I began teaching at Malesus in 1938 as an elementary teacher of the fifth grade and some ten sixth graders. I subscribed to the Weekly Reader for the Sixth Grade and very soon they were introduced to Adolph Hitler and places like Czechoslovakia. I recall explaining to them how quickly France and England would call his hand and Hitler would be no more. So much for my knowledge of world affairs.
It wasn't that way. I registered for the draft October 16, 1940. Miss Jessie McKnight was the registrar and signed my card--No. 7358--and I began to see world affairs involving us, me and my brothers. December 7, 1941 escalated events and we all knew it was World War II.
Christmas and I continued with my heart plans. I gave my true love, Mary Nanney, an engagement ring as I had planned before December 7th.
We, Mary and I, talked about the war and its possible effect on us. We agreed that we would not marry until after the war was over. It wouldn't be long!
Sometime in January of 1942 the Army had need of No. 7358. I reported this to the School Superintendent and got a six months deferment. That was sufficient time for us, especially me, to change our thinking and after Sam and Mary said we could use their house as they were in Florida, we were married May 1, 1942. We went to Shiloh for a short honeymoon, we were back at work on Monday morning.
It was a very short summer. I reported to Fort Oglethorpe and was inducted into the Army July 29, 1942. We were returned home for two weeks before going on active service. There were a lot of pictures made and a lot of visiting done. Now Papa had three boys in service and Mary Ken had a husband.
I was sent to Miami Beach, Fla. for basic training. My training platoon was housed in the Crescent Hotel and we drilled on a golf course. Since Sam, Mary and Steve (13 months old) were in Miami I did visit them and we went fishing once with Sam's boss. They came over to the Beach to see me.
I finished basic training and then some two weeks of K.P. in the officers area before leaving mid-October. We did not know where we were going or our classification. One night I realized that our train was going to go through Jackson. One other soldier, J. B. Priddy, was from Jackson and we watched from Corinth until we stopped at the old Union Station. I had seen the overhead bridge on U.S. Highway 45 at Bemis. I did not jump but I thought about it.
Arrived in Denver, Colorado at Lowrey Field Oct. 20, 1942 with an early six inch snow on the ground. We had on our woolens with all the tags still attached. My class had the 10 P.M. to 6 A.M. shift, with our exercise after classes at 6 A.M. We soon had the ``A shift cough.''
Mary came to Denver for Christmas. She and the wife of a classmate of mine from Union City traveled together. The four of us had found rooms in a house in walking distance of Lowrey Field. Another friend from Boston thought we had a good thing going in having our wives visit us so he had his girl friend out. The six of us did some sightseeing. We have maintained contact with these friends. Virginia and Teppan married and visited us many years later. Charles and LaRue Reynolds live in Union City.
Upon completion of twelve weeks of Norden Bombsight Maintenance School in January, I was sent to a Repple Depple (Replacement Depot) in Albuquerque, N.Mex. Finally in late March I was sent to Carlsbad, N.Mex. to do some more training. Nothing to do but busy work but finally we were promised five day furloughs on a limited basis. My furlough was less than a week away when orders came to report to Ogden, Utah. I was assigned to 31st Depot Squadron and was immediately informed that all furloughs were cancelled and we would be leaving for overseas within two or three weeks. I had time to get another round of shots and take all required tests. Broke one rib on obstacle course. Traveled by train to Orange, New Jersey, Camp Shanks. Visited New York City on our First Anniversary. Big deal! Was now convinced that I'd get that furlough when we finished overseas.
Left New York March 13th, 1943 on the U.S.S. America (the converted first class liner S.S. United States). We zigzagged across the Atlantic in seven days. No one had bothered to tell us where we were going. I recognized Casablanca Harbor by the French ships that had been scuttled there and pictured in the papers. We arrived on the 20th of May. Set up pup tents for the first time. The ground was rocky and very red. We were beginning to stink so the third day they shuttled us to a beach to wash up. The company lost two men to a strong under current. We washed up and that was all. I got very sick, vomiting and diarrhea, but that was no suitable place to die. The 31st was issued a fleet of 6 x 6 wheel drive new Chevrolet trucks. They were loaded with two cat tracks and one airplane motor in the back and a trailer with another motor. (I think for P-47's.) We each got another driver, and two cases of C-rations. Our convoy was on the road from Casablanca to Tunis for ten days. We saved our candy and turned it in to the cooks and had hotcakes and syrup one morning. We had hot coffee every day! I finally found I could eat some C-rations.
We set up our Repair Squadron on the Air Field toward the ocean from Tunis. The place was a wreck. There were trenches in the court yards but we did not plan to use them. Germany's last air raid on N. Africa hit Bizerte, about 15 miles down the coast from us and the Big Guns (long Tom's) opened up over us. We all climbed back out of those dirty trenches and never mentioned it again.
There was one USO show--Bob Hope, Frances Lankford and Jerry Colona. It was a good one. I was guarding some Italian prisoners while watching the show.
We did get our shop in operation and began to salvage some bombsights. They were in poor condition. We began to learn how to clean bearings and balance Rotors (motors). They sent a civilian technician to help train us. Things were looking better.
