1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,560 >> This is James Newberry, 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,480 and I'm here with Roger Amidon on Tuesday, 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,760 March 21st, 2017 at 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,860 the Surgis Library at Kennesaw State University. 5 00:00:10,860 --> 00:00:13,725 And Mr. Amidon, do you agree to this interview? 6 00:00:13,725 --> 00:00:14,355 >> Yes. 7 00:00:14,355 --> 00:00:15,180 >> Well, thank you so 8 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:16,620 much for agreeing to sit down with me. 9 00:00:16,620 --> 00:00:18,730 >> After persuasion. 10 00:00:19,670 --> 00:00:22,635 >> Mr. Amidon, what is your full name? 11 00:00:22,635 --> 00:00:25,425 >> Roger Holman Amidon. 12 00:00:25,425 --> 00:00:27,855 >> And what's your birthday? 13 00:00:27,855 --> 00:00:30,825 >> 1, 29, '28. 14 00:00:30,825 --> 00:00:33,765 >> So where were you born? 15 00:00:33,765 --> 00:00:35,655 >> Elyria, Ohio. 16 00:00:35,655 --> 00:00:38,055 >> And what sort of place was Elyria? 17 00:00:38,055 --> 00:00:40,230 >> What sort of place? 18 00:00:40,230 --> 00:00:43,120 Used to be a relatively small town, 19 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:48,640 it was when I lived there about 21, 22,000. 20 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,730 And it's pretty good size now. 21 00:00:50,730 --> 00:00:53,630 It's probably 50,000 now. 22 00:00:53,630 --> 00:00:59,815 But that was 89 years ago. 23 00:00:59,815 --> 00:01:02,460 >> What were your parents' names? 24 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:04,845 >> My dad was named Hugh, 25 00:01:04,845 --> 00:01:08,500 H-U-G-H Hugh and my mother 26 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:12,540 was Sigrid good Scandinavian name. 27 00:01:12,540 --> 00:01:17,080 She was the youngest of five girls, 28 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,640 the only one born in this country. 29 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,560 Her four sisters were all born in Sweden. 30 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,010 They were all older than she was. 31 00:01:26,010 --> 00:01:28,650 >> So they immigrated here? 32 00:01:29,050 --> 00:01:31,850 >> Her parents did, yes. 33 00:01:31,850 --> 00:01:33,940 And she was born here. 34 00:01:33,940 --> 00:01:36,730 >> Do you know why they immigrated? 35 00:01:37,310 --> 00:01:42,890 >> My grandfather got a job in one of the steel mills, 36 00:01:43,010 --> 00:01:51,720 which was a promise for him. 37 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,870 They immigrated to Pennsylvania and 38 00:01:54,870 --> 00:01:56,295 then eventually found their way to 39 00:01:56,295 --> 00:01:58,905 Elyria to a different steel mill. 40 00:01:58,905 --> 00:02:05,170 And about two months before he was scheduled to retire, 41 00:02:05,170 --> 00:02:08,125 he got fired, which 42 00:02:08,125 --> 00:02:10,230 was standard practice back in those days. 43 00:02:10,230 --> 00:02:12,770 They didn't have to pay in retirement. 44 00:02:13,490 --> 00:02:17,020 >> And how did your parents meet? 45 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:27,140 >> I'm not sure. It was when my dad was in the Navy in 46 00:02:27,140 --> 00:02:30,840 World War I and 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,800 I don't know how they bumped into each other. 48 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:40,835 Tell you the truth, probably never asked. 49 00:02:40,835 --> 00:02:44,210 >> So tell me what did your parents do for a living? 50 00:02:44,210 --> 00:02:47,590 >> My dad worked as a self taught 51 00:02:47,590 --> 00:02:51,130 mechanical engineer for the steel mills 52 00:02:51,130 --> 00:02:52,835 as long as I can remember, 53 00:02:52,835 --> 00:02:57,310 and eventually he is 54 00:02:57,310 --> 00:03:00,115 a proud owner of two or three patents. 55 00:03:00,115 --> 00:03:05,510 And he capitalized on those by being an entrepreneur of 56 00:03:05,510 --> 00:03:11,090 his own primarily in the construction business. 57 00:03:11,090 --> 00:03:13,590 >> And what sort of inventions? 58 00:03:13,590 --> 00:03:18,515 >> One was a three way fitting about so big. 59 00:03:18,515 --> 00:03:20,570 The one used with standard pipe 60 00:03:20,570 --> 00:03:23,920 could go three different directions at the same time. 61 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:27,870 This way, this way, and this way. 62 00:03:28,010 --> 00:03:32,030 It was unique for its time, 63 00:03:32,030 --> 00:03:35,390 but it outlived its usefulness 64 00:03:35,390 --> 00:03:39,310 and it became a dead horse like everything else. 65 00:03:39,310 --> 00:03:44,410 And he had a patent 66 00:03:44,410 --> 00:03:46,390 on what he called the skull separator. 67 00:03:46,390 --> 00:03:49,650 The skull is the slag at the bottom of 68 00:03:49,650 --> 00:03:53,925 a ladle when they're making steel out of iron. 69 00:03:53,925 --> 00:04:00,680 And it's an iron based and then they add all the goodies, 70 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,380 the charcoal, and the lime 71 00:04:02,380 --> 00:04:03,800 and all the other stuff that goes with 72 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,040 it and blow the impurities 73 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,560 out through the open hearth in the [inaudible] system. 74 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,640 And when they tap it, 75 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,400 it's liquid iron or 76 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,500 liquid steel into a pretty good sized ladle. 77 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:19,860 And in the bottom, there's what's 78 00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:22,395 called a skull separator. 79 00:04:22,395 --> 00:04:25,220 The bottom of that thing is 80 00:04:25,220 --> 00:04:33,280 a relatively small maybe about that big, 81 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,825 build filled with the concrete 82 00:04:36,825 --> 00:04:39,910 because of the limestone and 83 00:04:39,910 --> 00:04:43,730 the other ingredients that were used in the making of 84 00:04:43,730 --> 00:04:45,830 the steel because the steal goes at 85 00:04:45,830 --> 00:04:48,755 the top and all the junk goes to the bottom. 86 00:04:48,755 --> 00:04:51,590 And it becomes a real problem to bust 87 00:04:51,590 --> 00:04:53,070 those things up because 88 00:04:53,070 --> 00:04:55,450 they're pretty good size hunks of concrete. 89 00:04:55,450 --> 00:04:57,640 So his skull separator was nothing more 90 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,650 than a fence like 91 00:05:01,650 --> 00:05:04,170 that that was set in the bottom of the thing. 92 00:05:04,170 --> 00:05:08,010 And that was used by every steel mill in the country. 93 00:05:08,060 --> 00:05:11,970 >> Now, did your mother work outside the home? 94 00:05:11,970 --> 00:05:13,810 >> When the depression hit, 95 00:05:13,810 --> 00:05:20,410 my dad lost his job and my mother went to school. 96 00:05:20,570 --> 00:05:25,120 She went to the Cleveland College of Massage. 97 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:31,440 And that was before the term masseuse became verified. 98 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,725 She was an expert at 99 00:05:34,725 --> 00:05:38,425 Swedish massage and physical therapy. 100 00:05:38,425 --> 00:05:41,230 And she had a good business 101 00:05:41,230 --> 00:05:44,250 for quite a while after she got going. 102 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:48,160 >> Can you describe your childhood home? 103 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,125 >> It was easy. I was the only one there. 104 00:05:53,125 --> 00:05:56,520 My dad worked for the steel mill, 105 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,860 and my mother had her massage practice school 106 00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:03,160 and so I had the house pretty much to myself. 107 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,620 We moved a bunch of times. 108 00:06:08,620 --> 00:06:13,960 I went to five elementary schools and two high schools. 109 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,080 Finally, I graduated from the last one. 110 00:06:18,770 --> 00:06:21,765 >> And which one was that that you graduated from? 111 00:06:21,765 --> 00:06:25,240 >> I graduated from North Ridgeville High School. 112 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,730 >> So you said that 113 00:06:29,730 --> 00:06:33,480 the mill was closed during the depression? 114 00:06:35,370 --> 00:06:41,560 >> They cut the engineering staff from 15 down to one. 115 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,480 And the only survivor of 116 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,025 the engineering department was the chief engineer. 117 00:06:46,025 --> 00:06:48,200 And my dad was Number 2, 118 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,910 and so he got cut too. 119 00:06:52,340 --> 00:06:54,480 I know what that feels like, 120 00:06:54,480 --> 00:07:00,580 because same thing happened to me some many years later. 121 00:07:00,860 --> 00:07:06,915 >> So was your family relying on your mother's income? 122 00:07:06,915 --> 00:07:16,320 >> Hundred percent. It started 123 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,980 in the late '20s and went all the way through 124 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:23,895 the '30s and into the early part of the '40s. 125 00:07:23,895 --> 00:07:25,410 When we moved out of there, 126 00:07:25,410 --> 00:07:28,150 her practice gradually diminished. 127 00:07:28,150 --> 00:07:30,350 Well, she was getting a little older. 128 00:07:30,350 --> 00:07:40,155 And we moved out to the farm in 1943. 