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Home My WebLink AboutCommemorative Program Booklet S COUNTY CELEBRATION COMMEMORATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WORLD WAR II SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2005 10 AM - 2 PM GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIB & MUSEUM XAS September 3, 2005 We gather today, the day after the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, not to celebrate war, but to commemorate the accomplishments and sacrifices of an entire generation. This generation of war veterans and home front supporters united to carry the United States of America and countries around the world to liberty and freedom from oppressive forces. The Texas in WWII Planning Team has labored throughout the summer with the generous support of our community's institutions, organizations, and busi- nesses to prepare an event that gives us pause to reflect on the experiences of World War II. Throughout the day you will hear stories of the victory and sorrow of battle, of the trials and triumphs of women in the military, of the determination and disap- pointment of the African American soldiers as they fought for "Double Victory," and of the sacrifice and resourcefulness of adults and youth on the home front. Even as our armed forces trained and fought for victory on the battle front, communities on the home front ral- lied to victory by participating in defense work, ration- ing, victory gardens, canning, paper drives, collecting scrap metal, knitting sweaters, rolling bandages, saving bacon grease, and limiting travel. In this keepsake program is a sample of our commu- nity's World War II stories. I challenge you in t ahead to document the WWII stories of your and community members. Warmest Regards, Katie Elrod Event Coordinator Texas in WWII Agenda at a Glance 10:00 a.m. Qpenin2: Ceremony 10:15 a.m. Scope of Events 10:30 a.m. Simultaneous Inter retive Ac Gallery Talks - A Veteran Panel - Group A Meet wwn Authors 1940's Movie Educational Film 11 :30 a.m. Complimentary Lunch 1940's Style Show 1940's Music - Victory Piano Meet WWII Authors 1940's Film E 12:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. Texas in 2 10:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. I A.M. PrograDl Openin2 Ceremony - Rotunda Welcome Charles Schultz Posting of the Colors T AMU Color Corps Pledge Victoria Schaller National Anthem Ben Welch Prayer Neal Nutall Honoring the "Greatest Generation" Katie Elrod "Taps" Bugler, T AMU Corps of Cadets Retiring of the Colors T AMU Color Guard Scope of Event Tom Taylor "America" Rita Underwood Simultaneous Interactive Events Gallery Talks - Group A - Museum Military Mike Blair, Avenger Mark Collins, African Americans in the Military Russell Howerton, Battle of Midway Ascencion M. Munoz, Anny, Pacific Theater Al Postelwait, Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands Bill Ravey, Battle of Burma Victoria Schaller, W A YES Brenda White, African American Women Family Yolanda & Edward Kozlowski, Sweethearts Mary & Bill Lancaster, High School Memories Mike McKaughan, Father trained WASPS Joanna L. Yeager, Brothers in Service Home Front Marland Clemens, Child on the Home Front Frances Henry, Defense Dietician Perry Stephney, African American War Effort Nancy Ross, War Effort Archaeology Bob Warden & Team, Pointe du Hoc Ranie Arnold, Camp Hearne Veterans' Panel- Group A - Theater Moderator: Tom Taylor CS Historic Preservation Committee Bill Adams - Anny Field Artillery, Europe Bill Harper - Home Front Louis Hudson - Paratrooper, Europe Jim Newman - Submariner, Pacific Foster Thompson - Marine Pilot, Pacific Meet wwn Authors - Rotunda Educational wwn Film - The Overlook in the Museum Tuskegee Airmen Vintage Film - Rotunda, South Wall Wake Island Texas in WWII P.M. PrograDl 11:00~a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Rotunda Activities Complimentary Lunch 1940's Style Show 1940's Music - Pianist Jo Ann Cremin on the Victory Piano Meet WWII Authors 1940's Vintage Film: Memphis Belle - on the South Wall 11:30 a.m. Educational WWII Film - The Overlook in the Museum Fly Girls 12:'30 p.m. Simultaneous Interactive Events Gallery Talks - Group B - Museum Military Bill Adams, From Cadet to Officer James Boone, Philippines John Conkling, India Mike Cornelius, Red Ball Express Emilio Hernandez, Military Experience Al Postelwait, Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands James Wade, Battle of the Bulge Family Marguerite Anthony, Father in CIC Pat & Rodger Koppa, Youth & Family Memories Colleen Risinger, Military Eamily Kitty & Will Worley, Sweethearts Home Front Kathleen Heaton, Rosie the Riveter Eleanor Conkling, Riveter Peggy Hope, Ration Commission Claudine Hunting, Memories from France Archaeology Bob Warden & Team, Pointe du Hoc Ranie Arnold, Camp Hearne Veterans' Panel- Group B - Theater Moderator: Calvin C. Boykin, Jr., Tank Destroyers, Europe Eddie Harrison, Buffalo Soldiers in WWII Joe L. Hedrick, Marine, Pacific Edward Kozlowski, Air Corps Navigator, Europe Yolanda Kozlowski, Anny Nurse, Europe Gerald McCaskill, USS Tennessee Meet the WWII Authors - Rotunda Educational WWII Film - The WWII Memorial: A Testame Museum 1940's Vintage Film - The Best Years of Our Lives 2:00 p.m. Close of Event 3 Lt. JG Geor e H. W. Bush Above: President George H W Bush Directly below: Lt. JG Bush in an Avenger, Barbara III Below: His Flying Cross Medal Right: As a Naval Aviator Cadet in early 1943 Below right: USS San Jacinto 4 [ GEORGE H. W. BUSH u.s. Navy Reserves Pacific Theater On June 12, 1942, George H. W. Bush graduated from Phillips Academy and went directly to Boston to enlist in the United States Navy Reserves. At Corpus Christi, he was commissioned an ensign and received his Gold Wings on June 9, 1943, when he was 18 years, 11 months, and 27 days old, the youngest commissioned naval aviator at the time. Pre-flight check, 1942-1945. After twenty months of training, Bush and his fellow pilots reported to the USS San Jacinto on February 6, 1944. They took their first cruise to the Gulf of Pari a in Trinidad. The ship departed for San Diego on March 25, 1944, passed through the Panama Canal, docked briefly in San Diego, and then headed on to Hawaii, reaching port on April 20, 1944. Bush