This is Gene Robinson's Story - in his own words: The Saga of “Everybody's Sweetheart”
Just out of high school in 1941, I went from my home town of Hillsboro, North Dakota, to Fargo on FDR's Youth Trade Program. Lockheed Aircraft Company recruiters came to Fargo to lure us to work at their plant in Burbank, California. So I went to Burbank to help build P-38's, Lockheed's new fighter planes. At that time they were being sent to England. The Battle of Britain was on.
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I then enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Glendale, Ca., for pilot training, passing both entrance tests. However, at that time, President Roosevelt froze workers in the aircraft industry. After some time I quit Lockheed and volunteered again and entered the Army Air Corps. By this time Rommel had been driven out of North Africa and Stalingrad had held out against the Germans. I deduced that the war would be over if I took the 1 ˝ year pilot training so I chose to be an aerial gunner, training only about six months.
First I went to armorer school in Denver, Colorado, to learn about guns, ammunition and bombs. From there I went to Buckingham Army Air Base near Ft. Myers, Florida, for gunnery training. The mosquitoes there were the most trouble. Our training there included riding in a truck around a circular track, standing (we stood in a ring) and shooting skeet around the oval. It was fun... I had done a lot of hunting as a boy in North Dakota. We did air-to-air practice ... shooting machine guns at an airplane-pulled target over the Gulf of Mexico.
At Salt Lake City, Utah, we got our crew assignments. We then practiced take-offs and landings, bomb runs, etc. at Alamogordo, New Mexico. Work on the atomic bomb (hush, hush then) moved us to Charleston, So Carolina, to continue our training. Because of bad weather conditions at Charleston, we spent a week at Batista Field in Cuba for better flying conditions.
RUM RUNNING Charleston was dry, so everyone, cooks, et al ... asked us to buy rum or whiskey for them in Cuba. Coming home, with our bomb bay full, our pilot made his smoothest landing ever!
With our crew now stabilized and trained, we went by train to Mitchell Field, New York, where we picked up a brand-new-B-24 bomber. We had two nights on the town in New York City. We then flew to West Palm Beach, Florida, for a final shakedown; our destination was unknown. We had a sexy girl painted on our plane ... almost all of the bomb crews did this. We named ours “Everybody's Sweetheart”, cost $50, we each chipped in $5. We flew from Florida to Trinidad, fueled up and landed in Belem, then to Fortaleza, Brazil, more fuel. En route bananas and leather boots were sold to us by natives.
From Fortaleza we flew across the Atlantic to Dakar, Africa. Jim O'Toole, our navigator, landed us only 8 miles off the air base where we refueled. This was said to be quite an accomplishment. We again fueled at Marrakesh, a beautiful Arabic place, and then flew on to Tunis. We had a day “on the town” there. We then flew across the Mediterranean to our final destination, Lecce, Italy. Lecce is located in the heel of Italy, only 85 miles from the Germans in Albania. We then became part of the famous 98th Bomb Group that earlier had made the daring Ploesti raid. A lot of fighting was left, but the loss of Plossti oil was the beginning of the end for Germany. We flew missions over Germany, Austria, Ploesti again, Southern France and Northern Italy. Northern Italy being yet in German hands. I was one of the Waist Gunners on a B-24 Bomber.
Here I must pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, those handsome black fliers who flew cover for us. “They never lost a bomber due to enemy fighters”. They also flew low and shot up German anti-aircraft to further help us on our bombing missions.
Each crew member had a particular position and duty on the B-24 after that special training in the States. I was one of the waist gunners, Jim Church was the other.
As an armorer-gunner I was free to walk the cat-walk (one foot wide with open space below) with a portable oxygen bottle, to pull pins and safety wires so the bombs' firing pins were exposed to explode on target. If we couldn't get to the target or to a secondary one, it was practical to salvo the bombs into the Adriatic Sea leaving the safety pin in place.
By the end of the war the Adriatic must have been full of bombs. There was very little heat in the plane, 50 degrees below zero at 18,000 to 21,000 feet. With my waist gun door open it was cold. We wore fleece-lined leather pants and jackets, helmets and goggles. Later on we got what we called “blue bunny” electric suits. The only trouble was they sometimes “shorted out” at the elbows... we'd get some burns.
On one mission I froze my face rather badly while looking for fighters through my open gun position so I flew the next mission in the cozier top turret, which got a lot of cabin heat above the pilot's position.
We had one 50-caliber, air-cooled machine gun at each waist position. The tail, ball, nose and upper turrets had twin 50-calibers. The ball turret had to be lowered and raised by one of the two waist gunners.
Our third mission was Steyr in Northern Austria near the German border. After dropping our bomb load on the target, we were pounced upon by German fighters (ME-109s) quite a lot of them. We began firing from almost all positions; some of the fighters came very close.
I was hit in my left foot and my machine gun was badly damaged (unusable). I then saw that the other waist gunner, Jim Church, was also hit and on the floor. I moved over and manned his gun. We saw German planes go down from B-24's firepower. My parachute near my foot was also hit by enemy fire and opened.