129 00:07:40,155 --> 00:07:42,400 And that put an end to 130 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,940 the massage business and of course, 131 00:07:45,940 --> 00:07:53,175 thes working for a steel mill had long gone by that time, 132 00:07:53,175 --> 00:07:56,730 and we had 50 acres of farm. 133 00:07:56,730 --> 00:08:02,890 And I was the only worker until we hired a guy. 134 00:08:06,410 --> 00:08:10,435 He had to be about 70 when we hired him. 135 00:08:10,435 --> 00:08:16,870 And he could work twice as much as long as I could. 136 00:08:16,870 --> 00:08:20,950 He was something else. Oh, Gus. 137 00:08:26,420 --> 00:08:28,890 If you're familiar with farm, 138 00:08:28,890 --> 00:08:33,690 you know what hay looks like when it's growing. 139 00:08:33,690 --> 00:08:35,610 It gets about so high. 140 00:08:35,610 --> 00:08:38,990 It's got to be cut, gathered, 141 00:08:38,990 --> 00:08:44,230 put into piles and transported. 142 00:08:44,330 --> 00:08:49,210 And you do this all with one person, me. 143 00:08:49,910 --> 00:08:53,640 We had a miscellaneous dog eared 144 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,400 collection of implements that were all horse drawn, 145 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,630 and we converted into tractor drawn. 146 00:09:00,630 --> 00:09:03,745 So when I wanted to change 147 00:09:03,745 --> 00:09:07,040 something on the whatever I was using at the time, 148 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:12,020 the mower or the rake or whatever, 149 00:09:12,020 --> 00:09:14,440 I'd have to stop, get off, 150 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,380 go change the implement, 151 00:09:16,380 --> 00:09:19,120 get back on the tractor, and move on. 152 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,380 It was a lot of fun. 153 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,640 >> So how did your family get the news at this time? 154 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:30,585 >> How did they get what? 155 00:09:30,585 --> 00:09:33,700 >> The news of the world. 156 00:09:35,150 --> 00:09:38,680 >> I haven't the slightest idea. 157 00:09:38,810 --> 00:09:45,250 >> Now, did you know of war in Europe? 158 00:09:48,170 --> 00:09:50,430 >> The war in Europe started 159 00:09:50,430 --> 00:09:54,870 and we weren't really concerned with it. 160 00:09:54,870 --> 00:09:57,900 That belonged to the British and the French 161 00:09:57,900 --> 00:10:01,290 and the Dutch and the Belgians, 162 00:10:01,290 --> 00:10:03,315 as far as we were concerned. 163 00:10:03,315 --> 00:10:06,870 And because we were still living in pretty much of 164 00:10:06,870 --> 00:10:10,530 an isolationist atmosphere in the country back then 165 00:10:10,530 --> 00:10:14,520 in the late '30s. 166 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,480 That would be when Hitler took on Poland, 167 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:24,000 it was 1939 and went forward from there. 168 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:31,230 And when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor, 169 00:10:31,230 --> 00:10:34,170 my dad was guilty of making a statement. 170 00:10:34,170 --> 00:10:37,620 He says, "I'm glad it happened right now because, 171 00:10:37,620 --> 00:10:41,470 I'm too old, and you're too young." 172 00:10:41,930 --> 00:10:44,805 Both answers are wrong. 173 00:10:44,805 --> 00:10:51,345 He was an auxiliary to the Coast Guard. 174 00:10:51,345 --> 00:10:55,650 And what it did, it took a bunch of guys who 175 00:10:55,650 --> 00:11:03,630 volunteered and having had some water experience. 176 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:08,010 And just as I said, we lived close to Lake Erie. 177 00:11:08,010 --> 00:11:11,490 And they took over all the patrol duties for 178 00:11:11,490 --> 00:11:15,660 the able-bodied coastguard men, 179 00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:20,595 who were then transferred to ocean going trips. 180 00:11:20,595 --> 00:11:26,475 And he was to be on duty for, 181 00:11:26,475 --> 00:11:29,790 I think a whole Friday, 182 00:11:29,790 --> 00:11:32,235 all day Saturday, all day Sunday. 183 00:11:32,235 --> 00:11:35,710 The next week it would be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 184 00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:38,625 >> How did he feel about that? 185 00:11:38,625 --> 00:11:44,880 >> He loved it. They never shout at anybody either. 186 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,210 They didn't have any spies crawl 187 00:11:48,210 --> 00:11:51,480 on the beaches of Lake Erie. 188 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,595 But they patrolled the beach, 189 00:11:53,595 --> 00:11:57,180 and they used to go on rescue quite often. 190 00:11:57,180 --> 00:11:59,400 Some idiot out there with 191 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,765 his sailboat or runabout or whatever, 192 00:12:03,765 --> 00:12:05,880 would either run out of gas 193 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,105 or run out of knowledge one or the other. 194 00:12:09,105 --> 00:12:11,160 They wouldn't have to be rescued. 195 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,685 >> So with him, doing this patrol, 196 00:12:14,685 --> 00:12:17,175 what happened on the farm? 197 00:12:17,175 --> 00:12:19,995 Did you keep up the farm? 198 00:12:19,995 --> 00:12:26,220 >> Yeah. I was still on the farm when I graduated. 199 00:12:26,220 --> 00:12:27,840 I was glad to get out. 200 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:32,505 [NOISE] Excuse me. 201 00:12:32,505 --> 00:12:35,700 >> So how would you say the war 202 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:40,060 affected the small community that you were in? 203 00:12:40,130 --> 00:12:44,440 >> Well, shortages, primarily. 204 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,630 We didn't suffer because my dad had 205 00:12:48,630 --> 00:12:51,810 a critical job and got a C stamp for gasoline. 206 00:12:51,810 --> 00:12:53,430 Everybody got an A stamp, 207 00:12:53,430 --> 00:12:56,820 which I can't remember the exact details, 208 00:12:56,820 --> 00:12:58,710 but it was something like maybe 209 00:12:58,710 --> 00:13:00,720 four or five gallons a week, 210 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,580 or something like that. 211 00:13:02,580 --> 00:13:06,690 And we had an A stamp for both cars. 212 00:13:06,690 --> 00:13:12,030 We had one was a 1931 Austin. 213 00:13:12,030 --> 00:13:14,970 And the Austin was the predecessor to 214 00:13:14,970 --> 00:13:17,430 the Bandon and the Bandon was the predecessor to 215 00:13:17,430 --> 00:13:24,090 the Jeep, going by generations. 216 00:13:24,090 --> 00:13:27,090 And that little bugger engine was 217 00:13:27,090 --> 00:13:30,270 about that long, all four cylinders. 218 00:13:30,270 --> 00:13:34,380 And pretty neat little car. 219 00:13:34,380 --> 00:13:36,870 A model A4 is what it looked like. 220 00:13:36,870 --> 00:13:40,380 I don't have any pictures of that thing. I wish I did. 221 00:13:40,380 --> 00:13:43,965 I may have somewhere stuck in something, 222 00:13:43,965 --> 00:13:49,830 but I don't have and 223 00:13:49,830 --> 00:13:56,070 we had a R for rural because of the farm. 224 00:13:56,070 --> 00:14:00,060 So we didn't suffer from a gasoline problem, 225 00:14:00,060 --> 00:14:02,790 which was the primary motivator anyway. 226 00:14:02,790 --> 00:14:05,805 And my dad had a C stamp because of her critical job. 227 00:14:05,805 --> 00:14:07,785 He's working in steel mill, 228 00:14:07,785 --> 00:14:09,780 in the engineering department. 229 00:14:09,780 --> 00:14:19,335 And the only problem we had was occasionally with food. 230 00:14:19,335 --> 00:14:21,540 We raised chickens, 231 00:14:21,540 --> 00:14:28,125 and we found a grocer in town in Ridgeville. 232 00:14:28,125 --> 00:14:31,980 He would be happy to trade beef for chickens. 233 00:14:31,980 --> 00:14:35,370 So we traded him chickens and we got beef. 234 00:14:35,370 --> 00:14:38,320 That was pretty good wartime. 235 00:14:38,750 --> 00:14:41,715 And then that listed until 236 00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:44,830 I was drafted, and I was gone. 237 00:14:45,710 --> 00:14:49,020 Actually, I was happy to leave the farm, 238 00:14:49,020 --> 00:14:50,845 if you want to know the truth. 239 00:14:50,845 --> 00:14:54,930 That was honest day's work. Yes, sir. 240 00:14:54,930 --> 00:14:58,125 >> Well, how did you get news that you were drafted? 241 00:14:58,125 --> 00:14:59,730 >> How did I get the news? 242 00:14:59,730 --> 00:15:02,445 Well, I had we all had to sign up. 243 00:15:02,445 --> 00:15:04,215 We he to register, 244 00:15:04,215 --> 00:15:07,950 and my registration came out 1A. 245 00:15:07,950 --> 00:15:14,415 And I think I probably got a postcard saying, 246 00:15:14,415 --> 00:15:16,410 "Show up at the town hall." 247 00:15:16,410 --> 00:15:20,520 That's it. No other explanation. 248 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,680 And I went from there to 249 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,930 the induction center. Didn't even go home. 250 00:15:27,950 --> 00:15:31,515 >> So what was this 1A classification? 251 00:15:31,515 --> 00:15:33,045 >> Go. 252 00:15:33,045 --> 00:15:36,150 >> And you said that you went 253 00:15:36,150 --> 00:15:39,615 straight from Town Hall to the Induction Center. 254 00:15:39,615 --> 00:15:41,175 Where was the Induction Center? 255 00:15:41,175 --> 00:15:42,180 >> Cleveland. 256 00:15:42,180 --> 00:15:44,880 >> Now, were you still in school at this time? 257 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:48,495 >> I was out of school. 258 00:15:48,495 --> 00:15:51,670 I had already graduated. 259 00:15:52,820 --> 00:15:55,140 In my second high school, 260 00:15:55,140 --> 00:15:56,190 it was rather interesting. 261 00:15:56,190 --> 00:16:01,170 I went from a potential graduating class 262 00:16:01,170 --> 00:16:04,500 with the first high school of close to 300, 263 00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:07,695 to a graduating class of 26. 