flew his first combat mission on May 21, 1944 in an attack on enemy ground installations and the harbor at Wake Island. Bush flew numerous missions from the USS San Jacinto, bombing land and sea targets with his Avenger. On August 1, 1944, he was commissioned a Lieutenant Junior Grade. On September 2, 1944 during a bombing run over Chichi-jima in the Bonin Islands, Bush's plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed off the coast ofthe island. Bush parachuted to safety, but his crew was unable to escape, perhaps killed by the enemy fire, and perished. Bush was rescued after a few hours in an inflatable life raft by the submarine Finback and remained on the submarine for over a month while it patrolled off the Japanese coast. Lt. JG Bush returned to the USS San Jacinto in the fall of 1944 to fly additional combat missions before his squadron was relieved of duty after eight months of service. He flew his last combat mission on No- vember 29, 1944. After he arrived back in San Diego with his squadron on December 22, 1944, Bush returned home to Greenwich, Connecticut on Christmas Eve. Following the end of his leave, during which time he married Barbara Pierce, Bush returned to Norfolk, Virginia and became part ofVT-153, a new squadron of Navy torpedo bombers forming for the invasion of Japan. He was then sent to Florida, Michigan, Maine, and again to Virginia. When he was in Auburn, Maine, he learned of the death of President Roosevelt, and was in Virginia Beach, at the Oceana Naval Air Station, on V -J Day. On Sep- tember 18, 1945, Bush was discharged from the United States Navy Reserves, having completing 58 missions, 126 carrier landings, and logging 1228 hours of flight time. He earned the rank of lieutenant in the navy reserves on April 1, 1946 and remained in the reserves until his resignation on October 24, 1955. George Bush Presidential Library Foundation Pr Read the rest ofth n Project n ibrary Database at http://holdcstx.gov. 5 Texas Contribution TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 36th Infantry Division - the "Texas" Division "The 36th became the first American combat division to land in Europe. Fourteen of its members were awarded the Medal of Honor. " The 36th spent 400 days in combat, accepted the surrender ofField Marshal Hermann Goering, won seven campaign streamers for its colors, and took part in two assault landings. The Division had the ninth highest casualty rate of any AnnyDivision in World War ll. Organized at Camp Bowie (Fort Worth), Texas on 18 July 1917, the 36th Infantry Division drew from units of the Texas and Oklahoma National Guard. When World War I was over in 1919, the Division adopted a shoul- der -patch of an Infantry Blue Arrowhead with a green "T" superimposed over it. The arrowhead stood for Oklahoma and the "T," for Texas. After the war, the 36th was reorganized and became an "all Texas" division. The Oklahoma units became part of the 45th Infantry Division. On 25 November 1940, the Division was mobilized for World War ll, with active duty station at Camp Bowie, in Brownwood. It took part in training maneuvers and in April 1943 began its move overseas. It landed in North Africa, conducted amphibious training and on 9 September 1943, landed in Italy at Paestum in the Gulf of Salerno. The Division fought in the Italian Campaign in such notable actions as Mt. Lungo, San Pietro and the Rapido River. In the Rapido River action, the Division lost the better part of two of its three regiments - 141st and 143d - in unsuccessful attempts to cross the river. The attempted crossing was made to divert Ger- man troops from the landing of allied troops at Anzio. On 25 May 1944, the Division landed at Anzio and led the breakout toward Rome. The Division captured Velletri on 1 June 1944, and opened the gates of Rome for the 5th Anny. The Division was then pulled out of Italy and landed on the beaches of Southern France on 15 August. Driving up through Southern France, the 36th was attacking and breaking the Siegftied Line when the war in Europe ended. . . . and Texans thank the 36th today, in 2005, for still looking after us . . . Barbara Donalson Althaus Bryan, Texas 6 The 36th Division troops arrive on the beaches near Paestum, Italy on September 9, 1943. March your story into HOLD! Project HOLD: IDstoric Online Library Database Read more 36th Infantry Division at htt1J://hold.cstx.gov. Brazos County Contribu on BRYAN AIR FORCE BASE and Colonel Joe "the Duck" Duckworth "Although saving many from death by their joint efforts at the only instrument training school of its kind, they are remembered as the first to fly into the eye of a hurricane. " Both the Bryan Air Force Base in Brazos County, Texas, and Colonel Joe Duckworth's system of instrument training are credited with being m~or contributors to the wwn aviation effort and the Berlin airlift in 1948. "For God's sake, get all the instrument flying you can," an English pilot wrote to his friend training in Texas. "It's the difference between life and death over here." The-head instructor at Bryan AFB, Col. Duckworth, regarded as the "father" of modern day instrument flying, never saw combat and did not fly fighters, bombers, or helicopters. His standardized system of instrument fly- ing, developed at the Brazos County base, was one of the most significant contributions made to pilot training, greatly reducing weather-related accidents. His Link trainer system continued in use throughout the USAAF. In the end, however, these accomplishments are widely forgotten. What is remembered is their feat of being first to fly into a hurricane! The story is told that on the morning of27 July 1943, British pilots training on instruments at Bryan were sur- prised by news of a hurricane because of shutdown of weather-related information after Pearl Harbor. The Brits really started gigging lead instructor Duckworth about the frailty of their trainer when they heard the planes may have to be flown away from the storm. The problem was that few, if any, European flyers had ever experienced a true hurricane and thought it was just another big thunderstorm. Finally, Colonel Duckworth had enough ribbing and bet the Brits that he could fly the AT-6 "Texan" single engine trainer into the storm and back, showing that