We were hit so badly that we prepared to bail out. Tex Jackson, our ball turret gunner, gave me his parachute and gathered up mine for his jump, a heroic act indeed. Paul Morris, our bombardier, came back to help take care of us. The other waist gunner seemed able to get hooked to his chute. It tuned out that we didn't have to bail out. What the engineer thought was gasoline in the bomb bay turned out to be non-volatile hydraulic fluid, so our pilot kept us on course in our return to Lecce.
Unknown to any of us on board, our right tire had been hit, so we crash landed, pretty much 'doing in' our plane, Everybody's Sweetheart. We slid to a standstill just off the runway. No one was hurt in this landing. Four of us were wounded. I spent two and a half weeks in a hospital in Lecce. After recuperating, I again flew my old waist position. After some missions, we flew over and bombed a target in Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. There I was hit in my left arm and was again hospitalized. The wound healed but metal bits remained and the arm continued to be affected by cold weather. However, I continued to fly missions.
A mission over Munich, Germany was my last. I was then grounded and went on duty using skills I had learned at Lockheed. I had pretty much recovered. I believe all my “Sweetheart's” buddies finished their missions.
When WWII Europe was over, we all returned by ship to the USA. I was scheduled to go to the Pacific with our bomb group, but it was too near the end of the war with Japan.
The group was split up. I was sent to Pyote, Texas where I worked on modifications to the huge new B=29 bomber. It was there that I heard about Hiroshima. I was then honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps. .........Gene Robinson
Just out of high school in 1941, I went from my home town of Hillsboro, North Dakota, to Fargo on FDR's Youth Trade Program. Lockheed Aircraft Company recruiters came to Fargo to lure us to work at their plant in Burbank, California. So I went to Burbank to help build P-38's, Lockheed's new fighter planes. At that time they were being sent to England. The Battle of Britain was on.
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I then enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Glendale, Ca., for pilot training, passing both entrance tests. However, at that time, President Roosevelt froze workers in the aircraft industry. After some time I quit Lockheed and volunteered again and entered the Army Air Corps. By this time Rommel had been driven out of North Africa and Stalingrad had held out against the Germans. I deduced that the war would be over if I took the 1 ˝ year pilot training so I chose to be an aerial gunner, training only about six months.
First I went to armorer school in Denver, Colorado, to learn about guns, ammunition and bombs. From there I went to Buckingham Army Air Base near Ft. Myers, Florida, for gunnery training. The mosquitoes there were the most trouble. Our training there included riding in a truck around a circular track, standing (we stood in a ring) and shooting skeet around the oval. It was fun... I had done a lot of hunting as a boy in North Dakota. We did air-to-air practice ... shooting machine guns at an airplane-pulled target over the Gulf of Mexico.
At Salt Lake City, Utah, we got our crew assignments. We then practiced take-offs and landings, bomb runs, etc. at Alamogordo, New Mexico. Work on the atomic bomb (hush, hush then) moved us to Charleston, So Carolina, to continue our training. Because of bad weather conditions at Charleston, we spent a week at Batista Field in Cuba for better flying conditions.
RUM RUNNING Charleston was dry, so everyone, cooks, et al ... asked us to buy rum or whiskey for them in Cuba. Coming home, with our bomb bay full, our pilot made his smoothest landing ever!
With our crew now stabilized and trained, we went by train to Mitchell Field, New York, where we picked up a brand-new-B-24 bomber. We had two nights on the town in New York City. We then flew to West Palm Beach, Florida, for a final shakedown; our destination was unknown. We had a sexy girl painted on our plane ... almost all of the bomb crews did this. We named ours “Everybody's Sweetheart”, cost $50, we each chipped in $5. We flew from Florida to Trinidad, fueled up and landed in Belem, then to Fortaleza, Brazil, more fuel. En route bananas and leather boots were sold to us by natives.
From Fortaleza we flew across the Atlantic to Dakar, Africa. Jim O'Toole, our navigator, landed us only 8 miles off the air base where we refueled. This was said to be quite an accomplishment. We again fueled at Marrakesh, a beautiful Arabic place, and then flew on to Tunis. We had a day “on the town” there. We then flew across the Mediterranean to our final destination, Lecce, Italy. Lecce is located in the heel of Italy, only 85 miles from the Germans in Albania. We then became part of the famous 98th Bomb Group that earlier had made the daring Ploesti raid. A lot of fighting was left, but the loss of Plossti oil was the beginning of the end for Germany. We flew missions over Germany, Austria, Ploesti again, Southern France and Northern Italy. Northern Italy being yet in German hands. I was one of the Waist Gunners on a B-24 Bomber.
Here I must pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, those handsome black fliers who flew cover for us. “They never lost a bomber due to enemy fighters”. They also flew low and shot up German anti-aircraft to further help us on our bombing missions.
Each crew member had a particular position and duty on the B-24 after that special training in the States. I was one of the waist gunners, Jim Church was the other.