264 00:16:07,695 --> 00:16:10,485 That was a culture shock. 265 00:16:10,485 --> 00:16:13,080 Four boys and 22 girls. 266 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:18,780 Yes. 267 00:16:18,780 --> 00:16:24,180 [NOISE] Nothing ever transpired with any of us four or, 268 00:16:24,180 --> 00:16:26,835 any of the 22, believe it or not. 269 00:16:26,835 --> 00:16:29,280 It didn't just never happened. 270 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,145 >> And this was in Ridgeville? 271 00:16:32,145 --> 00:16:36,405 >> That was fun. [LAUGHTER] I 272 00:16:36,405 --> 00:16:37,575 thoroughly enjoyed high school. 273 00:16:37,575 --> 00:16:41,250 I hated high school when I was at [inaudible], 274 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:42,555 but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 275 00:16:42,555 --> 00:16:44,655 I played football for one thing. 276 00:16:44,655 --> 00:16:47,970 As I said, my son was a lot better than I am. 277 00:16:47,970 --> 00:16:52,620 I was. But I played anyway. 278 00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:57,340 >> And what were your plans after graduation? 279 00:16:57,860 --> 00:17:05,430 >> Well, Go to school if I can get it in. 280 00:17:05,430 --> 00:17:08,370 So I did for about three months, 281 00:17:08,370 --> 00:17:09,900 then I was drafted. 282 00:17:09,900 --> 00:17:11,790 >> Where did you go to school for three months? 283 00:17:11,790 --> 00:17:16,365 >> Baldwin Wallace. I really wasn't a write type student. 284 00:17:16,365 --> 00:17:19,170 I got there through politics, 285 00:17:19,170 --> 00:17:24,870 because my grades did not support college education. 286 00:17:24,870 --> 00:17:27,945 >> What do you mean politics? 287 00:17:27,945 --> 00:17:32,160 >> A friend of my mother's knew somebody on 288 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:37,200 the register staff at Baldwin Wallace. 289 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,320 And that helped immensely. 290 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,430 [LAUGHTER] 291 00:17:42,430 --> 00:17:44,560 That's how I got into 292 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:48,710 the school but it only lasted till I was called up. 293 00:17:50,130 --> 00:17:53,110 >> So the induction Center was in 294 00:17:53,110 --> 00:17:57,160 Cleveland and what happened there? 295 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:03,970 >> Not much. You obviously 296 00:18:03,970 --> 00:18:06,940 are alive and you get measured 297 00:18:06,940 --> 00:18:10,150 for height and weight and so forth. 298 00:18:10,150 --> 00:18:14,515 And then you go from there to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. 299 00:18:14,515 --> 00:18:16,795 That's where I went next. 300 00:18:16,795 --> 00:18:20,230 And that was all the same day. 301 00:18:20,230 --> 00:18:23,020 >> So we were talking about the induction center 302 00:18:23,020 --> 00:18:25,735 in Cleveland and you said you went from there. 303 00:18:25,735 --> 00:18:29,320 >> To Atterbury, Indiana, it was nonstop. 304 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,690 We just went from there to the Train Depot. 305 00:18:34,170 --> 00:18:41,620 Atterbury, Indiana, was probably 306 00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:43,615 five or six hours by train. 307 00:18:43,615 --> 00:18:45,250 I guess maybe more. 308 00:18:45,250 --> 00:18:47,510 I don't know. I can't remember. 309 00:18:47,910 --> 00:18:53,080 And that was a full blown army installation. 310 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,260 I was inducted into the army at that point. 311 00:18:56,260 --> 00:19:00,100 Got shots the first day and uniform the second day. 312 00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:02,750 In the third day, I was on KP. 313 00:19:02,970 --> 00:19:05,535 >> Which is kitchen patrol. 314 00:19:05,535 --> 00:19:08,535 >> Yeah, kitchen patrol. That's right. 315 00:19:08,535 --> 00:19:14,380 Because my name was early in the alphabet. 316 00:19:16,170 --> 00:19:20,380 In every succeeding team that I ever served on 317 00:19:20,380 --> 00:19:24,520 KP always was I got to fly the clipper. 318 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,920 And the clipper is the dishwasher. 319 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,690 It's a monster. It's not like 320 00:19:28,690 --> 00:19:30,190 that cute little thing that slides under 321 00:19:30,190 --> 00:19:36,470 the counter that we have today but this is monstrous. 322 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:44,750 Of course, the dishes were plates or trays, not dishes. 323 00:19:48,420 --> 00:19:52,690 The third day I came home back to 324 00:19:52,690 --> 00:19:56,740 my "home" in the barracks. 325 00:19:56,740 --> 00:20:00,550 And like I say, I had been in the army for three days. 326 00:20:00,550 --> 00:20:05,440 And we all gathered outside 327 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:14,065 the orderly room for mail call. 328 00:20:14,065 --> 00:20:16,420 You have three days not going to expect 329 00:20:16,420 --> 00:20:21,055 any mail and shipping orders would come out. 330 00:20:21,055 --> 00:20:22,915 Well, I didn't get any mail, 331 00:20:22,915 --> 00:20:26,005 but I was on a shipping order. 332 00:20:26,005 --> 00:20:28,480 I'm in the Army three day, 333 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,820 didn't even know what it was? 334 00:20:30,820 --> 00:20:34,180 So you got to answer with your serial number. 335 00:20:34,180 --> 00:20:36,010 So I fumbled around and got my dog 336 00:20:36,010 --> 00:20:38,170 tag out and read off my serial number. 337 00:20:38,170 --> 00:20:40,735 I hadn't the slightest idea what it was. 338 00:20:40,735 --> 00:20:46,585 And I was say going to go to Biloxi, Mississippi. 339 00:20:46,585 --> 00:20:48,310 Where the heck is that? 340 00:20:48,310 --> 00:20:50,395 I don't have the slightest idea. 341 00:20:50,395 --> 00:20:54,010 I don't even know where Mississippi is, for sure. 342 00:20:54,010 --> 00:21:02,965 And we went from Atterbury and over to Louisville. 343 00:21:02,965 --> 00:21:05,380 And after a slight delay, 344 00:21:05,380 --> 00:21:10,960 we got the L&N special from Louisville to Mobile. 345 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,035 And would you believe there were four of us. 346 00:21:14,035 --> 00:21:17,020 And four of us had hung together 347 00:21:17,020 --> 00:21:20,605 for quite a while, as a matter of fact. 348 00:21:20,605 --> 00:21:23,425 Us four, we were 349 00:21:23,425 --> 00:21:27,010 all scheduled for this Project Mike deal. 350 00:21:27,010 --> 00:21:30,130 And we each had a lower berth on 351 00:21:30,130 --> 00:21:33,160 that train going from from Louisville. 352 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,260 That was first class. 353 00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:38,450 We did understand that. 354 00:21:39,420 --> 00:21:44,270 That was a culture shock if there ever was one. 355 00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:52,420 And there was a vehicle 356 00:21:52,420 --> 00:21:56,650 that met the train and took us from Mobile to 357 00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:59,590 Biloxi and put us into 358 00:21:59,590 --> 00:22:05,600 this beautiful pre war barracks 359 00:22:05,790 --> 00:22:08,705 and there were four people there, 360 00:22:08,705 --> 00:22:12,405 us four, nobody else. 361 00:22:12,405 --> 00:22:14,775 >> Who are these three other guys? 362 00:22:14,775 --> 00:22:16,545 >> It was Joe Brady, 363 00:22:16,545 --> 00:22:18,540 lived in Canton, 364 00:22:18,540 --> 00:22:24,460 Bill Wilber lived in Cleveland and, 365 00:22:25,610 --> 00:22:29,310 Howard Hochek lived in Chicago. 366 00:22:29,310 --> 00:22:35,830 Those three guys. I have those three guys. 367 00:22:35,830 --> 00:22:39,310 Wilber, I have no knowledge of, 368 00:22:39,310 --> 00:22:42,340 but I kept in touch with Joe Brady 369 00:22:42,340 --> 00:22:47,090 and Howard Hochek for years and years and years. 370 00:22:47,090 --> 00:22:52,090 And unfortunately, they're both deceased now. 371 00:22:52,250 --> 00:22:55,050 >> So what's going on in 372 00:22:55,050 --> 00:22:58,365 the war at this point that you're traveling to Biloxi? 373 00:22:58,365 --> 00:23:01,750 >> It was winding down. The shooting had stopped. 374 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,190 This is why this Project Mike I was talking 375 00:23:05,190 --> 00:23:07,710 about earlier on that never 376 00:23:07,710 --> 00:23:14,630 happened which was supposed to be a traveling show. 377 00:23:14,630 --> 00:23:17,530 We had dancers, we had singers, 378 00:23:17,530 --> 00:23:23,170 we had a military style band and two dance bands. 379 00:23:23,170 --> 00:23:29,485 I was in one of the dance bands playing my trumpet. 380 00:23:29,485 --> 00:23:32,365 And the whole thing fell apart 381 00:23:32,365 --> 00:23:34,735 but I presume budget, I don't know. 382 00:23:34,735 --> 00:23:37,240 >> Was that in the States that you were doing this? 383 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,355 >> Yeah. We were going to go tour the States first 384 00:23:39,355 --> 00:23:44,210 and then go everywhere. 385 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:49,945 Germany and England. 386 00:23:49,945 --> 00:23:52,015 Wherever there were troops, 387 00:23:52,015 --> 00:23:55,555 that's we were supposed to go. We never did. 388 00:23:55,555 --> 00:23:57,320 >> Why? 389 00:23:59,100 --> 00:24:02,410 >> All we got was after we'd accumulated 390 00:24:02,410 --> 00:24:06,400 about another 20 guys in the barracks, 391 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,860 the captain called us together 392 00:24:08,860 --> 00:24:11,875 and got some bad news for you guys. 393 00:24:11,875 --> 00:24:14,065 I got some good news and bad news. 394 00:24:14,065 --> 00:24:18,520 The bad news is that Project Mike was canceled. 