both the plane and his instrument flying technique was sound. Well, the bet was on. A highball to the winner! Colonel Duckworth then looked across the breakfast table at Lieutenant Ralph 0' Hair, the only navigator at the field that morning, and asked him to fly with him. The rain was very heavy as they flew through the darkness and, by accident, suddenly broke into the eye of the storm. That night the bet was paid and no more comments were made on the "Texan" trainer or the value of instrument flying. After that flight, Bryan AFB became a Mecca for Allied pilots wanting to learn the fine art of "instrument fly- ing" -- saving countless lives. oject HOLD! ry Database at http://holdcstx.gov. Barbara Donalson Althaus Bryan, Texas 7 AEIM Coil e of Texas CORPS OF CADETS "Texas A&M is, of course, one of the oldest military schools in the country. They have about asfine a reputation in the field as anyone." Maj. Gen. Wood Kyle, '36 Texas A&M was an integral part of World War II from the visit of President Roosevelt in 1937 to the address of General Dwight D. Eisenhower at muster ceremony in 1946 -- both respected men visiting the A&M campus. Fol- lowing President Roosevelt's visit, $2 million was spent at A&M to expand facilities to yearly house, train and feed 7,000 cadets. In all, more Aggies were on active duty than the combined total of VMI (Virginia Military Institute), Clemson, and the Citadel. Aggies served in every theater of the war furnishing more officers than West Point: 29 in the rank of general. Seven former cadets received the nation's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. Ten Aggies were confirmed air aces. But the toll was great. Some 953 former cadets were killed. "The military contribution of A&M during World War II was the most important single accomplishment of the college. The military service of 20,000 Aggies, 14,000 of them commissioned officers, overshadows all else," declared Edwin Kyle, former Dean of Agriculture, in 1950. Barbara Donalson Althaus Bryan, Texas 8 AGGIES IN THE MARINES "Aggiesfrom the classes of 1935 and 1936 provided remarkable leadership roles in the Marine Corps," says Al Kyle, son of General Wood Kyle '36. "Out of the eight people from those two classes, five made general, and two of them - Hollis Mustain and Ed Hamilton - never had an opportunity to come up. " "You might be interested to know about some of the people who graduated from Texas A&M. It is a kind of a remarkable record for a school," says Major General Wood Kyle '36 in an oral interview in 1969. Back in the days of the Depression, the Anny had a program taking in about a thousand ROTC students a year. Starting in 1935, the Marine Corps began to build up officer strength anticipating World War IT and got permission from the Anny to get some officers out of their ROTC units. So, in '35 we had roughly 100 from the ROTC units who came into the Marine Corps: Bruno Hochmuth, Ray Murray, Odell "Tex" Conley, and Wood Kyle attained the rank of general. Regarding General Hochmuth, Wood Kyle took over from him as Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Divi- sion, following Hochmuth's death. General Murray attended Wood's funeral. They remained good friends to the end. Albert S. Kyle, BSEE Duke, MBA, MPA Harvard Andover, Massachusetts Guadalcanal, Dec. 1942. Maj. W.B. Kyle, A&M Class '36, (p.l 0) :ßattalion Com- mander & Maj. Wendell Andrews, Battery Executive Officer, 1 st En 2nd Marines Project HOLD- be "First In!" Project HOLD: IDstoric Online Library Database Read the rest of the story at http://hold.cstx.gov. 9 AGGIES WOOD BARBEE KYLE u.s. Marine Corps (Retired) 2nd Lt. - Maj. Gen., Pacific Theater, Viet Nam At Tarawa we "simply picked up anybody we couldfind-- and we joined them up and carried on the fight. " Wood B. Kyle, my Dad, accepted appointment as a Marine Second Lieutenant on July 11, 1936 after graduating with honors ITom Texas A&M. Following a tradition started during the Civil War when his grandfather served as Captain of Company D in Terry's Texas Rangers; Wood, his father, and brother were Captains of Company D in the Corps of Cadets at A&M. Kyle served with the 2nd Marine Brigade at Shanghai, China Octo- ber 1937 to April 1938, on the USS Lexington in 1939 - 1940, and in the Pacific during Wodd War II. When his battalion commander was seriously wounded at Guadalca- nal, Major Kyle assumed command, refusing evacuation for his own wounds. Already a decorated combat leader with responsibility for 1000 Marines, he was 27 years old and was awarded the Silver Star Medal for heroism during this campaign. At Tarawa my Dad earned his second Silver Star Medal for courageous leadership when he personally led his men in an attack on the heavily defended central sector of the island. The assault on Tarawa was one of most violent amphibious assaults by the Marines in the Pacific, averaging 50 percent casualties, nearly all of which were suf- fered in three days. It was a miracle that Dad survived. After participating in campaigns at Saipan and Tinian, Lieutenant Colonel Kyle returned to the U.S. in October 1944. Some will remember the SaipanlTinian operation as securing the airfield for the Enola Gay. Marine history describes "one of the most sickening stories of the war has come out of the Saipan campaign, namely the account of hundreds of Japanese suicides in the Marpi Point area. The interviewer described some of the Marines crying as they watched." Major General Kyle subsequently retired from active duty after 32 years of service August 31, 1968. His account only hints at the high stakes of those battles, given the routine tone of the veteran. It was a desperate struggle, won by acts of individual courage within an extraordinary military organization: the U.S. Marines. My Dad, Wood Kyle represents the best of them. 10 Al S. Kyle, BSEE Duke, MBA, MPA Harvard Andover, Massachusetts Online Library Database at http://hold.cstx.gov. BILLY JOE ADAMS United States Army (Retired) 2nd Lt. - Major, European Theatre 'That day - the bombing of Pearl Harbor - was 'changing day' in my life. My whole attitude changed." As a student at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, I was fortunate to enroll in the advanced ROTC program that would lead to being commissioned a