As an armorer-gunner I was free to walk the cat-walk (one foot wide with open space below) with a portable oxygen bottle, to pull pins and safety wires so the bombs' firing pins were exposed to explode on target. If we couldn't get to the target or to a secondary one, it was practical to salvo the bombs into the Adriatic Sea leaving the safety pin in place.
By the end of the war the Adriatic must have been full of bombs. There was very little heat in the plane, 50 degrees below zero at 18,000 to 21,000 feet. With my waist gun door open it was cold. We wore fleece-lined leather pants and jackets, helmets and goggles. Later on we got what we called “blue bunny” electric suits. The only trouble was they sometimes “shorted out” at the elbows... we'd get some burns.
On one mission I froze my face rather badly while looking for fighters through my open gun position so I flew the next mission in the cozier top turret, which got a lot of cabin heat above the pilot's position.
We had one 50-caliber, air-cooled machine gun at each waist position. The tail, ball, nose and upper turrets had twin 50-calibers. The ball turret had to be lowered and raised by one of the two waist gunners.
Our third mission was Steyr in Northern Austria near the German border. After dropping our bomb load on the target, we were pounced upon by German fighters (ME-109s) quite a lot of them. We began firing from almost all positions; some of the fighters came very close.
I was hit in my left foot and my machine gun was badly damaged (unusable). I then saw that the other waist gunner, Jim Church, was also hit and on the floor. I moved over and manned his gun. We saw German planes go down from B-24's firepower. My parachute near my foot was also hit by enemy fire and opened.
We were hit so badly that we prepared to bail out. Tex Jackson, our ball turret gunner, gave me his parachute and gathered up mine for his jump, a heroic act indeed. Paul Morris, our bombardier, came back to help take care of us. The other waist gunner seemed able to get hooked to his chute. It tuned out that we didn't have to bail out. What the engineer thought was gasoline in the bomb bay turned out to be non-volatile hydraulic fluid, so our pilot kept us on course in our return to Lecce.
Unknown to any of us on board, our right tire had been hit, so we crash landed, pretty much 'doing in' our plane, Everybody's Sweetheart. We slid to a standstill just off the runway. No one was hurt in this landing. Four of us were wounded. I spent two and a half weeks in a hospital in Lecce. After recuperating, I again flew my old waist position. After some missions, we flew over and bombed a target in Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. There I was hit in my left arm and was again hospitalized. The wound healed but metal bits remained and the arm continued to be affected by cold weather. However, I continued to fly missions.
A mission over Munich, Germany was my last. I was then grounded and went on duty using skills I had learned at Lockheed. I had pretty much recovered. I believe all my “Sweetheart's” buddies finished their missions.
When WWII Europe was over, we all returned by ship to the USA. I was scheduled to go to the Pacific with our bomb group, but it was too near the end of the war with Japan.
The group was split up. I was sent to Pyote, Texas where I worked on modifications to the huge new B=29 bomber. It was there that I heard about Hiroshima. I was then honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps. .........Gene Robinson
THE GREATEST GENERATION
This is Horst Radtke’s Story in his own words --- My World War II Years
Prior to my induction into the military service, I worked as a machinist for Meyer Machine of Red Wing, Minnesota turning out punches for punching out 30 caliber casings. At the age of 18, on July 11, 1944 (my mothers birthday), I was inducted into the service at Fort Snelling, as Private Radtke.
I was sent to Camp Walters, Texas for 17 weeks of basic training. It was very good training. A lot of soldiers would “gold brick” if they got a chance, but I thought if this was going to help me survive, I would give it 110%. A fellow Red Wing area soldier wanted to stay in the service but he had trouble making the 5-10-15 and 20 mile hikes. The hikes were always at night because of the Texas heat. I carried his rifle or backpack and he made it through. After the 17 weeks of basic training, I was sent to Fort Ord, California for debarkation overseas. After 30 days at sea we landed on the Island of Leyte in the Philippine Islands. From Leyte I was assigned to the 148th Regiment, H Company at Manila Bay, Manila.
When meeting my squad for the first time one of the soldiers said, “He looks like he can handle the job of 2nd gunner so I'll go back to being ammo carrier.” Little did I know that as 2nd gunner you carried the machine gun mount which weighed 51 pounds! From Manila, we were sent to take Baggio, which was known as the summer capital of Luzon because it was located in the mountains. We started up a narrow road in the mountains stopping when we came to a sharp curve. The lead scouts came back to report that a Jap tank was ahead in the road. We set up about 50 yards back from the curve, but I wondered what a 30 caliber machine gun could do against a tank?
Later that evening, one of our tanks came up the narrow road to set up at the curve. Nothing happened during the night. At day break the Jap tank came roaring around the curve guns blazing and ran into our tank. The Jap tank glanced off our tank going over the side of the road straight down. The tank rolled 200-300 yards through thick growth ending where we couldn't see the tank or know if any Japs survived the crash.
