarine at Guam.
      An I-400 class submarine stopped at Guam.

    • Kaiten Attack at Ulithi.
      "Good," the Boatswain said, "You're the man to stand by with this," and handed me a 12 Lb. sledge hammer.
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    About this page: IWasThere.html -Stores of some people who were there in the early days of World War II.
    Last updated on November 11, 2007
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