Reserve Officer in the Anny. I would receive $21 per month for those times when I was enrolled in ROTC or attending summer camp. This added income had its enticements for me. In the springtime of my senior year, those of us enrolled in Advanced ROTC were informed that the Anny would very likely call us to active duty for one year of training some time within the 12 months after we received our commissions, but it happened sooner than that. We had Commissioning and Final Review on Saturday, June 7, 1941 and I was ordered to report to Fort Sam Houston, Texas on Sunday June 8, 1941. After completing 3 months of schooling at the Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma in October 1941, I was assigned to A Battery, 26th Field Artillery Battalion, 9th Infantry Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On Sunday, December 7, 1941, I took my car to the battery motor pool to wash it. With the radio on, I then heard the initial broadcast of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. That day was "changing day" in my life. I soon realized the impact of that attack not only upon our nation but also upon me as an individual. My whole attitude changed. I began to want to do whatever I could to help my country thoroughly defeat Germany, Italy and Japan as soon as possible. It honestly was with regret that I was reassigned back to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as an Instructor rather than remaining with the 9th Infantry Division as they were preparing for combat somewhere in the European area. Now, fast forward to January 1945, I was a member of the 20th Annored Division and we were deployed to the European Theater, finally. Our division had some 20 days or so of combat. Very soon after the cessation ofhos- tilities in Europe, we were ordered back to the States, for training to prepare for the invasion of Japan. We were well aware that the war was not completed and were glad to contribute our part. Being aware of the difficulties and casualties of the invasion of Normandy, we did envision a high casualty rate. Consequently, when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were attacked with atomic bombs on August 6 and August 9, I was relieved and very happy. This service provided me with valuable experience in my subsequent careers in the Regular Anny and for my position on the faculty and staff at Texas A&M University. B. 1. Adams College Station, TX Below: Sight seen disem- barkingfrom transport troop ship in Le Havre har- bor, France. First glimpse of destruction. (For more pictures see p. 6.) Disembark your memories onto Project HOLD! Project HOLD: Historic Online Library Database Read more about Billy Joe Adams at http://holdcstx.gov. 11 AGGIES ED WARD M. BAR Y, JR. U. S. Navy - Submarine Service Torpedo Man I/C, Pacific Theatre "Would I make the same decision today if I were corifYonted with the war situation we faced in 1941? You 'betcha' I would. I was glad to serve my country. " On December 7, 1941, I was attending Texas A&M College on a football scholarship. My roommate and I were on our way to break- fast when we. heard that the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor and that President Roosevelt would declare war on Japan. I knew immediately that I would leave school to enlist in the U. S. Navy. I stayed in boot camp just long enough to get all the necessary shots and was.transferred to Balboa Park (Worlds Fair grounds). Eventu- ally, I "volunteered" for submarine service. In order to qualify for sub service in peace time, you had to be physically sound, have good eyesight, normal hearing, and all of your front teeth. I qualified my first six weeks during my first patrol run which was on the USS Ca.. chalot, (SS 170). Our primary duty was to observe the Japanese activities, go out to sea at night and report to our bases in Alask:(i. They would send planes into the area to hinder enemy activities. Of course we were given the directive to destroy any enemy naval vessels we might encounter. We had only one direct contact with the enemy when we sighted<:J troop-transport pulling into port. We CITed two torpedoes at the ship. Immediately one of the lookouts on ourSIJJ;,.. marine, a young man.whom we suspected ofþeing much too young to be in the armed services, and who had a definite lisp, reported to the Captain llwiddle boat tumming upatem, sIJr." The Captain asked another lookout what he said, and when the Captain looked back there were two torpedo.esapproaching from our rear. Luckily o.ne missed by ten yards and the other by a hundred yards. We had to dive to two hundred feet to avoid the enemy, thinking that it might be a destroyer. Since there were no depth charges dropped, it was assumed that it was an enemy submarine. This was just about all the activity to note except that we were caught in a hurricane for five days with winds up to eighty miles per hour and a temperature of twenty below zero. After my discharge from the U. S. Navy, lenro.lled in Texas A & M College again and received my B.S. degreein 1949. Then I worked at several enterprises but ultimately ended up working for Foundation Seed Section of the Agricultural Experiment Station, ÇollegeStatio.n,Texas. Sinceretiring in 1982, we have. continued to live in Bryan, Texas, and feel blessed tohave>sharedalmost 62 years of marriage with my wife, Ruth, and a large family. Our three youngest grandchildren areallenro.lledin Texas A & M University for the fall 2005 semester. Edward M. Hary, Jr. Bryan, Texas 12 GERALD McCASKILL U. S. Navy - USS Tennessee Pacific Theatre "In nine months aboard ship I had been in five major battles and hadjust turned 19. The war and the Navy changed my life. The GI Bill enabled me to go to A&M " Even though Gerald McCaskill did not join the war effort until 1944, he was in three major battles within less than three months from the time he left home and Mother. It all started when I was inducted into the Navy March IS, 1944, left for training and ultimately joined our ship, the USS Tennessee, in Hawaii. My job during a battle was damage control. In other words, if a water or electric line should be hit, our duty was to stop the flow of water as best we could until a repairman could get through. When we were engaged in the invasion of Saipan and