It was determined that we must go over the ridge to see what could be seen. At the top of the ridge, the squad leader said, “I see something” but unfortunately he had forgotten his field glasses in his foxhole and needed them. I told him I knew where his foxhole was and volunteered to retrieve the glasses. When I jumped down the ridge, I was hit by sniper fire. A medic was there and dressed my wound. I was then able to slide down the ridge to the road where a jeep took me to the base of the mountain where we had an air strip. They flew me to a hospital on the Island of Leyte. May 1, 1945 was the day I was wounded.
On the second day in the hospital, I came down with a severe case of malaria. After 10 days I was sent to a replacement center. Six of us were sent to cut bamboo to make room to pitch a large tent. I asked when I could be sent back to rejoin my outfit and was told as soon as we received a boatload of replacements. I heard airplanes in the distance and told the crew I was going to the air field to get back to my outfit.
After reaching the airfield, I asked if anybody was flying to Manila as Clark Air Force Base was located just outside of Manila. I managed to catch a ride in a signal corps truck toward Baggio where I then picked up another ride from the artillery that took me to the company commander. When I walked in and said, “Private 1st Class Radtke reporting for duty,” the commander said it was no longer Private 1st Class Radtke, but Sergeant Radtke and that I was now leader of my machine gun squad. (They were sending the former sergeant and two of the oldest members of the squad home.) I met them on my way to the outpost where the squad was stationed and the sergeant said, “Good to see you. You never did bring me my field glasses!”
My squad moved up the valley along the mountain and came to a small river which had to be crossed. Our tank needed a place to cross as the bridge had been blown out. Artillery shells started to explode near enough to knock me to the ground. The shrapnel killed the squad member who I had replaced earlier as 2nd gunner. We walked across the river and set up on the other side for the night. That night the Japs fired about 100 rounds of artillery behind our lines. The next day we looked for the places where they had fired finding nothing - no tracks, no equipment, no empty shell casings. We kept pushing forward for several days. One day, we could see a mountain area about 2 miles away being bombarded by at least 100 U.S. Bombers. We started up the mountain and noticed all of the trees left standing had their leaves blown off.
We came upon the enemy's pill boxes and provided fire power cover while flame throwers crawled up close enough to use their weapons. The pill boxes were connected to each other by crawl spaces. I'm sure that some of those 30 caliber machine gun bullets were made from the punches machined at Red Wing Meyer Machine! After completing this task, we pushed forward and after several more days of walking we set up pup tents in a wide open grassy valley for 3 days of rest.
We received word that there was a half dozen Japs harassing a Philippine village up into the mountains. My squad and two other squads were sent out. We walked back a half mile and started in the mountains - up a small hill, down into a ravine, then up the other side to a flat area (which was a banana grove) when the Japs started firing knee mortars. One fellow went by me and said, “I'm the last one,” so I got up and retreated back down the ravine and up the other side. Then machine gun bullets started flying by me and hitting the ground in front of me. Two other soldiers and I went back down into the ravine. What now???
We decided to try it to the right where there was more vegetation cover. Who goes first? One soldier started out, went 20 yards and received no fire. The other soldier followed and after 20 yards, still no fire. I was sure the Japs were zeroed in on us by now but still, no one fired at us. About ˝ hour later when getting back to camp, three P-38 fighter planes came flying over very low heading to the site where we had been. They were strafing and fire bombing the site with napalm bombs. I never found out the results, but we had been saved again.
The very next day we received word Japan had surrendered. Someone clearly was looking over us. The time from my first landing in Manila to the Japanese surrender covered 6 months of combat duty. During this time, I had walked most of the miles from the mountains of the southern part of the Island to the northern end of the Island.
The Army Corps of Engineers moved in to set up a stockade for Japanese prisoners. Airplanes were flying high over the mountains dropping surrender leaflets. I thought the Japs would never surrender as they committed hari-kari (suicide) rather than surrender, but in less than a week more than a thousand Japanese prisoners had surrendered.
The army was sending the division home, but you needed a certain number of points which I did not have. I was transferred to a Military Police outfit and then to several other outfits. Finally, I was aboard ship and sailing home. Unfortunately, a case of polio was discovered aboard ship and we had to turn back and anchor in Tokyo Bay for 10 days. After another 30 days at sea, via San Francisco, I arrived home.
This is the Art Lillyblad Story
Arthur P. Lillyblad was born February 16, 1916 in Red Wing to Charles and Clara (Nelson) Lillyblad. He graduated from Red Wing Central High in 1933 and was the captain of the Winger basketball team that won the state championship. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1937. He was a member of the 1937 U of MN basketball team that won the Big Ten Title.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He was a LT. JG serving as gunnery officer on the U.S.S. Cummings, a Destroyer. While on board the Cummings, Lt. Lillyblad participated in the following enemy actions :
a. Philippines Operation in the San Bernadino Strait - In screen of Task
Group from 16 to 29, October 1944
b. Bombardment of Iwo Jima. Several days and nights from 11 November 1944
to 24 December 1944.
c. Night surface action with Japanese cargo vessel 5 January 1945
d. Bombardment of Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Iwo Jima on 5 January 1945
and Iwo Jima again on 24 January 1945.