395 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,465 Politics, I'm sure, budgetary restrictions. 396 00:24:22,465 --> 00:24:24,790 Actually, it was a duplication of 397 00:24:24,790 --> 00:24:27,355 what special services was already doing. 398 00:24:27,355 --> 00:24:30,475 So I strongly suspect it was politics 399 00:24:30,475 --> 00:24:34,405 but anyway, who knows? 400 00:24:34,405 --> 00:24:40,180 And the good news 401 00:24:40,180 --> 00:24:43,540 is that you get to start basic training. 402 00:24:43,540 --> 00:24:46,790 Couldn't make soldiers out of you. 403 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:52,480 Well, there's a big difference between Air Force 404 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:57,980 basic back then and Army basic. 405 00:24:59,100 --> 00:25:02,530 When you're tolling on your stomach underneath 406 00:25:02,530 --> 00:25:04,540 the barbed wire and there's 407 00:25:04,540 --> 00:25:07,790 a machine gun shooting over your head. 408 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,905 The machine gun for the infantry is 50 caliber, 409 00:25:11,905 --> 00:25:13,690 the machine gun for the Air Force is 410 00:25:13,690 --> 00:25:17,695 30 caliber. That's the only difference. 411 00:25:17,695 --> 00:25:20,950 We had the whole cadre for 412 00:25:20,950 --> 00:25:26,605 theoretically teaching us guys was all infantry. 413 00:25:26,605 --> 00:25:30,145 So we got an infantry basic training, 414 00:25:30,145 --> 00:25:37,210 which included very much familiarization 415 00:25:37,210 --> 00:25:39,745 with the M1 carbine, 416 00:25:39,745 --> 00:25:43,030 which was with the standard side arm for air Corp. 417 00:25:43,030 --> 00:25:44,665 >> Was that in Biloxi? 418 00:25:44,665 --> 00:25:48,730 >> Yeah. Then they decided to close Biloxi 419 00:25:48,730 --> 00:25:53,600 down as a basic base. 420 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,825 We'd been there about six weeks already. 421 00:25:58,825 --> 00:26:01,460 And they moved us to, 422 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,290 I got to stop and think. 423 00:26:06,450 --> 00:26:11,770 It was part of Texas near St. Antonio. 424 00:26:11,770 --> 00:26:13,150 >> Amarillo. 425 00:26:13,150 --> 00:26:16,460 >> And start all over again. 426 00:26:16,950 --> 00:26:20,080 And we re heated the first six weeks 427 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,990 and then went on and finally got out of there. 428 00:26:22,990 --> 00:26:26,305 Then I went to communication school. 429 00:26:26,305 --> 00:26:29,365 Why? I don't have the slightest idea. 430 00:26:29,365 --> 00:26:37,495 I got myself a nice cushy job through more politics. 431 00:26:37,495 --> 00:26:40,210 Joe Brady got me a job in 432 00:26:40,210 --> 00:26:46,555 the office while I was waiting for shipping orders. 433 00:26:46,555 --> 00:26:48,670 And I was taking 434 00:26:48,670 --> 00:26:50,710 pay envelopes and putting them 435 00:26:50,710 --> 00:26:53,990 with shipping orders off a list 436 00:26:54,590 --> 00:27:00,090 so that their personnel package 437 00:27:00,090 --> 00:27:02,790 would stay with the money package 438 00:27:02,790 --> 00:27:06,190 on the correct shipping list. 439 00:27:07,260 --> 00:27:10,810 I worked there for two days. 440 00:27:10,810 --> 00:27:12,700 The middle of the second day, 441 00:27:12,700 --> 00:27:17,545 I found my name on a shipping order. 442 00:27:17,545 --> 00:27:20,215 So I lost my cushy job. 443 00:27:20,215 --> 00:27:26,230 I went to school in Belleville, 444 00:27:26,230 --> 00:27:31,690 Illinois, which is a suburb of St. Louis, 445 00:27:31,690 --> 00:27:35,660 really, but it's across the river in Illinois. 446 00:27:35,820 --> 00:27:38,440 And that lasted, 447 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,110 I don't know how many weeks. I can't remember. 448 00:27:41,110 --> 00:27:42,655 >> What type of school was it? 449 00:27:42,655 --> 00:27:44,095 >> Communications repair. 450 00:27:44,095 --> 00:27:45,880 >> What were you learning there? 451 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,925 >> My specialty was teletypes. 452 00:27:48,925 --> 00:27:52,430 I didn't even know what a teletype was. 453 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:58,320 We had the state of the art teletypes and 454 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,440 especially very new to the program 455 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,030 back in at this stage of the game. 456 00:28:05,030 --> 00:28:08,890 What was referred to as an RTT, 457 00:28:08,890 --> 00:28:15,790 a radio teletype, no wires which was pretty fantastic. 458 00:28:15,790 --> 00:28:18,115 And we learned those two. 459 00:28:18,115 --> 00:28:23,440 Essentially, the radio portion would be all right. 460 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,920 And I thought nice 461 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,185 that I've been to school, I'll never use it. 462 00:28:29,185 --> 00:28:35,065 And the only job I ever had overseas was that job, 463 00:28:35,065 --> 00:28:37,945 maintenance and repair of teletypes. 464 00:28:37,945 --> 00:28:40,090 >> So when you were in that school, 465 00:28:40,090 --> 00:28:42,580 I'm assuming you had no idea 466 00:28:42,580 --> 00:28:44,560 what you would be doing with it? 467 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,315 >> I have no idea. 468 00:28:46,315 --> 00:28:49,555 >> How did you feel going through all of this training? 469 00:28:49,555 --> 00:28:52,180 >> Bewildered mostly. 470 00:28:52,180 --> 00:28:55,400 I enjoyed it because 471 00:28:56,010 --> 00:29:01,825 the first three months of school before I got drafted, 472 00:29:01,825 --> 00:29:06,145 I ballooned up to about 230 pounds. 473 00:29:06,145 --> 00:29:09,430 And by the time that I finished my days in 474 00:29:09,430 --> 00:29:16,300 St. Antonio, I weighed 160. 475 00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:23,590 I dropped about four or five pant sizes. 476 00:29:23,590 --> 00:29:26,170 >> So you're feeling good about your physique? 477 00:29:26,170 --> 00:29:34,840 >> Yeah. And when I finished school in there, 478 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,180 I was wandering around and I 479 00:29:37,180 --> 00:29:39,265 came across one of our swimming pools, 480 00:29:39,265 --> 00:29:41,185 and there was a lieutenant there, 481 00:29:41,185 --> 00:29:43,135 they were getting ready to open the school. 482 00:29:43,135 --> 00:29:44,635 I said, "You got guards." 483 00:29:44,635 --> 00:29:47,335 He said, "I need guards." 484 00:29:47,335 --> 00:29:51,235 I said, "I have a junior life saving, 485 00:29:51,235 --> 00:29:52,630 senior life saving, 486 00:29:52,630 --> 00:29:55,945 and water safety instructure, all Red Cross." 487 00:29:55,945 --> 00:29:58,525 He said, "Show me the paper." 488 00:29:58,525 --> 00:30:01,435 Well, phone call home, 489 00:30:01,435 --> 00:30:04,270 package up the paper, ship it down, here it is. 490 00:30:04,270 --> 00:30:07,825 I got a job. For a week. 491 00:30:07,825 --> 00:30:13,315 And I came out on orders, [NOISE] overseas. 492 00:30:13,315 --> 00:30:15,595 >> So how did you feel when you got that order 493 00:30:15,595 --> 00:30:18,410 that you were going to be going overseas? 494 00:30:20,850 --> 00:30:26,000 >> There is a feeling that you get, 495 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,935 you're not in control of your own life. 496 00:30:30,935 --> 00:30:35,640 This is one of the things is somebody else is controlling 497 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,040 your life and you just walk 498 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,175 around in a bewildered state and go where they say. 499 00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:43,720 That's all. And the less 500 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,095 you know about what's going to happen, 501 00:30:47,095 --> 00:30:49,340 the better off you are. 502 00:30:49,650 --> 00:30:52,615 You learned that pretty quick. 503 00:30:52,615 --> 00:30:56,000 Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. 504 00:30:56,550 --> 00:30:59,500 That will get you most everywhere. 505 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:01,825 >> Do you remember where you shipped out from? 506 00:31:01,825 --> 00:31:04,130 >> Yeah, San Francisco. 507 00:31:06,990 --> 00:31:11,960 They were still using convoys back then. 508 00:31:14,010 --> 00:31:18,895 I came across when I looked at the pictures. Let's see. 509 00:31:18,895 --> 00:31:25,025 We were on the Admiral Hughes transport. 510 00:31:25,025 --> 00:31:28,170 It was pretty good size built 511 00:31:28,170 --> 00:31:31,185 to carry 1,500 and we had 3,000 on there. 512 00:31:31,185 --> 00:31:35,010 It was a little crowded and we 513 00:31:35,010 --> 00:31:39,595 hit what the remainder of a typhoon and we got sick. 514 00:31:39,595 --> 00:31:42,260 Everybody got sick. 515 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:47,680 It was pitiful. Even the old hands from 516 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,230 the sailors themselves that 517 00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:52,760 ran the ship, they got sick too. 518 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:54,930 I don't know who was running the boat, 519 00:31:54,930 --> 00:32:01,360 but as I remember, 520 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,190 there was no news article, 521 00:32:03,190 --> 00:32:06,070 but it was a commentary and somebody made 522 00:32:06,070 --> 00:32:10,880 the commentary that we lost a destroyer in the storm. 523 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,260 I can't either approve it or 524 00:32:14,260 --> 00:32:17,500 disprove it. It just happened. 525 00:32:17,500 --> 00:32:19,210 >> So what did the end of this typhoon 526 00:32:19,210 --> 00:32:21,445 look like on water? 