Tinian in the Pacific, we were hit by three shells from a Japanese shore battery on Tinian. We had quite a bit of damage in our sta- tion, mainly broken water lines and structural damage. We had a strange kind of funny thing. It happened that the deck above us was a vegetable locker and a lot of potatoes came down on us. Usually, we would shell for 3-5 days before the invasion, then our smp would "layoff' and stand by for "calls for fire" from our troops after our forces landed. The USS Tennessee fought in Guam, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Philippines twice. We were hit by seven Kamikaze suicide planes on April 12 -- the same day President Roosevelt died. It came over the P.A. system right way. We were real sad that day with 110 injured and the 26 burials at sea. Yet when we had to go back to the Philippines I didn't think too much about it. That was where my ship went. That was where I was going to be. When the USS Tennessee entered the Surigao Straits, it played an important part in the last battle between huge fighting ships. Admiral Ohlendorf had his six old battleships position themselves across the Straits so that all 14" turrets could fire simultaneously where the Japanese could only fire their forward turrets. The battle, begun at a distance of 10-12 miles, was over in some 20 minutes. We assumed that next we would be going to Japan and had started reloading for invasion when word came they dropped the bomb at Hiroshima. I was glad. The dropping of the atomic bombs and the final surrender of Japan was good news to our crew and I know for the guys in the Anny and Marines. "I told my kids that I hoped they never had to go serve but if they did I hope they would go and serve with honor. I cannot abide that anybody would not go serve with honor." Gerald McCaskill College Station, Texas Barbara Donalson Althaus Bryan, Texas Sail on to Project HOLD! Project HOLD: IDstoric Online Library Database Read more about Gerald McCaskill at httv://hold. cstx.gov. 13 Early Aviation Volunteer ERNEST WARNER SPRAD LE Y US Army Air Force (Retired), R.A.F., R.C.A.F 2nd Lt. - Lt. Col, Northern African Theatre "At Malta we went up in four's. There were usually 150 to 175 of them and we were always sadly outnumbered, so the job we had to do was cripple them up as much as we could when we got the chance. " E. W. Spradley, our Dad, was just 22 and one of the first 50 Americans to join the RCAF in the summer of 1940. Six months later he was sent to duty in England. Throughout 1941, he flew Spitfires in France, Belgium and Holland and the RAP raids on Brest. In January 1942, his assignment in the Mediterranean shifted from ferrying supplies to the British at Malta to protecting Malta. Spradley flew off the HMS Eagle where he was to spend three months during the siege of Malta as a member of the 249th Squadron RAP. After the Malta campaign, E. W. was sent to the Gold Coast of Africa to ferry Spitftres across the dangerous Congo jungles to Cairo, Egypt. His pilot record book with the RAP indicates that he had extensive night training and instrument flying experience. In February 1943, E.W. transferred from the RAP to the United States Anny Air Corps and flew cargo and supplies on DC-3's with the 9th Squadron. His transfer to the USAAF was preparatory to his marriage 9 March 1943 in Cairo to Josephine "Josie" Martin, a nurse also stationed in Cairo -- the first wedding of American forces in the Middle East during WWII. By 1944 E.W. had been transferred stateside as an Instrument Pilot to train pilots for six weeks at Bryan Air Field -- the only instrument- training school of its kind in the United States Anny Air Force. The unique school selected only the most experienced pilots such as Spradley who had flown over 120 combat missions and had 210 combat hours as a Spitfire pilot. Among the honors E. W. "Bill" Spradley received with the British were the Cross of Malta, the Canadian Overseas Ribbons and the African Star. While in the US Air Force, Spradley shot down four enemy aircraft and was a Command Pilot with more than 3500 flying hours in his career. Bill Spradley stared death in the eyes, not once but many times, making split-second decisions. Never bragging about his flight prowess, refusing to talk about his decorations and the war, Bill would probably say "others don't have to know what I have done, I know." Lt. Col. E. W. Spradley died at age 54 in 1973 - on his wife's birthday. They are buried together at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Jane Spradley Haley Missouri City, Texas 14 Janice Spradley McCarthy Katy, Texas Susan Spradley Bell Houston, Texas Women in the M- JOSEPHINE MARTIN SPRADLEY, R.N. United States Army Nurses Corps Second Lieutenant, North African Theater "Our mother signed up along with her closest friends from nursing school before Pearl Harbor, probably because they knew a war was coming. " After graduation from nursing school on May 17, 1940, Josie stayed on at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, Texas for six months. During that time, she joined the army reserves and trained at Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Texas. On February 15, 1941, Josephine Martin was assigned to active duty as a registered nurse in the US Anny Nurses Corps and commissioned a Second Lieutenant. Before being sent overseas, she also trained at Camp Polk, Louisiana and at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas where she treated many burn patients. Josie was assigned to Cairo, Egypt arriving on November 1, 1942 shortly after Rommers defeat at EI Alamein and was stationed at the newly opened 1,000-bed 38th General Hospital, Delta Service Com- mand -- where she nursed many soldiers wounded on the battlefield. Then romance bloomed for Josie amid the chaos of war. She met and later married Flight Lieutenant E. W. Spradley of the Royal Air Force in March 1943. But they were soon to be separated as her husband resumed flying duties in North Africa. Josephine Martin, now Mrs. E. W. Spradley, stayed at the 38th General treating the wounded and those sick from the extreme heat and an appalling list of diseases --- typhus, smallpox, dysentery, venereal diseases. Sanitation, clean water and fa- cilities became top priority for the hospital. In