Reports say that during the actions listed above, the Cummings was frequently under accurate enemy fire when within ranges of 2,000-10,000 yards of enemy batteries. In all bombardments great damage was inflicted on enemy shore installations, buildings, boats and supplies. On 24 and 27, December 1944 this vessel shared equally with two other destroyers in the destruction of three loaded enemy vessels, one APD and two LSTs. On January 1945, the Cummings assisted in the destruction of an enemy cargo vessel and a beached LST.
Lt. Lillyblad's battle station during these conflicts was on Sky Forward as 40 MM Control Officer. According to his Commanding Officer, Art's conduct and performance of duty was excellent and contributed materially to the success of the Cummings.
Art was awarded four (4) bronze stars on the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Ribbon for participation in the operations and battles at Marshall Islands, Soerabaja and Sabang raids, and assault on the Philippine Islands and the Visayas Attacks.
In August 1944 at Adak, Alaska, the Cummings embarked President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff (including his dog Falla) as passengers during the voyage through the Inland Passage. The President made his speech to the nation from the forecastle of the U.S.S. Commings at Bremerton Navy Yard.
From W. J. Collum, Jr., Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy to James Forrestal, Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Art was praised for his part in the achievements of defeating the Japanese. Forrestal said “For your part in these achievements you deserve to be proud as long as you live. The Nation which you served at a time of crisis will remember you with gratitude. Best wishes of the Navy go with you into civilian life. Good luck! Sincerely yours, James Forrestal.”
Arthur P. Lillyblad was born February 16, 1916 in Red Wing to Charles and Clara (Nelson) Lillyblad. He graduated from Red Wing Central High in 1933 and was the captain of the Winger basketball team that won the state championship. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1937. He was a member of the 1937 U of MN basketball team that won the Big Ten Title.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He was a LT. JG serving as gunnery officer on the U.S.S. Cummings, a Destroyer. While on board the Cummings, Lt. Lillyblad participated in the following enemy actions :
a. Philippines Operation in the San Bernadino Strait - In screen of Task
Group from 16 to 29, October 1944
b. Bombardment of Iwo Jima. Several days and nights from 11 November 1944
to 24 December 1944.
c. Night surface action with Japanese cargo vessel 5 January 1945
d. Bombardment of Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Iwo Jima on 5 January 1945
and Iwo Jima again on 24 January 1945.
Reports say that during the actions listed above, the Cummings was frequently under accurate enemy fire when within ranges of 2,000-10,000 yards of enemy batteries. In all bombardments great damage was inflicted on enemy shore installations, buildings, boats and supplies. On 24 and 27, December 1944 this vessel shared equally with two other destroyers in the destruction of three loaded enemy vessels, one APD and two LSTs. On January 1945, the Cummings assisted in the destruction of an enemy cargo vessel and a beached LST.
Lt. Lillyblad's battle station during these conflicts was on Sky Forward as 40 MM Control Officer. According to his Commanding Officer, Art's conduct and performance of duty was excellent and contributed materially to the success of the Cummings.
Art was awarded four (4) bronze stars on the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Ribbon for participation in the operations and battles at Marshall Islands, Soerabaja and Sabang raids, and assault on the Philippine Islands and the Visayas Attacks.
In August 1944 at Adak, Alaska, the Cummings embarked President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff (including his dog Falla) as passengers during the voyage through the Inland Passage. The President made his speech to the nation from the forecastle of the U.S.S. Commings at Bremerton Navy Yard.
From W. J. Collum, Jr., Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy to James Forrestal, Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Art was praised for his part in the achievements of defeating the Japanese. Forrestal said “For your part in these achievements you deserve to be proud as long as you live. The Nation which you served at a time of crisis will remember you with gratitude. Best wishes of the Navy go with you into civilian life. Good luck! Sincerely yours, James Forrestal.”
This is the Dan Mjolsness Story
I nearly missed the war. I was 17, still in high school and my mom signed for me because I was underage. I enlisted in the U. S. Navy Reserve in Fargo, North Dakota on March 13, 1945. I went through Boot Camp at the U.S. Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois and completed Advanced Base Personnel Training in San Bruno, California. My company of Navy personnel was being trained to join a collection of seven million soldiers, sailors and marines gathering from Europe and the Pacific Theaters for the final assault on Japan.
We had heard that the Japanese were going to fight to the very end and never surrender. Women and children were given pitch forks and other ancient weapons to guard their shores from the oncoming Americans. In June of 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced “Japan must fight to the finish.” August 6, 1945, the Atomic Bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay on Hiroshima and thousands were killed.
On August 9th another A Bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Kant Ova Suzuki voted with the Japanese War Cabinet to accept the Potsdam Proclamation. It was August 14, 1945, V.J. Day. On September 2, 1945, Japanese officials met on the Battleship USS Missouri and signed the declaration of peace with General Douglas MacArthur and allied crew. Thousands of men on the Missouri and adjoining ships witnessed the signing and it was a glorious day for all of America and the Allied powers.