527 00:32:21,445 --> 00:32:23,170 >> Just big waves. 528 00:32:23,170 --> 00:32:25,420 We didn't go up on deck. No way. 529 00:32:25,420 --> 00:32:26,890 You stayed in the compartment, 530 00:32:26,890 --> 00:32:31,960 you put your life belts on and we were told to 531 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:37,270 get in our bunks and put our belt across. 532 00:32:37,270 --> 00:32:39,475 Like the seat belts today. 533 00:32:39,475 --> 00:32:42,955 Belt yourself on into your bunk. 534 00:32:42,955 --> 00:32:47,800 And I says, if this ship goes down, we go with it. 535 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,890 There was no expectation of going off. 536 00:32:55,500 --> 00:32:59,875 Probably lifeboats for maybe 100 people 537 00:32:59,875 --> 00:33:02,605 and we've got 3,000. 538 00:33:02,605 --> 00:33:04,195 >> Did you have one? 539 00:33:04,195 --> 00:33:08,620 What? Lifeboat? I don't remember if I did. 540 00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:10,060 >> Did you get sick? 541 00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:11,065 >> Yeah. 542 00:33:11,065 --> 00:33:13,940 >> And what did that mean? What happened? 543 00:33:15,180 --> 00:33:19,825 >> It's like the worst case of flu you ever heard of. 544 00:33:19,825 --> 00:33:23,060 You work on both ends. 545 00:33:24,060 --> 00:33:26,380 That's self-explanatory. 546 00:33:26,380 --> 00:33:29,080 [LAUGHTER] I won't illuminate that. 547 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,195 >> If you're in your bunk, 548 00:33:31,195 --> 00:33:35,035 can you get up and go to the latrine? 549 00:33:35,035 --> 00:33:36,730 How are you doing that? 550 00:33:36,730 --> 00:33:38,740 >> You just lay there. By that time, 551 00:33:38,740 --> 00:33:42,050 you'd stop throwing up because you haven't eaten. 552 00:33:42,930 --> 00:33:45,475 You just couldn't get up. 553 00:33:45,475 --> 00:33:47,980 I was one, two, 554 00:33:47,980 --> 00:33:51,775 I think I was third from the bottom and that made me one, 555 00:33:51,775 --> 00:33:53,785 two, third from the top also. 556 00:33:53,785 --> 00:33:55,600 There were five bunks in a row. 557 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,175 >> So you're smack in the middle. 558 00:33:57,175 --> 00:33:57,790 >> Yeah. 559 00:33:57,790 --> 00:33:59,560 >> Were they on chains? 560 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,665 >> Yeah. Chain to the wall. 561 00:34:02,665 --> 00:34:04,645 They had been refitted. 562 00:34:04,645 --> 00:34:07,120 They normally would carry two. 563 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,595 This [inaudible] put in five. 564 00:34:09,595 --> 00:34:12,610 They would normally be two bunks, 565 00:34:12,610 --> 00:34:15,565 fold on the wall come down like this. 566 00:34:15,565 --> 00:34:19,730 And then they had five. 567 00:34:20,010 --> 00:34:22,420 But didn't make any difference. 568 00:34:22,420 --> 00:34:24,385 We didn't clean the compartment anyway. 569 00:34:24,385 --> 00:34:27,445 We just shoveled it out. 570 00:34:27,445 --> 00:34:30,860 >> How long was this journey? 571 00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:40,730 >> Let's see. We made a stop in the Philippines, 572 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,665 and then the next stop was Yokohama. 573 00:34:44,665 --> 00:34:48,880 And I think it was 12 or 13 days. 574 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:52,100 Pretty good time going over the Pacific. 575 00:34:53,430 --> 00:34:56,170 There's an interesting, 576 00:34:56,170 --> 00:34:57,985 I think it's interesting, 577 00:34:57,985 --> 00:35:02,320 comment about when I was little, 578 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,335 I always wanted to grow up and go to sea. 579 00:35:05,335 --> 00:35:08,350 Me and one of my cousins were always 580 00:35:08,350 --> 00:35:10,915 going to be in the sea. 581 00:35:10,915 --> 00:35:14,005 Kept reading books about sea stories. 582 00:35:14,005 --> 00:35:16,525 We thought that was pretty neat. 583 00:35:16,525 --> 00:35:18,895 So it turned out 584 00:35:18,895 --> 00:35:23,020 that my dad was 585 00:35:23,020 --> 00:35:24,970 in the Navy but never got off out of 586 00:35:24,970 --> 00:35:27,505 Charleston in the World War I. 587 00:35:27,505 --> 00:35:32,545 And he only went to see Lake Erie in the World War II. 588 00:35:32,545 --> 00:35:39,410 My uncle was in the Army in World War I. 589 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:46,285 All my cousins save one were in the Navy. 590 00:35:46,285 --> 00:35:49,600 All my buddies were in the Navy, 591 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:56,035 and all my relatives were in the Navy. Not me. 592 00:35:56,035 --> 00:35:59,395 I'm in the Army Air Corps. Big deal. 593 00:35:59,395 --> 00:36:01,900 I got more sea miles than all of them put 594 00:36:01,900 --> 00:36:05,215 together because they never left the land, 595 00:36:05,215 --> 00:36:07,555 I was the only one that crossed the ocean. 596 00:36:07,555 --> 00:36:11,980 And boy, that Pacific is an awful big place. 597 00:36:11,980 --> 00:36:15,685 I found that out really quick like. 598 00:36:15,685 --> 00:36:18,220 >> Well, tell me about post 599 00:36:18,220 --> 00:36:21,080 war Japan. What did you find there? 600 00:36:21,780 --> 00:36:25,360 >> Well, I got put 601 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:29,635 into Fifth Air Force headquarters in Nagoya, Japan. 602 00:36:29,635 --> 00:36:33,445 Nagoya was then initially, 603 00:36:33,445 --> 00:36:36,050 prior to the war was probably 604 00:36:36,270 --> 00:36:41,350 maybe the third or fourth largest city in Japan. 605 00:36:41,350 --> 00:36:46,650 [NOISE] 606 00:36:46,650 --> 00:36:48,660 It was picked by the Air Force 607 00:36:48,660 --> 00:36:54,330 because they had a super airport. 608 00:36:54,330 --> 00:36:56,820 They could land anything, 609 00:36:56,820 --> 00:37:00,720 including B29s, if they wanted to bring them in there. 610 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:05,715 And that was why they picked Nagoya. 611 00:37:05,715 --> 00:37:10,890 And our working arrangement was up 612 00:37:10,890 --> 00:37:17,685 in the second or third floor of the Nagoya, 613 00:37:17,685 --> 00:37:20,295 what used to be a bank building. 614 00:37:20,295 --> 00:37:22,395 I can't remember the name of it, 615 00:37:22,395 --> 00:37:27,660 but it was a good building 616 00:37:27,660 --> 00:37:30,675 and one of the few in the whole city. 617 00:37:30,675 --> 00:37:34,380 The majority of the city of Nagoya were 618 00:37:34,380 --> 00:37:39,480 small businesses with the exception of 619 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:45,430 one area that was operated by Mitsubishi. 620 00:37:46,070 --> 00:37:49,080 That was one of the many locations where they 621 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:51,705 built the zero fighter, 622 00:37:51,705 --> 00:37:55,090 which was a super airplane. 623 00:37:55,090 --> 00:38:00,930 And my cousin tangled with some of 624 00:38:00,930 --> 00:38:02,700 the zeros because he used to escort 625 00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:07,110 B29s going over to boom Japan. 626 00:38:07,110 --> 00:38:13,650 Anyway, Nagoya itself, there weren't that many buildings. 627 00:38:13,650 --> 00:38:17,370 I got some very poor pictures 628 00:38:17,370 --> 00:38:20,340 taken from the top of our building. 629 00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:23,010 And you see what it looks like out there, 630 00:38:23,010 --> 00:38:24,420 there's a building here and the building 631 00:38:24,420 --> 00:38:25,470 there and one down 632 00:38:25,470 --> 00:38:26,640 there and one over there 633 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:28,380 and one over there, and that's it. 634 00:38:28,380 --> 00:38:30,940 Everything else was gone. 635 00:38:31,820 --> 00:38:36,030 All the small businesses and 636 00:38:36,030 --> 00:38:40,395 residences were all paper and wood. 637 00:38:40,395 --> 00:38:43,440 And Nagoya was bombed 638 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:50,320 by 500 pound bombs and incendiaries, 639 00:38:50,990 --> 00:38:53,205 which were very effective. 640 00:38:53,205 --> 00:38:57,780 They weren't the thousand pound blockbusters 641 00:38:57,780 --> 00:39:02,055 or obviously not the nuclear 642 00:39:02,055 --> 00:39:04,540 because it hadn't quite happened yet. 643 00:39:05,510 --> 00:39:10,185 Well, it had happened and it was still off limits. 644 00:39:10,185 --> 00:39:12,330 >> When you say you were seeing a building 645 00:39:12,330 --> 00:39:13,560 here or a building there, 646 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,905 was there destruction or had been cleaned up? 647 00:39:16,905 --> 00:39:20,760 >> Both. A lot of the destruction was 648 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:25,930 still there and the cleanup was in process. 649 00:39:26,930 --> 00:39:31,200 Well, the smaller places were easy because 650 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:35,040 they burned down totally. 651 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:41,400 And when I first got there, 652 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,740 we were building in the hospital. 653 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,590 And it turned out to be only a week 654 00:39:49,590 --> 00:39:53,760 because we were waiting to get Quonset huts built. 655 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,820 And they were under construction when we got there. 656 00:39:56,820 --> 00:40:02,550 And I have a picture of the hospital and 657 00:40:02,550 --> 00:40:06,870 the only damage it took was one bomb 658 00:40:06,870 --> 00:40:11,430 had come through and messed up one wing. 659 00:40:11,430 --> 00:40:15,285 We were living in the other wing of the hospital. 