Not all G.I.'s got to see the President, at least they didn't get a personal salute from him, but I did! One weekend we became aware that everything was very quiet. No activity on the field. A few strange cars had entered the hanger area. I felt the need to answer nature's call and proceeded to our latrine. Now this was located on a spot where the road from the Air Field entered the road from Tunis. This road continued up the pennisula to a resort area. As any Frenchman would know a piece of burlap nearly shoulder high is decency enough. As I continued my business two long black cars came out the Air Field road. The first one turned up the road and, as the second approached, I looked at the back seat and there was FDR himself and as he was looking at what showed of me, I saluted and he saluted back. I didn't wave with both hands as the other hand was busy. So there now! he did salute me! He was on his way to meet Churchill and work on details of the conference with Stalin.
The 31st began loading up to move to Italy soon after our troops landed at Salerno. Our Bombsight Shop was well set up, operational and declared top priority so we were told to stay until the base in Italy was operational. This was a quiet period of time: Oct., Nov., and December. We received orders to pack, load and ship about December 15. We loaded the last of our baggage and equipment on a converted B-17 on Dec. 24. We landed in Bari, Italy, and were carried from the field directly to an old vocational school building on the Adriatic Coast where we found a place for our bags and went to sleep. The next morning we awoke to church bells ringing. Christmas 1943, in Italy. Our shop and other instrument shops of the 31st DRS had been assigned to work with the 11th Air Depot Group. We were still 31st Depot Repair Squadron but was under 11th ADG officers. This was to be my ``home'' until mid-May 1945.
Sometime in early 1944 I was notified to report to the Commanding Office, that the Military Police wanted to see me. I was concerned but not scared. On entering the CO's office there was my brother Herman! What a surprise and how great it was to see someone from home. He was assigned to the 15th Air Corps and was stationed at Foggia, 75 miles north of Bari. We had four or five visits before he completed his fifty combat flights and returned to the states before December 1944.
One Sunday afternoon on a visit with Herman his crew Captain checked out their B-17 to ``see if all maintenance work was completed.'' and they flew me back to Bari. We flew over Naples, got a good look at Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii. I got to try my hand at the controls but didn't do very well. On landing at Bari to ``check the brakes,'' I unloaded as they turned around.
Herman and I went to Rome one weekend. I managed to have an ear infection and ran a temperature most of the time but we had a good visit.
Mary's brother was in Italy on the west coast. Arthur Nanney volunteered for duty on Anzio where he drove a truck hauling supplies. His unit was on the drive north through Rome and on to Genoa. My shop M/Sgt and I went to Florence, Italy, one weekend in April 1945. Arthur's unit was in combat above Pisa so I didn't see him at that time. Later after things quieted down I did have a good visit with him. He was headquartered just west of Pisa. We visited Pisa and went up to Genoa where we sat on the rocks at the beach where Columbus set sail for Spain and America. The trip back from Genoa was one more wild ride! We caught a jeep going south with a mad Lieutenant driver and convoys going both ways on a narrow two-lane road. Mountains on one side and nothing on the other! Obviously we made it, but I was sore for a week.
A munition ship blew up in the Bari Harbour at noon one day. I had left my work desk and was looking up the coast and saw all this stuff falling. Then the concussion hit and our windows came in. One small piece of glass hit me below my eye. Then we all hit the floor. Our shop was a mess and we never got back in full operation again. The European war ended on May 8, 1945.
Not enough points! I got a five day leave to Paris, France and then got to go to Florence, Italy to a ``G.I. University.'' We never got the school organized. I think I met two classes. I did enjoy visiting in and around Florence, a very beautiful city.
Went back to Bari in late August and was officially moved to the 31st DRS Headquarters on Bari Field. This was the first time that I had actually been a part of the 31st since they left us in Tunis. The war in the Pacific ended August 15th, 1945.
My work was over. It was just a matter of waiting for shipping orders. I found one guy to play tennis with me on a concrete court. We played one or two hours in the morning and again in the afternoon. I couldn't find a chess player. We saw a movie every night. We watched planes landing and taking off carrying British soldiers on Rest and Recreation and leaving for their discharge. The weather on the Adriatic Coast is beautiful in the fall.
My orders for home arrived on Nov. 6, 1945. We left Bari on Nov. 7, and stayed at Naples two nights. Left Naples on Nov. 9 on a Liberty ship, the U.S.S. Sea Snipe. Two years, six months, eight days service overseas, according to their bookkeeping.
After thirteen days the shores of the United States appeared through a light fog. We anchored at Norfolk, Va. about mid-afternoon November 20. We were transported to Camp Henry, assigned barracks and told where to find telephones and when we would eat. I was afraid there would be a line on the phones but just looked anyway. No wait so I called and said I was home and ran out of words. Wow! I was home!
I can't recall what we had for our evening meal, steak I think. I do recall breakfast. German prisoners asking how I wanted my eggs! Two over light! What a treat! I saw the egg shells!
We left Camp Henry by train the afternoon of the 21st. Arrived at Ft. Knox, Ky., after dark on the 23rd (Friday). Called home on the 24th but didn't know how soon I would be discharged. Got a haircut.
Sunday, Nov. 25, I was told to get everything in order and start processing. It was fast. I was handed my papers at noon and pointed to a bus leaving in five minutes. Didn't have any time to call until we had a bus stop in Linden, Tenn. I called Lester Riley and asked him to let Mary know that I would be in Jackson at 7:30. She was there and so was I--home again after three years, three months, and twenty-seven days, according to their count. I would say five to ten years.
-- O. Kenneth Watlington, Feb. 1995