So, there has been much discussion about President Harry S. Truman's decision to drop the bomb and start the Atomic Age, but right or wrong it saved many American lives that would have died trying to invade and conquer Japan. President Truman responding to the question of using the atomic bomb said, “Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it to shorten the agony of young Americans.”
Duty in Japan was wonderful - my jobs included collecting and destruction of war materials,. operating base supply depot - the ships store -guarding military fuel storage, and supervising Japanese work units on a military base. I served in the U.S. Navy Fleet, Active Duty in the Pacific Theater. I was in the U.S. Occupation of Japan at Yokasuka Navy Base from October 1945 to June 1946.
We witnessed the destruction in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We talked to the Japanese and asked “How can a young Japanese officer become a Kamikaze pilot knowing he will commit suicide when he goes on a mission”. Their answer was “One Japanese die, thousand Americans die.” We apparently grew up with differing values.
Back to civilian life, horses need hay! I was separated from the service on June 16, 1946. I completed my schooling and had various jobs as Principal or Superintendent (29 years) primarily in western Minnesota - 17 years in Red Wing. I married Bev in 1948. We were blessed with a wonderful family of six children and their very busy families. Our pastime includes horses and golf.
My education consisted of Moorhead State (BS), University of North Dakota (M.A.) University of Minnesota (Doctorate) and Columbia University. Prior to the Superintendent's jobs I was a teacher, athletic coach (basketball, football, track) and high school principal. Being selected and serving as the Superintendent of Schools in Red Wing was a privilege and a high point of my career. Red Wing Schools have a great professional staff and competent school board. Our Pretty Red Wing is a wonderful community. Red Wing is our family hometown.
Milestones that I am proud to have been a part of in Red Wing
Educational Programs:
• Twin bluff Junior High School as a separate school
• Independent study program for accelerated students
• Early College admission
• Career development education for high school students
• Comprehensive special needs education program
• Post secondary Vocational Technical Education Institute
• Red Wing Energy Education Center for high school and post secondary students
• Community Education Program for all ages.
• Summer school for make-up and enrichment
• Every 4th grader a swimmer • Computer literacy
• Environmental Learning Center (Co-Founder)
Co-curricular and Extra Curricular:
• Boy's and Girl's Swimming program
• Boy's and Girl's Hockey programs
• Girl's Basketball, Volleyball, Golf, and Gymnastics Building Programs:
• Twin Bluff Junior High School
• Twin Bluff Swimming Pool
• Red wing Athletic Field Remodeling and Building
• Red Wing Area Technical Institute building
• Remodeling and construction, Red Wing Energy Center
• George Bergwall Arena
I nearly missed the war. I was 17, still in high school and my mom signed for me because I was underage. I enlisted in the U. S. Navy Reserve in Fargo, North Dakota on March 13, 1945. I went through Boot Camp at the U.S. Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois and completed Advanced Base Personnel Training in San Bruno, California. My company of Navy personnel was being trained to join a collection of seven million soldiers, sailors and marines gathering from Europe and the Pacific Theaters for the final assault on Japan.
We had heard that the Japanese were going to fight to the very end and never surrender. Women and children were given pitch forks and other ancient weapons to guard their shores from the oncoming Americans. In June of 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced “Japan must fight to the finish.” August 6, 1945, the Atomic Bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay on Hiroshima and thousands were killed.
On August 9th another A Bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Kant Ova Suzuki voted with the Japanese War Cabinet to accept the Potsdam Proclamation. It was August 14, 1945, V.J. Day. On September 2, 1945, Japanese officials met on the Battleship USS Missouri and signed the declaration of peace with General Douglas MacArthur and allied crew. Thousands of men on the Missouri and adjoining ships witnessed the signing and it was a glorious day for all of America and the Allied powers.
So, there has been much discussion about President Harry S. Truman's decision to drop the bomb and start the Atomic Age, but right or wrong it saved many American lives that would have died trying to invade and conquer Japan. President Truman responding to the question of using the atomic bomb said, “Having found the bomb we have used it. We have used it to shorten the agony of young Americans.”
Duty in Japan was wonderful - my jobs included collecting and destruction of war materials,. operating base supply depot - the ships store -guarding military fuel storage, and supervising Japanese work units on a military base. I served in the U.S. Navy Fleet, Active Duty in the Pacific Theater. I was in the U.S. Occupation of Japan at Yokasuka Navy Base from October 1945 to June 1946.
We witnessed the destruction in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We talked to the Japanese and asked “How can a young Japanese officer become a Kamikaze pilot knowing he will commit suicide when he goes on a mission”. Their answer was “One Japanese die, thousand Americans die.” We apparently grew up with differing values.
Back to civilian life, horses need hay! I was separated from the service on June 16, 1946. I completed my schooling and had various jobs as Principal or Superintendent (29 years) primarily in western Minnesota - 17 years in Red Wing. I married Bev in 1948. We were blessed with a wonderful family of six children and their very busy families. Our pastime includes horses and golf.