660 00:40:15,285 --> 00:40:17,295 And it was right across the street, 661 00:40:17,295 --> 00:40:19,530 a very narrow street, 662 00:40:19,530 --> 00:40:24,900 from the Mitsubishi assembly plant where the zeros 663 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:30,345 were and they obliterated the zero plant. 664 00:40:30,345 --> 00:40:33,660 And the only mark on the hospital was a bunch of 665 00:40:33,660 --> 00:40:38,040 busted windows and that one crater. 666 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:42,945 That's it. Those guys that flew over in the 29s, 667 00:40:42,945 --> 00:40:46,305 really knew what they were doing. 668 00:40:46,305 --> 00:40:48,855 There was pinpoint bombing. 669 00:40:48,855 --> 00:40:50,910 >> So this is where you worked on 670 00:40:50,910 --> 00:40:55,845 the radio teletype in this large business building. 671 00:40:55,845 --> 00:40:59,700 >> Yeah, it was a honest to goodness, 672 00:40:59,700 --> 00:41:02,385 steel and concrete building with 673 00:41:02,385 --> 00:41:05,460 two subterranean floors. We found out. 674 00:41:05,460 --> 00:41:07,770 We never used them, but that's what they had. 675 00:41:07,770 --> 00:41:09,600 They had one drawback. 676 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,575 They all our lighting in there. 677 00:41:13,575 --> 00:41:17,445 We were in a closed classified area along with 678 00:41:17,445 --> 00:41:19,800 cryptography and a few other people 679 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,890 and no outside windows. 680 00:41:22,890 --> 00:41:26,265 And we had fluorescent lights, 681 00:41:26,265 --> 00:41:29,100 us US fluorescent lights, 682 00:41:29,100 --> 00:41:33,820 which are designed to operate on 60 cycle current. 683 00:41:34,070 --> 00:41:38,235 Japan is 50 cycle. 684 00:41:38,235 --> 00:41:41,865 And it makes a constant flicker like this. 685 00:41:41,865 --> 00:41:49,470 And it's hard to work, 686 00:41:49,470 --> 00:41:50,670 messages up your eyes. 687 00:41:50,670 --> 00:41:51,945 If I'd been smart, 688 00:41:51,945 --> 00:41:53,340 the government would be paying for 689 00:41:53,340 --> 00:41:55,185 my glasses all these years, 690 00:41:55,185 --> 00:41:57,580 if I'd have been real smart 691 00:41:57,580 --> 00:42:01,085 because they screwed up my eyes. 692 00:42:01,085 --> 00:42:04,230 >> Well what were your working hours? 693 00:42:04,690 --> 00:42:08,420 >> I got lucky. I was from 694 00:42:08,420 --> 00:42:12,210 midnight to 8:00 in the morning, 695 00:42:12,210 --> 00:42:16,800 which was good because a couple of good reasons. 696 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,545 One, we'd come off shift at 8:00 in the morning, 697 00:42:19,545 --> 00:42:22,230 we wouldn't have to go and stare 698 00:42:22,230 --> 00:42:24,930 at powdered eggs in the mess hall. 699 00:42:24,930 --> 00:42:28,710 We'd go back to the kitchen and have the cooks make 700 00:42:28,710 --> 00:42:33,390 us eggs and bacon and toast and whatever. 701 00:42:33,390 --> 00:42:35,740 And we'd eat in the kitchen. 702 00:42:35,900 --> 00:42:41,560 We got good foo. There was about 10 of us together. 703 00:42:42,710 --> 00:42:45,570 I got good buddies with a guy. 704 00:42:45,570 --> 00:42:50,400 He was the sole person on that shift 705 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:55,650 for what was the known as carrier. 706 00:42:55,650 --> 00:42:59,700 And carrier is the all of 707 00:42:59,700 --> 00:43:02,790 the so called electronics 708 00:43:02,790 --> 00:43:04,800 that powered all of 709 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,800 the teletypes and the radios and everything else. 710 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,035 They were monstrous things. 711 00:43:10,035 --> 00:43:13,680 And he looked after those, 712 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,470 but he had both by himself on third shift. 713 00:43:16,470 --> 00:43:19,395 So he and I got to be buddies. 714 00:43:19,395 --> 00:43:23,050 >> What repairs did you have to do? 715 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:31,330 >> They were usually caused by the 50 cycle current. 716 00:43:38,150 --> 00:43:44,475 We'd always have spare units to go in. 717 00:43:44,475 --> 00:43:47,730 So we'd go in and get a bad one 718 00:43:47,730 --> 00:43:50,520 back and we'd run a test on it and find 719 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:57,225 out if it was a mechanical or was it electric, really. 720 00:43:57,225 --> 00:43:59,790 There was no electronics involved. 721 00:43:59,790 --> 00:44:04,230 There wasn't such a thing back then. 722 00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:07,260 >> So you said you did a lot of traveling around Japan? 723 00:44:07,260 --> 00:44:13,660 >> Yeah. I went to Korea once, Hapkido once. 724 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:16,680 I went to, 725 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:24,330 I can't remember the name of the city, 726 00:44:24,330 --> 00:44:26,010 but it's the one with the Big Buddha. 727 00:44:26,010 --> 00:44:31,660 I didn't take my camera. 728 00:44:34,100 --> 00:44:38,145 I can't remember that Osaka. It could be Osaka. 729 00:44:38,145 --> 00:44:42,195 And most of the cities were smaller than Nagoya, 730 00:44:42,195 --> 00:44:48,285 but they were in the same shape as Nagoya was. 731 00:44:48,285 --> 00:44:50,250 There was a building here and the building 732 00:44:50,250 --> 00:44:52,260 there and the building somewhere else. 733 00:44:52,260 --> 00:44:58,860 That's it. It's no wonder that they surrendered. 734 00:44:58,860 --> 00:45:05,530 It wasn't entirely the nuclear bomb that did it. 735 00:45:05,870 --> 00:45:08,760 They were pretty devastated to start with. 736 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:12,165 There were people living everywhere in boxes. 737 00:45:12,165 --> 00:45:14,640 If they had no boxes, 738 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:16,335 if they didn't have any. 739 00:45:16,335 --> 00:45:21,620 There was one about a quarter of a mile or half a mile 740 00:45:21,620 --> 00:45:27,695 from Quonset hut, was a ravine. 741 00:45:27,695 --> 00:45:30,750 And it was full of people. 742 00:45:32,810 --> 00:45:37,215 They were all refugees from some place. 743 00:45:37,215 --> 00:45:40,065 Some part of Nagoya they were refugees from. 744 00:45:40,065 --> 00:45:42,550 There were refugees everywhere. 745 00:45:42,700 --> 00:45:49,400 You'd hear the interesting trucks that 746 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:56,075 they used were wood burning trucks. 747 00:45:56,075 --> 00:46:02,340 They burn wood. It's a low grade steam operation really, 748 00:46:02,340 --> 00:46:05,355 but there was no gasoline, 749 00:46:05,355 --> 00:46:08,265 no butane, no nothing. 750 00:46:08,265 --> 00:46:10,920 It just was gone. 751 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:14,805 >> What about your interactions with the Japanese? 752 00:46:14,805 --> 00:46:17,710 >> The interaction. 753 00:46:17,750 --> 00:46:20,085 Obviously, 754 00:46:20,085 --> 00:46:22,665 militarily we didn't do anything. 755 00:46:22,665 --> 00:46:32,220 We had no contact whatsoever. But by the same token, 756 00:46:32,220 --> 00:46:35,340 it was safe to walk down the street. 757 00:46:35,340 --> 00:46:38,895 There were no gangs running around 758 00:46:38,895 --> 00:46:44,950 ill bent on revenge, so to speak. 759 00:46:49,790 --> 00:46:52,530 It was orderly. 760 00:46:52,530 --> 00:46:55,275 There were MPs everywhere. 761 00:46:55,275 --> 00:46:59,205 So you didn't have to look very far to find a cop. 762 00:46:59,205 --> 00:47:01,930 You didn't find any Japanese cops. 763 00:47:02,030 --> 00:47:04,605 There was such a thing, 764 00:47:04,605 --> 00:47:06,700 but we didn't see them. 765 00:47:07,940 --> 00:47:10,500 >> Did you have any communication with 766 00:47:10,500 --> 00:47:12,465 family and friends back in the States? 767 00:47:12,465 --> 00:47:19,090 >> Yeah, I got letters back and forth from a girlfriend. 768 00:47:19,100 --> 00:47:20,835 >> Who was that? 769 00:47:20,835 --> 00:47:24,030 >> My first one. I had 770 00:47:24,030 --> 00:47:26,850 the first one before I shipped overseas. 771 00:47:26,850 --> 00:47:32,715 She graduated a year behind me in another high school. 772 00:47:32,715 --> 00:47:38,800 And I figured that was a sure thing. 773 00:47:38,930 --> 00:47:43,410 We were going to be us rather than friends, 774 00:47:43,410 --> 00:47:46,695 and it didn't happen that way. 775 00:47:46,695 --> 00:47:50,955 I came back from overseas 776 00:47:50,955 --> 00:47:56,710 and one of my buddies picked me up at the train station. 777 00:48:01,310 --> 00:48:04,800 He got out of the army 778 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:07,605 about three weeks before I got out. 779 00:48:07,605 --> 00:48:12,555 And he asked me about my girlfriend and I said, 780 00:48:12,555 --> 00:48:14,955 there's nothing to know. 781 00:48:14,955 --> 00:48:18,820 He said, yeah, she has a friend. 782 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:22,330 That was the end of that. 783 00:48:22,490 --> 00:48:28,530 So on to number 2 [LAUGHTER] That was in college. 784 00:48:28,530 --> 00:48:31,470 >> Well, can you tell me about getting word 785 00:48:31,470 --> 00:48:35,110 that you would be going home and how you felt about that? 786 00:48:36,620 --> 00:48:41,190 >> [LAUGHTER] It was real strange. As I said, 787 00:48:41,190 --> 00:48:42,975 I worked from midnight to 8:00, 788 00:48:42,975 --> 00:48:47,430 so I had the [inaudible] all day, 789 00:48:47,430 --> 00:48:49,230 if I wanted to use it. 790 00:48:49,230 --> 00:48:52,140 Sleep, who needs sleep? 791 00:48:52,140 --> 00:48:54,165 There was too much to see. 792 00:48:54,165 --> 00:48:56,190 We did a lot of that. 793 00:48:56,190 --> 00:48:58,810 And about going home, 794 00:48:59,930 --> 00:49:02,355 I was out in the yard and I was playing 795 00:49:02,355 --> 00:49:04,695 basketball with a bunch of guys. 796 00:49:04,695 --> 00:49:08,700 And a kid from the orderly room came out and he said, 797 00:49:08,700 --> 00:49:12,340 the first sergeant wants to see you. 798 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:16,110 Well, I knew that I couldn't go over 799 00:49:16,110 --> 00:49:22,890 there bare-chested in shorts and sneakers. 