January of 1944 Spradley and his wife were both transferred to duty stateside. "Daddy had told her not to leave Egypt by convoy but to fly out because ships were being torpedoed in the Mediterranean. The next thing he knew Mother turned up in Italy in a convoy torpedoed in the Mediterranean and rescued from the sinking ship!" When Josie finally arrived stateside in March, she was assigned to Baxter General Hospital treating tho- racic (chest) injuries in Spokane, Washington in December 1944. Although she had requested a transfer to Ephrata, Washington where husband Bill was training pilots, the closest she came was Spokane -- 100 miles away. Still, the two were not close for long. Josie left the Anny in May to become a mother and returned to Texas to give birth to identical twin daughters. Josie later refused her veteran's benefit, probably thinking Spradley is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Spradley. Both died premature deaths, she at age 49 and he at age 54. ." Josephine Martin . Col. Ernest Warner Susan Spradley Bell Houston, Texas Jane Spradley Haley Missouri City, Texas McCarthy Hold on to your Project HOLD: Historic Online Library Da Read more about Josephine Spradley at at htt :/fholde. 15 Youth ..Me_ories./of I WILLIAM J. JOHNSON us Army, 755 Tank Battalion Purple Heart I asked my Dad, on the 5(jh anniversary of WW/L where he was 50 years ago and his reply came quickly, "I was in a foxhole in Italy. " On that mid-August day in 1945, I can still feel the cold, wet washcloth on my face as my grandmother "cleaned me up." She changed my clothes so we could go to the Methodist church three blocks away to give thanks to God for the ending of the war. Only four years earlier on March 15, 1941, my father, William J. "Bill" Johnson, answered the call of duty to his country. Tears still fill my eyes even today. Bill, still struggling with his wife's death when he was drafted, had to leave his 18-month-old daughter in the care of his sister -- for as long as he was to be gone. What a sad day in the Johnson household. My Dad went to Fort Sam Houston and then on to Fort Knox, Kentucky and was shipped out to the European Theater. He fought in four major båttles. Dad was seriously injured in April of 1945, just four months before Ja- pan surrendered. Although he spent time in the hospital and received the Purple Heart, he was back on the battle- field as the war came to an end. But expectancy turned to misery when Daddy was supposed to return home. We got all dressed up and went down to meet his train but he was not on it. We waited for hours before giving up and going home-- a terrible experience for me as a six year old. Then a knock on our door woke us up in the night. It was my Dad! He rarely talked about the war and his ex- periences, but I know he had deep emo- tions even though they were never ex- pressed. Years went by and Dad rebuilt life. As his daughter, I would like to honor him for his heroic service and personal sacrifices to his country. It is hard to find the right words to thank him for being a courageous soldier. William J. Johnson died in 200 I at the age of 82. Doris Johnson Emshoff Bryan, Texas Pictured: William J. Johnson, Co B 755th TankBnM, APO306 NY NY, USARMY, letter written to his sister. and his Purple Heart~ 16 EDDIE EARL HARRISON An Aggie Remembers Buffalo Soldiers & Home Front Captain - Colonel, Korean War Eddie reminds us that all those who served, on whatever front, are part of what Tom Brokaw called "The Greatest Generation." When Judge Eddie Harrison speaks of the heritage of the "Buffalo Soldiers," given that name as a mark of respect by the Native Americans who fought them, his unique understanding of what it means to fight a two-front war (for victory in combat and for civil rights at home) is evident. Like veterans of previous wars, the "Buffalo Soldiers" returned home with high expectations of respect and a better life but found little had changed. Unlike veterans of earlier wars, the African Americans of World War II were not willing to accept what they found. They brought a sure knowledge that they could fight great odds, endure tremendous sacrifice and continue through to victory. As a veteran of the "home front," Eddie Harrison went on after World War II to serve as one of the first generation of African American officers to command integrated units. His sense of civic duty that led him to collect scrap along the fence rows, propelled him to a career as municipal court judge. Harrison's career began in the US Army just after WWII He served during the Korean War and retired Although three of his brothers served during World War II in the segregated military units (the "Buffalo Soldiers") that were part of every war America fought through World War II, Eddie Harrison's memories of wartime service are those of a man too young to serve in the military but old enough to be a veteran of the often forgotten "home front." For Eddie and the other young brother left on the home farm, war time meant years of hard work doing their part to support the older brothers. For Eddie and other home front veterans, the war years were a time of victory gardens, scrap drives; war bond sales and the daily challenge . g life to the needs of an economy and society at war. Eddie remembers gat all kinds of metal from fence rows and fields. When the scrap truck came along, the boys would flag down the truck and help load the scrap. Everyone raised victory gardens to help ide basic food items and to free resources for the war effort. Things we take for granted required re endous spirit of community cooperation. From the mili- tary discipline and experiences of from the experiences of those at home, a discipline and sense of community action grew that had a direct impact on the future of America. Judge Harrison remembers World War II as a time when a united e combined for the victory that has defined our world: (1) the military, facturing and war production, and (3) the "home front." Eddie Harrison, BS Prairie View, MS TAMU US Anny, 1st AD (retired) Captain - Colonel, Korean War Greatest Generation! Greatest HOLD Contributors! Project HOLD: Historic Online Library Database Read more about Eddie Earl Harrison at http://hold.cstx.gov. 17 WoOlen~Worki on the HoOle Front