My education consisted of Moorhead State (BS), University of North Dakota (M.A.) University of Minnesota (Doctorate) and Columbia University. Prior to the Superintendent's jobs I was a teacher, athletic coach (basketball, football, track) and high school principal. Being selected and serving as the Superintendent of Schools in Red Wing was a privilege and a high point of my career. Red Wing Schools have a great professional staff and competent school board. Our Pretty Red Wing is a wonderful community. Red Wing is our family hometown.
Milestones that I am proud to have been a part of in Red Wing
Educational Programs:
• Twin bluff Junior High School as a separate school
• Independent study program for accelerated students
• Early College admission
• Career development education for high school students
• Comprehensive special needs education program
• Post secondary Vocational Technical Education Institute
• Red Wing Energy Education Center for high school and post secondary students
• Community Education Program for all ages.
• Summer school for make-up and enrichment
• Every 4th grader a swimmer • Computer literacy
• Environmental Learning Center (Co-Founder)
Co-curricular and Extra Curricular:
• Boy's and Girl's Swimming program
• Boy's and Girl's Hockey programs
• Girl's Basketball, Volleyball, Golf, and Gymnastics Building Programs:
• Twin Bluff Junior High School
• Twin Bluff Swimming Pool
• Red wing Athletic Field Remodeling and Building
• Red Wing Area Technical Institute building
• Remodeling and construction, Red Wing Energy Center
• George Bergwall Arena
This is the Duane Robey Story
I graduated from Red Wing Central High School on June 10, 1943. I entered the Army on June 18, 1943. I got all my graduation gifts put away, along with my graduation tassel and said goodbye. Basic training was at Camp Roberts in California. Upon completion, I was sent to an Army Special Training Program at Pasadena Junior College, Pasadena, California. After a year of training we were to become Second Lieutenants. That did not happen and I remained a private.
The Army suddenly realized they needed lots of rifleman, so all units across the nation were closed and we all ended in the infantry. I became a member of the 104th Infantry Division, 415th Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company, Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon. We became a unit of one officer and 24 men highly trained in the art of penetrating into and behind enemy lines to gather information. Before I was wounded I was behind German Lines more than 30 times.
I was discharged from the Army on January 31, 1946 and entered the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1946. Graduated on June 10, 1950 and married Ledores Ricker on June 18, 1950. We moved to Bismarck, North Dakota where I became a Landscape Contractor, which I pursued for 15 years.
I did work for private, city, state and the federal government.
During this time I had husky high school boys working for me. I began to realize that I would like to work with youth. I went back to school and earned a degree in elementary and secondary education. I taught the subjects of Earth Sciences and Physical Sciences for 27 years in a junior high school. While teaching, I earned a masters degree in Geology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I enjoyed teaching very much. For a few years I taught Physical and Historical Geology in a junior college.
I retired from teaching in 1992. Now I spend time with the Masonic Lodge, friends, fishing, gardening and rock hounding.
Memories of an infantryman ... the dangerous time
I left Camp Carson by train with others from the Timberwolf Division. Arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, experienced an evacuation of our barracks because of a bed bug outbreak that infected our quarters. After an intensive scrubbing in the shower with special soap we received new clothes. A special crew sealed the barracks and fumigated with cyanide gas.
We were offered passes to go to New York City and secured high interest loans from our First Sergeant. We saw Marlena Dietrich by binoculars from 600 feet away, but did hear her sing “Lilly Marlene”. After the show, we were assigned to KP duty to serve some 5000 men, no small task.
We boarded the USAT Cristobal. Spent the first night and half the next day waiting for the ship to move, and about noon, our ship finally moved out and joined a fifty-six ship convoy, one of the largest convoys to cross the Atlantic Ocean. I became sick on the voyage for about 3 days, a bad case of stomach flu, but survived. We had a submarine alert, but no action. A German plane flew over and was chased off by our fighters.
Bronze Star Medal - Citation Presented to P.F.C. Duane Robey
By direction of the President, under the provisions of AR 600-45; 22 September 1943, as amended, and pursuant to the authority contained on Paragraph 1a(1), Memorandum No. 34, Headquarters, Ninth United States Army, 8 September1944, the Bronze Star medal is awarded to the following enlisted man. Private Duane A. Robey (Army Serial Number (37569570), Infantry Headquarters Company, 415 Infantry United States Army, for meritorious achievement in connection with military operations in Germany on 24 November 1944.
While on duty operating an observation post of the Intelligence an reconnaissance Platoon, Private Robey received a request by telephone from the artillery unit attached to his regiment for him to act as forward observer. Despite the fact that he had never before acted as a forward observer, Private Robey, with two other men, performed the job daringly and intelligently. Detecting their position, the enemy immediately began registering artillery fire on the men, but they courageously continued their task in the face of the heavy fire and at great risk to their lives Private Robey valiantly stayed at his post directing the fire until the enemy gun position had been silenced. His courage, ingenuity, and devotion to duty in skillfully performing a task totally unfamiliar to him are in keeping with the finest traditions of the armed forces of the United states and reflect the highest credit on Private Robey and the military service. Entered military service from Red Wing, Minnesota. By command of the DIVISION COMMANDER:
Medals and Decorations received by P.F.C. Duane Robey
Decorations:
Bronze Star w/Oak Leaf Cluster
Purple Heart
Combat Infantrymans' Badge
All men that earned the Combat Infantrymans' Badge also earned the Bronze Star for Meritorius Service due to the intense combat conditions of WWII.