800 00:49:22,890 --> 00:49:24,555 I couldn't do that. 801 00:49:24,555 --> 00:49:26,400 You got to walk in the room, 802 00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:28,570 you got to be class A. 803 00:49:28,730 --> 00:49:33,675 Shortly after the cessation of hostilities, 804 00:49:33,675 --> 00:49:39,220 all of the chicken stuff came back. 805 00:49:39,380 --> 00:49:42,075 She had to do this, she had to do that, 806 00:49:42,075 --> 00:49:43,830 you had to do something else. 807 00:49:43,830 --> 00:49:48,525 So there was no loose operation like it was before. 808 00:49:48,525 --> 00:49:52,275 So anyway, back to the barracks, jump in the shower, 809 00:49:52,275 --> 00:49:54,360 put on my class A uniform, 810 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:55,530 walk to the orderly room 811 00:49:55,530 --> 00:49:57,790 when the first sergent ain't there. 812 00:49:58,070 --> 00:50:01,320 And the kid said, well, I know where to get him. 813 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,300 He's with his hooch. 814 00:50:03,300 --> 00:50:06,405 What the heck is that? Well, I learned. 815 00:50:06,405 --> 00:50:11,430 But anyway, we got him on the phone, 816 00:50:11,430 --> 00:50:15,555 and I told him my name and he said, oh, yeah. 817 00:50:15,555 --> 00:50:19,725 He said, you're going home. I said, when? 818 00:50:19,725 --> 00:50:25,780 He said, you got to be in Yokohama by about 10 o'clock. 819 00:50:27,140 --> 00:50:30,220 You got to catch a ship? 820 00:50:31,190 --> 00:50:33,330 So I bummed a ride to 821 00:50:33,330 --> 00:50:36,810 the railway station and through the use of the MPs, 822 00:50:36,810 --> 00:50:40,590 I got on the right train, got to Yokohama, 823 00:50:40,590 --> 00:50:42,720 got off the train at Yokohama, 824 00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:50,835 found my way to to the shore and found my boat. 825 00:50:50,835 --> 00:50:57,705 The Admiral or the General Pope was the name of the ship. 826 00:50:57,705 --> 00:51:01,570 And it was a twin sister to the one that he came over on. 827 00:51:02,900 --> 00:51:08,400 But no storm. And 37 days at sea, 828 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:16,020 we stopped every island in the whole Pacific Ocean. 829 00:51:16,020 --> 00:51:18,690 We stopped at Wake 830 00:51:18,690 --> 00:51:20,640 and we stopped at Guam and we stopped at 831 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:23,070 Hawaii and we stopped all over 832 00:51:23,070 --> 00:51:26,445 the place to pick up bodies, 833 00:51:26,445 --> 00:51:28,875 is what we were doing primarily. 834 00:51:28,875 --> 00:51:33,045 And a lot of bodies came home 835 00:51:33,045 --> 00:51:34,950 for burial rather than 836 00:51:34,950 --> 00:51:37,695 stay where they were and get buried. 837 00:51:37,695 --> 00:51:40,560 The ones in Hawaii all stayed there. 838 00:51:40,560 --> 00:51:45,750 So I convinced the compartment commander that I 839 00:51:45,750 --> 00:51:53,670 had some people I know in Honolulu. 840 00:51:53,670 --> 00:51:56,025 They said well, so does everybody. 841 00:51:56,025 --> 00:51:59,145 Everybody has a friend in Honolulu. 842 00:51:59,145 --> 00:52:02,070 I said, no, this is for real. 843 00:52:02,070 --> 00:52:05,295 And I convinced him. 844 00:52:05,295 --> 00:52:07,170 I spent three days in 845 00:52:07,170 --> 00:52:10,965 Honolulu before the ship pulled out again. 846 00:52:10,965 --> 00:52:12,855 And we went from Honolulu 847 00:52:12,855 --> 00:52:15,570 right straight back to the States 848 00:52:15,570 --> 00:52:27,220 in warm summer uniforms and it was cold in San Francisco. 849 00:52:28,340 --> 00:52:30,570 >> So how long were you in 850 00:52:30,570 --> 00:52:33,910 the Pacific altogether? Do you remember? 851 00:52:39,410 --> 00:52:41,880 >> You mean the overseas? 852 00:52:41,880 --> 00:52:42,810 >> Yes. 853 00:52:42,810 --> 00:52:44,670 >> About 10 months. 854 00:52:44,670 --> 00:52:46,560 >> So how do you feel about your service there 855 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:48,900 in the occupational force? 856 00:52:48,900 --> 00:52:53,730 >> We did a job. With our help, 857 00:52:53,730 --> 00:52:57,795 they got their own lines of communication back. 858 00:52:57,795 --> 00:53:02,400 Our linemen and our guys that would go out 859 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:04,320 and install telephone poles 860 00:53:04,320 --> 00:53:07,300 because there weren't any telephone poles left. 861 00:53:08,870 --> 00:53:12,630 They didn't bury underground like they do now. 862 00:53:12,630 --> 00:53:16,830 They were all strung out 863 00:53:16,830 --> 00:53:24,555 like all above ground telephone and power and everything. 864 00:53:24,555 --> 00:53:26,715 And we were instrumental. 865 00:53:26,715 --> 00:53:28,800 I personally wasn't involved with it, 866 00:53:28,800 --> 00:53:36,400 but our group was first communication squadron. 867 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:42,240 I think there were 30 of us altogether. 868 00:53:42,240 --> 00:53:45,885 >> So you were classified 4E when you came back? 869 00:53:45,885 --> 00:53:47,325 >> Yeah, 4E. 870 00:53:47,325 --> 00:53:48,555 >> What does that mean? 871 00:53:48,555 --> 00:53:50,265 >> Prior military service. 872 00:53:50,265 --> 00:53:53,475 >> And what did it mean for you in subsequent years? 873 00:53:53,475 --> 00:53:56,910 >> I wouldn't get drafted for Korea. 874 00:53:56,910 --> 00:54:00,900 I was able to avoid that. 875 00:54:00,900 --> 00:54:03,720 I didn't want that. I did 876 00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:07,500 not join the the reserves or anything either. 877 00:54:07,500 --> 00:54:10,350 >> And you went back to school? 878 00:54:10,350 --> 00:54:11,595 >> Yeah. 879 00:54:11,595 --> 00:54:14,070 >> And what was the school, again? 880 00:54:14,070 --> 00:54:15,630 >> Baldwin Wallace. 881 00:54:15,630 --> 00:54:19,215 >> And so were you on the GI Bill at this point? 882 00:54:19,215 --> 00:54:21,735 >> Yeah. That worked great. 883 00:54:21,735 --> 00:54:26,160 >> How did you get the money? How did that work? 884 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:28,860 >> They'd mail. They'd sent the money right to 885 00:54:28,860 --> 00:54:32,170 the school. I'd never see it. 886 00:54:32,780 --> 00:54:36,225 Matter of fact, I came across a receipt for 887 00:54:36,225 --> 00:54:46,420 a quarter tuition and lodging, it was $126. 888 00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:49,650 That's almost unheard of. 889 00:54:49,650 --> 00:54:51,240 That was for a quarter, 890 00:54:51,240 --> 00:54:54,285 which is 12 weeks. 891 00:54:54,285 --> 00:54:56,670 >> Did it cover anything else? 892 00:54:56,670 --> 00:54:59,760 >> Books. Yeah 893 00:54:59,760 --> 00:55:02,730 >> Did it cover everyday spending money? 894 00:55:02,730 --> 00:55:03,435 >> No. 895 00:55:03,435 --> 00:55:04,500 >> Okay. 896 00:55:04,500 --> 00:55:08,640 >> You had to work for that. I did that. I worked for it. 897 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:10,125 >> When you came out of college, 898 00:55:10,125 --> 00:55:12,870 what work did you do initially? 899 00:55:12,870 --> 00:55:14,940 >> Through a friend of a friend of a friend, 900 00:55:14,940 --> 00:55:19,780 I got a job with a real small company. 901 00:55:22,700 --> 00:55:26,670 I was the office staff, the whole thing. 902 00:55:26,670 --> 00:55:32,985 I did correspondence, I did accounting, I did shipping. 903 00:55:32,985 --> 00:55:35,880 I did a little bit of 904 00:55:35,880 --> 00:55:38,910 everything that's involved in the ongoing. 905 00:55:38,910 --> 00:55:41,620 The company did about, 906 00:55:42,470 --> 00:55:54,620 I'm trying to remember now. But their gross 907 00:55:54,620 --> 00:56:00,620 was probably around $5,000 or $6,000 a month, 908 00:56:00,620 --> 00:56:03,680 was pretty big for back then. 909 00:56:03,680 --> 00:56:07,235 And I was there. 910 00:56:07,235 --> 00:56:11,975 I had to drive 30 miles 911 00:56:11,975 --> 00:56:14,030 one way to get to 912 00:56:14,030 --> 00:56:18,090 work but I was glad to do it because I found a job. 913 00:56:19,720 --> 00:56:22,280 Every job that was around had 914 00:56:22,280 --> 00:56:24,560 at least one half a dozen applicants, 915 00:56:24,560 --> 00:56:25,970 doesn't make any difference because I 916 00:56:25,970 --> 00:56:28,175 went that route also. 917 00:56:28,175 --> 00:56:31,730 And then they decided 918 00:56:31,730 --> 00:56:33,455 to move out of the building they were in, 919 00:56:33,455 --> 00:56:35,670 which was an old building. 920 00:56:37,870 --> 00:56:42,140 This was an investment casting company. 921 00:56:42,140 --> 00:56:46,055 I don't know whether you know what that infers, 922 00:56:46,055 --> 00:56:49,775 but it came from the field of dentistry. 923 00:56:49,775 --> 00:56:53,780 That's how they make false teeth or 924 00:56:53,780 --> 00:56:57,755 false or implants or whatever you need in your mouth. 925 00:56:57,755 --> 00:57:02,700 False teeth on a bridge or what have you. 926 00:57:03,910 --> 00:57:07,385 The teeth are cast. 927 00:57:07,385 --> 00:57:10,490 An impression is taken 928 00:57:10,490 --> 00:57:14,790 and the industrial side is exactly the same. 929 00:57:15,850 --> 00:57:18,530 The impression is taken, 930 00:57:18,530 --> 00:57:23,520 a pattern is developed out of wax. 931 00:57:23,650 --> 00:57:32,255 And the pattern or the wax pattern is put into, 932 00:57:32,255 --> 00:57:37,430 in the case of the dentist and also the small industrial. 933 00:57:37,430 --> 00:57:40,620 These are relatively small. 934 00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:44,930 I forget the name term of but it's a small, 935 00:57:44,930 --> 00:57:47,720 almost looks like a can and it's 936 00:57:47,720 --> 00:57:50,405 full of stuff that looks like plaster of Paris. 