VIRGINIA KELLEY FORD Home Front - Firestone Factory "My Mother seemed satisfied doing her job, no matter what, because it would help bring my brother and the others home. " I was four years old when the world changed on December 7, 1941. My brother, Edwin Verne "Beany" Ford, Jr. who would turn 18 on the 21 st, was a senior in high school. Because he was in ROTC, he signed an agreement that he would graduate and then go to San Antonio for a two-month radio and electronics course, after which he would enter the Anny and serve in the Signal Corps. We lived in Dallas, with our mother, Virginia Kèlley Ford; her brother, Oliver Sims Kelley (who was too old for the draft); their sister, Exa Kelley Williams; and the sister's 19-year-old son, Ivy Albert Williams, Jr., who enlisted Monday, December 8th. My mother, who was employed full time, suddenly changed jobs and went to work at the Firestone Plant in Dallas. Right before Pearl Harbor, her sister, who had recently become a widow, had moved in with us. She became the homemaker and stayed home with me while Mother went to work at a defense plant lining fuselages of airplanes. I learned later that both she and my aunt had applied for work at defense plants, but they decided Mother's job was the better one for our family. The main difference for me was that Mother now worked the midnight shift. She would be home when I got home from school until I went to bed. She then left to be at workbymid- night. She did not get home until after I left for school. She would occasionally bring home leftover rolls used to help line the fuselage. They would be bathtub and covered with water. After several take them out of the tub and the blacking would leaving white cloth. These remnants, too short fuselages, would make dish towels and aprons could save it for lining homemade quilts. Kelley Ford Ford (Koppa), in 1940~ Dana Her job would continue until the war ended. I think Mother received a significant increase in pay and I never really heard her complain. Mother never talked about feeling patriotic, but she never complained about her job like she had other jobs. My brother headed to the Pacific war Patricia Ford Koppa College Station, Texas 18 at http://hold.cstx.gov~ OLA PAULINE ADAMS STRICKLAND Home Front - Link Training Instructor "Sis had never evenjlown in a plane, much less ever had any training injlight." Even before the United States formally entered World War II, Terrell, Texas was involved with the Lend-Lease Agreement with Great Britain. A British Flight Training School was set up in Terrell and began training cadets for the British Air Force, the RAP, in August 1941. There is an RAP section in the cemetery in Terrell for those students who were killed while in training. As one can tell, this was a few months before Pearl Harbor and the formal entrance of the United States into wwII. Pauline Adams Strickland was hired, probably about 1943, as a Link Training instructor. To the best of my knowledge, she had never even flown in a plane, much less ever had any training in flight. Her son states that she did go up in an airplane every once in while and that the instructor pilot would let her "take the stick and fly some." After the boys graduated and left to return to England and combat duty, she would try to keep up with her stu- dents as much as possible. I remember that she kept a list of all her students and would go over it from time to time and silently, or in a low tone, wonder about her boys. While still in training, one of her students did have to bailout at night somewhere around Greenville, just north of Terrell. He parachuted out safely but got caught in a tree. In the darkness and not knowing how high he might be dangling, he remained in his parachute all night. As it was getting light, he found that he was about 2 feet off the ground. By any definition, my sister, Pauline, was an active partici- pant in supporting Wodd War II on the home front. And she too was a member of "The Greatest Generation" as de- scribed in the book by Tom Brokaw. Billy Joe Adams US Anny (retired) College Station, Texas Above: Working women wore slacks. Upper right: Pauline is on back row secondfrom right in Link Trainer photo in Terrell, Texas. Right: Pauline with son, Bob. 19 Reference Note s LT. JG GEORGE BUSH George Bush Ubrary Museum Foundation A&M COLLEGE of TEXAS, CORPS OF CADETS "Wars," The Eagle, 22 September 2001, AlO Barbara Donalson Althaus, Kyle Tough, Story of Edwin J. Kyle ~ 2003 John M. Moore, "Mr~ A&M Retired, But in Name Only," Houston Post, 20 December 1950; Henry C. Dethloff, "Texas A&M University," HOTOnline at tsha.utexas.edulhandbook; "Hìstory," The Eagle, 4 October 2001, A3~ BRYAN AIR FORCE BASE "Bryan Air Force Base," Handbook of Texas Online, HOTOnline; Texas Transportation Institute, Vol. 40, No~ 3 online at tti~tamu.edu; Bill Page: www.hurricaneconsulting.net. WOOD BARBEE KYLE 1967 Oral Hìstory Transcript excerpts, Benis M Frank, Hìstory and Museums Division, HDQ u.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. Published 23 Feb 1977 by Director of Marine Corps Hìstory and Museums, HDQ USMC, Washington, DC 20380. "Campaign for the Marianas, Hìstorical Division, U.S~ Marine Corps, 3 March 1947. TEXÀS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, 36TH Infantry Division - the "Texas Division" Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas online at www.kwanah,comltxmilmus/texas.htm. 361h Infantry Division, "Hìstory of Texas National Guard," online at www.agd. state ~ tx. us/36 i dlhistory Itxamghi story ~htm~ WORLD WAR II "World War, Second," Compton's Encyclopedia~ F~E~ Compton & Company: Chicago, 1952,15:245. Project H : Historic OuUne Library Database What is Project HOLD? Project HOLD is an Historic Online Library Database pro- vided by the City of College Station through the guidance of the Historic Preservation Committee to digitally record our history. Community members are encouraged to rummage through their closets and attics to find scrapbooks, letters, receipts, photographs, bulletins, family histories, articles, postcards, memoirs... (well, you get the idea!) to share with Project HOLD. Heritage writers are encouraged to deposit work into Project HOLD for all to benefit. Who scans these documents? The City of College Station