Medals
Expert Infantry Badge
Good Conduct
European, African Middle Eastern Campaign 41-45 w/two battle stars
American Campaign
Victory Medal 41-45
Presidential Unit Citation to 415th Infantry for the Battle of Lucherberg, Germany
LaFrance A Ses Liberteurs
Belgium Medaille Commemorative Medal
I graduated from Red Wing Central High School on June 10, 1943. I entered the Army on June 18, 1943. I got all my graduation gifts put away, along with my graduation tassel and said goodbye. Basic training was at Camp Roberts in California. Upon completion, I was sent to an Army Special Training Program at Pasadena Junior College, Pasadena, California. After a year of training we were to become Second Lieutenants. That did not happen and I remained a private.
The Army suddenly realized they needed lots of rifleman, so all units across the nation were closed and we all ended in the infantry. I became a member of the 104th Infantry Division, 415th Infantry Regiment, Headquarters Company, Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon. We became a unit of one officer and 24 men highly trained in the art of penetrating into and behind enemy lines to gather information. Before I was wounded I was behind German Lines more than 30 times.
I was discharged from the Army on January 31, 1946 and entered the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1946. Graduated on June 10, 1950 and married Ledores Ricker on June 18, 1950. We moved to Bismarck, North Dakota where I became a Landscape Contractor, which I pursued for 15 years.
I did work for private, city, state and the federal government.
During this time I had husky high school boys working for me. I began to realize that I would like to work with youth. I went back to school and earned a degree in elementary and secondary education. I taught the subjects of Earth Sciences and Physical Sciences for 27 years in a junior high school. While teaching, I earned a masters degree in Geology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I enjoyed teaching very much. For a few years I taught Physical and Historical Geology in a junior college.
I retired from teaching in 1992. Now I spend time with the Masonic Lodge, friends, fishing, gardening and rock hounding.
Memories of an infantryman ... the dangerous time
I left Camp Carson by train with others from the Timberwolf Division. Arrived at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, experienced an evacuation of our barracks because of a bed bug outbreak that infected our quarters. After an intensive scrubbing in the shower with special soap we received new clothes. A special crew sealed the barracks and fumigated with cyanide gas.
We were offered passes to go to New York City and secured high interest loans from our First Sergeant. We saw Marlena Dietrich by binoculars from 600 feet away, but did hear her sing “Lilly Marlene”. After the show, we were assigned to KP duty to serve some 5000 men, no small task.
We boarded the USAT Cristobal. Spent the first night and half the next day waiting for the ship to move, and about noon, our ship finally moved out and joined a fifty-six ship convoy, one of the largest convoys to cross the Atlantic Ocean. I became sick on the voyage for about 3 days, a bad case of stomach flu, but survived. We had a submarine alert, but no action. A German plane flew over and was chased off by our fighters.
Bronze Star Medal - Citation Presented to P.F.C. Duane Robey
By direction of the President, under the provisions of AR 600-45; 22 September 1943, as amended, and pursuant to the authority contained on Paragraph 1a(1), Memorandum No. 34, Headquarters, Ninth United States Army, 8 September1944, the Bronze Star medal is awarded to the following enlisted man. Private Duane A. Robey (Army Serial Number (37569570), Infantry Headquarters Company, 415 Infantry United States Army, for meritorious achievement in connection with military operations in Germany on 24 November 1944.
While on duty operating an observation post of the Intelligence an reconnaissance Platoon, Private Robey received a request by telephone from the artillery unit attached to his regiment for him to act as forward observer. Despite the fact that he had never before acted as a forward observer, Private Robey, with two other men, performed the job daringly and intelligently. Detecting their position, the enemy immediately began registering artillery fire on the men, but they courageously continued their task in the face of the heavy fire and at great risk to their lives Private Robey valiantly stayed at his post directing the fire until the enemy gun position had been silenced. His courage, ingenuity, and devotion to duty in skillfully performing a task totally unfamiliar to him are in keeping with the finest traditions of the armed forces of the United states and reflect the highest credit on Private Robey and the military service. Entered military service from Red Wing, Minnesota. By command of the DIVISION COMMANDER:
Medals and Decorations received by P.F.C. Duane Robey
Decorations:
Bronze Star w/Oak Leaf Cluster
Purple Heart
Combat Infantrymans' Badge
All men that earned the Combat Infantrymans' Badge also earned the Bronze Star for Meritorius Service due to the intense combat conditions of WWII.
Medals
Expert Infantry Badge
Good Conduct
European, African Middle Eastern Campaign 41-45 w/two battle stars
American Campaign
Victory Medal 41-45
Presidential Unit Citation to 415th Infantry for the Battle of Lucherberg, Germany
LaFrance A Ses Liberteurs
Belgium Medaille Commemorative Medal