937 00:57:50,405 --> 00:57:53,240 What's done is this thing is put in there, 938 00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:55,835 this pattern is put in there. 939 00:57:55,835 --> 00:57:59,795 The can is filled with this investment. 940 00:57:59,795 --> 00:58:04,745 They fire it and the wax burns off and leaves a cavity. 941 00:58:04,745 --> 00:58:06,350 Into the cavity, they 942 00:58:06,350 --> 00:58:09,155 pour whatever metal they're going to use, 943 00:58:09,155 --> 00:58:11,000 whether it's going to be tin or whether it's going 944 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:14,530 to be something sophisticated 945 00:58:14,530 --> 00:58:17,515 like beryllium nickel or beryllium copper 946 00:58:17,515 --> 00:58:20,230 or any of the stainless steel 947 00:58:20,230 --> 00:58:22,770 is going to be cast in that hole. 948 00:58:22,770 --> 00:58:25,790 And they cast it and then its removed, 949 00:58:25,790 --> 00:58:27,785 the powder is removed and 950 00:58:27,785 --> 00:58:31,805 the part comes out and requires nothing. 951 00:58:31,805 --> 00:58:33,860 No machining, no drilling, 952 00:58:33,860 --> 00:58:36,680 no sanding, no filing, no nothing. 953 00:58:36,680 --> 00:58:43,340 We made parts like rotors for aircraft fuel pumps. 954 00:58:43,340 --> 00:58:46,280 You cut your fingers on the blades. 955 00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:49,280 They were that sharp. Just as 956 00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:52,380 sharp as the sharpest knife you ever had. 957 00:58:52,390 --> 00:58:56,090 Whatever the pattern was for this little company, 958 00:58:56,090 --> 00:58:57,605 that's what you got, 959 00:58:57,605 --> 00:58:59,240 whatever the pattern was. 960 00:58:59,240 --> 00:59:01,220 >> So I know that you worked at 961 00:59:01,220 --> 00:59:03,545 several different places, 962 00:59:03,545 --> 00:59:06,470 I want to jump to your move to Georgia. 963 00:59:06,470 --> 00:59:09,270 Can you tell me why you moved to Georgia? 964 00:59:10,750 --> 00:59:15,695 >> That's pretty easy. Like I say, 965 00:59:15,695 --> 00:59:21,665 I worked for this one company after three other ones. 966 00:59:21,665 --> 00:59:29,795 And it was pretty relatively happy. 967 00:59:29,795 --> 00:59:32,390 Well, the politics were changing. 968 00:59:32,390 --> 00:59:37,400 So I got an offer to join 969 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:45,140 a representative company industrial agency. 970 00:59:45,140 --> 00:59:51,755 They had our line among others, and I knew all of them. 971 00:59:51,755 --> 00:59:55,760 So there was no problem. They hired me. 972 00:59:55,760 --> 00:59:59,090 Obviously, I quit first, then they hired me. 973 00:59:59,090 --> 01:00:06,420 And also I formed a division of fabrication. 974 01:00:06,880 --> 01:00:11,185 And I got a couple of welders in there, 975 01:00:11,185 --> 01:00:17,175 and we did fabrication plus representation. I did both. 976 01:00:17,175 --> 01:00:19,040 And I thought, man, 977 01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:21,050 I'm really going along. 978 01:00:21,050 --> 01:00:22,760 End of the second year, 979 01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:27,480 I had a little conference with the, 980 01:00:29,050 --> 01:00:32,810 Bookie, the CPA that we used. 981 01:00:32,810 --> 01:00:35,750 And I got a chance to look at our books, 982 01:00:35,750 --> 01:00:39,665 which I wasn't allowed to do before, 983 01:00:39,665 --> 01:00:41,105 but I got a chance to look at it. 984 01:00:41,105 --> 01:00:43,145 Man, we turned a profit. 985 01:00:43,145 --> 01:00:49,830 Isn't that neat? We turned about a $10,000 profit. 986 01:00:50,560 --> 01:00:53,810 So knowing that, I could 987 01:00:53,810 --> 01:00:55,370 have a big smile on my face 988 01:00:55,370 --> 01:00:57,185 when I went to the Christmas party. 989 01:00:57,185 --> 01:00:59,645 Everybody's getting bonuses. 990 01:00:59,645 --> 01:01:02,460 I opened my envelope, 991 01:01:03,340 --> 01:01:11,760 Unfortunately, your division suffered a $12,000 loss. 992 01:01:12,820 --> 01:01:16,835 They put a management fee on of $10,000, 993 01:01:16,835 --> 01:01:19,655 the owners of the company. 994 01:01:19,655 --> 01:01:24,540 That's politics at the top. 995 01:01:25,240 --> 01:01:30,185 So in other words, they wiped out our profit margin. 996 01:01:30,185 --> 01:01:34,850 There was no such thing as a management fee before. 997 01:01:34,850 --> 01:01:36,065 I was the manager. 998 01:01:36,065 --> 01:01:39,470 I would charge. All I got was my salary. 999 01:01:39,470 --> 01:01:42,785 I was the only manager we ever had. 1000 01:01:42,785 --> 01:01:46,860 Well, three months after I got fired, 1001 01:01:51,460 --> 01:01:56,550 they went out of business completely. 1002 01:01:58,060 --> 01:02:02,480 By that time, somebody tells me, 1003 01:02:02,480 --> 01:02:04,160 when you lose your job or 1004 01:02:04,160 --> 01:02:06,785 you get fired or whatever happens, 1005 01:02:06,785 --> 01:02:09,695 don't keep it a secret. 1006 01:02:09,695 --> 01:02:12,245 Tell everybody you know, 1007 01:02:12,245 --> 01:02:15,080 him, him, her, her. 1008 01:02:15,080 --> 01:02:19,955 Tell everybody. Contact everybody you know. 1009 01:02:19,955 --> 01:02:24,630 Tell everybody in the world that you need a job. 1010 01:02:30,760 --> 01:02:35,450 And contact your ex employer. 1011 01:02:35,450 --> 01:02:37,730 So I did. The company 1012 01:02:37,730 --> 01:02:40,620 I worked for before I went with the agent. 1013 01:02:40,900 --> 01:02:44,090 That involved to move to Pittsburgh. 1014 01:02:44,090 --> 01:02:46,700 Anyway, I was happy to leave 1015 01:02:46,700 --> 01:02:49,775 Pittsburgh and come down here. 1016 01:02:49,775 --> 01:02:54,170 The the boss man at the at 1017 01:02:54,170 --> 01:03:00,215 the same company had a big thing against rehires. 1018 01:03:00,215 --> 01:03:04,325 He didn't like rehires at all. 1019 01:03:04,325 --> 01:03:07,610 Well, one way or another, 1020 01:03:07,610 --> 01:03:17,220 I got hired back and not in Cleveland anymore, Atlanta. 1021 01:03:17,410 --> 01:03:22,350 And eight states that go with it. 1022 01:03:26,050 --> 01:03:31,620 I used to think the 26 mile drive to work was long. 1023 01:03:35,800 --> 01:03:39,110 Now when I got a 300 mile to 1024 01:03:39,110 --> 01:03:44,840 South Florida because I had all of the Southeast. 1025 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:47,180 >> Can you tell me about your family? 1026 01:03:47,180 --> 01:03:50,930 >> I got two boys and a girl. 1027 01:03:50,930 --> 01:03:55,520 As a matter of fact, you came across something yesterday. 1028 01:03:55,520 --> 01:04:00,320 My oldest son graduated from Juniata. 1029 01:04:00,320 --> 01:04:02,000 He went there to play and played football. 1030 01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,220 I think I remember telling you that. 1031 01:04:05,320 --> 01:04:10,685 And he also graduated from Juniata College. 1032 01:04:10,685 --> 01:04:18,860 And he thrived on the small college aspect of it, 1033 01:04:18,860 --> 01:04:21,845 but it wasn't a stepping stone anywhere, 1034 01:04:21,845 --> 01:04:25,880 unfortunately, but he eventually wound up working. 1035 01:04:25,880 --> 01:04:30,620 So my second son went 1036 01:04:30,620 --> 01:04:36,350 to Georgia Southern and graduated cum laude. 1037 01:04:37,380 --> 01:04:39,970 And my daughter went 1038 01:04:39,970 --> 01:04:43,520 two years to Georgia Southern and two years to, 1039 01:04:48,040 --> 01:04:52,350 I can't remember the name of the place. 1040 01:04:52,810 --> 01:04:55,925 It's an arts institute, 1041 01:04:55,925 --> 01:04:59,250 Commercial Art Institute in downtown Atlanta. 1042 01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:02,645 Can't remember the name of it 1043 01:05:02,645 --> 01:05:04,670 but that's where she graduated 1044 01:05:04,670 --> 01:05:08,870 from and has a degree in fine arts. 1045 01:05:08,870 --> 01:05:13,715 And she wanted to did 1046 01:05:13,715 --> 01:05:20,790 cartography or she does watercolors. 1047 01:05:26,920 --> 01:05:31,925 She does oil, and she also does acrylics. 1048 01:05:31,925 --> 01:05:35,310 Her personal preference is acrylics. 1049 01:05:35,880 --> 01:05:40,795 She's a pretty good artist, 1050 01:05:40,795 --> 01:05:45,650 but she's driving a school bus now. 1051 01:05:51,720 --> 01:05:58,055 My oldest son has great granddaughter. 1052 01:05:58,055 --> 01:06:04,045 My granddaughter is now 37 years old. 1053 01:06:04,045 --> 01:06:05,755 I came across that yesterday 1054 01:06:05,755 --> 01:06:08,380 because her birthday is May 1st. 1055 01:06:08,380 --> 01:06:11,350 And that happens to be May day. 1056 01:06:11,350 --> 01:06:13,060 It was also my dad's birthday and 1057 01:06:13,060 --> 01:06:16,165 so I have an appointment on May 1st. 1058 01:06:16,165 --> 01:06:19,390 And that's how the whole thing came about. 1059 01:06:19,390 --> 01:06:22,790 The fact that she is 37 years old. 1060 01:06:22,840 --> 01:06:26,075 That's shakes you a little bit. 1061 01:06:26,075 --> 01:06:28,430 >> Well, let me ask you, Mr. 1062 01:06:28,430 --> 01:06:33,275 Amidon you had some hesitancy to come today. 1063 01:06:33,275 --> 01:06:34,910 So I just want to ask you know, 1064 01:06:34,910 --> 01:06:36,740 do you think it's important to 1065 01:06:36,740 --> 01:06:40,085 share your World War II experience? 1066 01:06:40,085 --> 01:06:46,400 >> Oh, yeah, I still think I contributed, 1067 01:06:46,400 --> 01:06:50,150 I suppose to an effort that was due at the time. 1068 01:06:50,150 --> 01:06:54,140 I profited by it by being able to go to school, 1069 01:06:54,140 --> 01:06:59,240 which is very fortunate because I was able 1070 01:06:59,240 --> 01:07:05,310 to finish school with the marriage that I had. 1071 01:07:06,130 --> 01:07:11,970 And put that all together. 1072 01:07:14,260 --> 01:07:17,630 It was a good experience, I think. 1073 01:07:17,630 --> 01:07:20,975 >> Well, thank you very much. We'll end there. 1074 01:07:20,975 --> 01:07:23,490 >> That's a good spot to end.