HomeMy WebLinkAboutJames W. Richards, Brazos Valley Heroes
One in a series of tributes to members 0 he Greatest
Generation" who served our country during World War II
On Dec. 7, 1941, James W. Richards was a student
at A&M Consolidated school and was attending the
Sunday afternoon movie at the Campus Theater.
"The movie stopped and the theater manager
announced that the Japanese had bombed Pearl
Harbor. I immediately left the movie, as did everyone,
went home to listen to the radio that day and every
day thereafter. All the news was bad. It seemed we
were losing everywhere in the Pacific. I just couldn't
believe our country could be in such bad shape.
"I wanted to quit school and join, but my Dad
wouldn't sign for me because I was under age. I
waited until I turned 18 and on Dec. 15, 1942 went to
Houston, took my physical and joined the Navy. They
asked me if I would like to be in the Seabees. I didn't'
know what a Seabee was but was glad to be asked
and said yes."
Richards was sent to Williamsburg, Va., to begin his
training, just before Christmas 1942.
"It was the coldest winter you could imagine. There
were about 50,000 of us at Camp Perry living in tar-
paper shacks, training each day and trying to stay
warm. After Camp Perry we were sent to Rhode
Island for advanced training I got a nine-day leave to
go home before having to report back. I spent most of
that nine days on trains to and from College Station.
"When we got to Tulegia in the Solomon Islands, back
we were sent to California, eventually being shipped
out in July 1943. There were 4,000 men and 40 nurses
on board our ship for 28 days until we reached New
Caledonia, where we dropped off the nurses and
headed for the Solomon Islands.
"When we got there, we went over the side on nets
into landing craft and then to the beach. On the
beach, it was pretty chaotic. One thing you looked
for was Japanese planes overhead and then you
started trying to find your guys. I found one of my
best friends driving a dozer. I told him that I didn't
know he knew how to operate a dozer and he said
he didn't until about 30 minutes before they landed.
He was following the Seabee motto, which was and
is 'Can Do.' For most of us in the Seabees, it became
our motto in life.
"Every night we were hit by Japanese bombers, but
the Army anti-aircraft gunners were pretty good. They
damaged the Japanese bombers more than they
damaged us. Our Seabee unit was lucky because our
area pf the island only had one direct hit. We only lost
three men while I was there."
The Seabees' job was to build the first marine railway,
which would enable the Navy to repair amphibious
boats that were in use in the Solomon Islands. They
built that and much more, including docks, landing
strips and the Fleet Recreation Center, which was used
by all the troops between battles in the South Pacific.
"Whatever was needed, we built it. There wasn't
much we couldn't do. In addition to our motto 'Can
Do,' we also had another motto: 'If you don't have it,
don't steal it, just procure it.' But some folks didn't
think we knew the difference bf.:tween stealing and
procurement." ,
In December 1944, Richards became ill with what was
later determined to be undulant fever and eventually
had to have kidney surgery. He was returned home for
the surgery and recuperation. With the end of the war in
Europe and because of his illness and surgery, Richards
was discharged from the Navy on June 19,1945.
"I came home and I was determined to get on with
my life. I started college at Texas A&M but transferred
to Howard Payne in Brownwood to be a minister.
My experiences in the war made me glad I was a
Christian. After graduation in 1952, I served as a
minister for several years in addition to being involved
with the prison system and in construction. I retired
several years ago, and after my wife died, I moved
from North Zulch to Bryan. .
"As I look back on my life and my time as a Seabee,
I can tell you that I would do everything over again.
If your country is not worth fighting for, then it's not
worth living in."
James W. Richards' name can be found on the Brazos
Valley Veteran's Memorial. For more information, to
make a contribution, or if you know a World War II
Veteran whose story needs to be told, contact the
BWM at www.veteransmemorial.org or Bill Youngkin
at (979) 260-7030.
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Local World War II veteran Bill Kling will be the guest on
"Veterans of the Valley" Friday at 8:30 p.m. on KAMU- TV.
Veterans of the Valley, hosted by WfAW's Tom Turbiville, can be seen
Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 6:30 p.m.
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KAMU.tamu.edu
Channell S/c.ox cable4
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