Neighborhood Services staff and volunteers. We are always looking for volunteers to help with the collecting, cataloging, and scanning. Computer knowl- edge is not a requirement. We will train you. What will happen to the documents I loan to HOLD? Your documents will be placed in archival (acid-free) contain- ers and handled with the greatest of care. You will receive a receipt for the items and their condition will be noted. The scanning process does not harm them in any way. If you like, we will come to your house and help you choose and gather the documents. Go to Project HOLD! HOLD staff at photos top to bottom: WAVE ie Bennett Alsmeyer (Donated by same); President Truman's Thank you letter (Donated by Marguerite Road to Baguio: She drop, foot tmops protect tanks on road (Donated by James L. Boone, Jr.); and World War II ok. (Donated by Mary Ellen e.j Charles Schultz, Chair TAMlJ Cushing Library Steerine Committee Katie Elrod, Event Coordinator City of College Station, Neighborhood Services Shirley Hammond George Bush Presidential Library &. Museum Tom Taylor City of College Station Historic Preservation Committee Veterans' Panel Calvin C. Boykin, Jr, Chair Moderator: Tom Taylor Bill Adams Bill T. Harper Eddie E. Harrison Joe L. Hedrick Louis Hudson Yolanda &. Edward Kozlowski Gerald McCaskill Charles "Jim" Newman Foster L. Thompson Veterans' Panel Consultants Bill Youngkin Tom Turbeville Ceremony Jake Betty James F. Cooper T AMU Corps of Cadets Shady Groves Daniel House Lisa Kalmus Neal Nutal) Charles Opersteny Tom Taylor Graohie Artist Anne Boykin Barbara n Althaus, Chair Billy Joe Adams Jim Boone Milked Collett Doris Jobnson Emshoff Carol &. Robert L. Lyons Proeram Lavout Katie Elrod Rotunda Activities Chair, Fran Lamb JoAnn Cermin Grace Calbert-Vrooman Joanna Yeager PR Committee Brian Blake Patti Jett Becky Nugent Carrie Pierce Rita Portales Jay SGcol Steering Committee Assistants Arya Chavan Jennifer Gledhill Gallm Talks AI Postelwait, Chair Bill Adams Ranie Arnold Marguerite Anthony Mike Blair James Boone Marland Clemens Mark Collins Eleanor &. Johi) Conkling Mike Cornelius Kathleen Heaton Frances Henry Emilio Hernandez Peggy Hope Russell Howerton Claudine Hunting Pat &. Rodger Koppa Yolanda &. Edward Kozlowski Mary &. Bill Lancaster Mike McKaughan Ascencion M. Munoz Bill Ravey Colleen Risinger Nancy Ross Victoria Schaller Perry Stephney James Wade Bob Warden &. Team Brenda White Kitty &. Will Worley Joanna L. Yeager Rotunda Table Exhibitors Marie Bennett &. Henry Alsmeyer Henry Dethloff Doris Emsboff Arnold Kramer Memorial Funeral Chapel Leanna Pate Lou Shafer TAMU Press Rita Underwood Mike Waters &vIe Show Jan Bricldey Host Volunteers Ryan Adams Ashley Beste Mike Blair Sherri Brice Will Brice Bryan High School RoO. T. C. Alison Chabannes City of College Station Staff CS Historic Preservation Committee Elvira Cole Clay Cole Mark Collins Concerned Black Men of Brazos Valley Mike Cornelius Nijuma Cunningham Lacey Floerke Diana Gallagber Janis Gibbons Kristen Griffes Alice &. Charles Hall Rick Heaney C.S. Historic Preservation Committee Marie &. Jules Jacquin Hillary Jessup Dawn Jourdan Lindsay Kirk Joe L. LeCour Rachael Masco Michelle McCellan Jon Minor Tike Sharon Pendergraff Pearl &. Samra Robertson Jason Scblacter Jessica Sullivan TAMU Corps of Cadets Doreen Todd Valerie Varner Nancy &. Alan Waldie Ernie Wright Marolyn Wyatt Lucile Young Vehicle Committee Brazos Valley Model A Car Club Peter Lamont Leisha &. Brent Mullins Charles Schultz, Chair T AMU Cushing Library Steering Committee Katie Elrod, Event Coordinator City of College Station, Neighborhood Services Shirley Hammond George Bush Presidential Library & Museum Veterans' Panel Calvin C. Boykin, Jr, Chair Moderator: Tom Taylor Bill Adams Bill T. Harper Eddie E. Harrison Joe L. Hedrick Louis Hudson Yolanda & Edward Kozlowski Gerald McCaskill Charles "Jim" Newman Foster L. Thompson Veterans' Panel Consultants Bill Youngkin Tom Turbeville Ceremonv Jake Betty James F. Cooper TAMU Corps of Cadets Shady Groves Daniel House Lisa Kalmus Neal Nutall Charles Opersteny Tom Taylor Gral1hic Artist Anne Boykin Program Committee Barbara Donalson Althaus, Chair Billy Joe Adams Jim Boone Millred Collett Doris Johnson Emshoff Carol & Robert L. Lyons Prof/ram Lavout Katie Elrod Rotunda Activities Chair, Fran Lamb JoAnn Cermin Grace Calbert-Vrooman Joanna Yeager PR Committee Brian Blake Patti Jett Becky Nugent Carrie Pierce Rita Portales Jay Socol Steering Committee Assistants Arya Chavan Jennifer GledhiU Tom Taylor City of College Station Historic Preservation Committee Gallerv Talks AI Postelwait, Chair Bill Adams Ranie Arnold Marguerite Anthony Mike Blair James Boone Marland Clemens Mark Collins Eleanor & John Conkling Mike Corneliùs Kathleen Heaton Frances Henry Emilio Hernandez Peggy Hope Russell Howerton Claudine Hunting Pat & Rodger Koppa Yolanda & Edward Kozlowski Mary & BiU Lancaster Mike McKaughan Ascencion M. Munoz Bill Ravey Colleen Risinger Nancy Ross Victoria Schaller Perry Stephney James Wade Bob Warden & Team Brenda White Kitty~WiII Worley JoannaL. Yeager RotuntlaTable Exhibitors Marie'Bej)nett & Henry Alsmeyer Henry Dethl.off Doris Emshoff Arnold Kramer Mem.,ri¡J.lFuneral Chapel LeannaPate Lou Shafer Host Volunteers Ryan Adams Ashley Beste Mike Blair Sherri Brice Will Brice Bryan High School RoO. T. C. Alison Chabannes City of College Station Staff CS Historic Preservation Committee Elvira Cole Clay Cole Mark Collins Concerned Black Men of Brazos Valley Mike Cornelius Nijuma Cunningham Lacey Floerke Diana Gallagher Janis Gibbons Kristen Griffes Alice & Charles Hall Rick Heaney c.S. Historic Preservation Committee Marie ~ Jules Jacquin Hillary Jessup Dawn Jourdan LindsaY Kirk Joe L. LeCour Doreen Valerie Varner Nancy & Alan Waldie Ernie Wright Marolyn Wyatt Lucile Young Vehicle Committee Brazos Valley Model A Car Club Peter Lamont Leisha & Brent Mullins , I> Presidential ry and Museum The e Gear e Bush Crn OF COLLEGE STATION ANCOInsurance Managers, Ltd. Copy Comer Brazos Heritage Society Judge Randy Sims Century 21 Beal, Inc. Newman Printing Texas Research Ramblers Genealogical Society Klechka Piano & Organ Company Mary Ellen Bell Memorial Funeral Chapel Physicians Home Medical Rental Reddy Ice Lona Reese Slovacek Sausage Unity Theater