Veteran's History Project: Robert J. Books

Robert J. Books

PFC U.S. Army

Pacific Theater

WWII

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is one of many American Veteran accounts published in The Sidney Sun-Telegraph. The writer, who is from Sidney, is conducting the interviews as part of the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

Robert J. Books (Bob) had received his draft notice just before graduating from high school. The Selective Service Board allowed him to finish his schooling, but within a week his parents took him to North Platte so he could board a troop train. He had been drafted into the Army and was going to Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was accompanied by train-cars full of other guys in the same situation. The talk among the men had to range from a little apprehension to outright fear. In the best light, they were going on adventure. All hoped they would be returning home.

At Fort Leavenworth, Bob and the others received their first hair cuts and some uniforms. In a short time counted by numbers of days, the young men were loaded on a west-bound train. The destination for Bob and his new best friends was Camp Roberts, Calif. (The nearest city is San Luis Obispo, Calif.). The train stopped at North Platte, and the guys were greeted by all the people working at the now-famous Canteen. This was quite a long trip, going across the country. They arrived in California and in the small city near Camp Roberts. Next, they were picked up by soldiers driving six-by-six trucks and driven on to the military base.

The "greeting committee" welcomed them, sort of. The men quickly got off the trucks, grabbed their duffle bags, formed up in groups then marched to a two story building they called a barracks. Orientation had begun. This is where each of you will sleep...here is where and how you will place your clothes and shoes/boots...here is how you make the bed so that a coin will bounce off it...yes, this brush will be used to scrub the floors...at the end of the building on each floor is was you will now call a latrine (don't worry about the privacy stuff). On the command "fall out," you will depart the building, move onto the company street, and arrange yourselves in four straight lines of men called squads. You will be at the position of "Attention!" Once all in rows, the four squads will make up a platoon. The platoon formation is how you will move in the area.

There was good training. Bob was good with a rifle (sharpshooter) and learned to become skilled with the pistol (1911 A-1) as well. When not in training, Bob did pull some guard duty by conducting foot patrol around various buildings. He also was on KP duty where he and another trainee peeled a mound of potatoes in a full day. Trainees could get a pass to go into town occasionally. One of them obtained enough adult beverages that when returning to the base, he crashed a truck into the gates!

The rest of the six week training was fairly uneventful. The men ate their food family style, rather than going through the food line. Bob learned who the chow-hounds (big eaters) were and if he wanted enough food, it was best not to eat at their tables! Included in Bob's training was experience with heavy weapons (water cooled machine guns, mortars, etc.). The guys learned about teamwork and compliance and soon graduated. Bob was allowed 10 days casual leave so that he could go home briefly. He was to return to Fort Ord, Calif., so that he could get a hernia repaired. He made it completely through basic training, then surgery afterwards. (While hospitalized, Bob did have an incident with the bedpan, but that probably shouldn't be detailed here.)

When fully recovered and "good-to-go," he learned that he was part of a replacement unit that would be moving out to the northwest coast near Seattle. Bob would join others as they boarded a troop ship. The ship would take them to the theater of war going on in the Pacific Ocean. On the ship, there were hundreds of men. They slept on canvas hammocks stretched tight below decks. The hammocks were four high. No one fell out of bed. Aboard the ship, Bob was to be a server in the food line. On one occasion, he plopped some eggs on an officer's plate. He looked at the officer and found him to be a man from Bob's hometown! The food on the ship consisted of lots of beans...navy beans! The men stood to eat. The ship did lots of zigzag maneuvers to avoid enemy submarine detection. Bob said this trip lasted nearly two months! The men on the ship were not told their destination.

Soon enough though, the ship was closing in on Okinawa. Bob and other replacement personnel stowed their gear and were told to climb overboard on the cargo-nets and get into the landing crafts waiting at the sides of the troop ship. The smaller boats took the new troops to a designated shore of Okinawa. The front of the boat dropped forward and the men stepped off and moved out to their respective assignments. Because of his training, Bob was put into a heavy weapons unit.

The unit Bob was assigned to moved out with the mission to drive the Japanese soldiers off the island of Okinawa. The Marines were to drive them one direction, and the Army (the 96th Division) was to push the enemy the other direction. There was Japanese aerial bombardment of the advancing forces. Bob and others found that they could get under cover in a cemetery where large gravesites were built up. Casualties were heavy prior to Bob's arrival and during his time there as well. He was in combat. There was no time off, no side trips to see stuff. They were busy. The island was mostly secured while Bob was there. Finally, they were to leave Okinawa.

The men loaded onto an LST (Landing Ship Tank). This is not a huge ship, but it could carry men, tanks and trucks. It had a large upper deck. The vehicles were secured below. At the perimeter of the upper deck was a strong cable strung between iron posts so the guys could hang on in calmer waters. The men were told they could unfold their Army cots and sleep on the deck.

Except for the typhoon warning, it might have been pretty nice. As the storm approached, all hands quickly went below deck and were ordered to secure themselves (HANG ON!) as the smaller ship was thrown about the ocean without resistance. Bob said at one point, he could see the steel decking seem to weaken. Wave after wave, moving forward and back, side to sea. For over an entire day and night, the typhoon raged on until moving away.

Finally, they made it to the Philippine Islands. When they got to their arrival point, pamphlets were passed out advising the men that in early August, bombs had been dropped on two large cities in Japan and the war was over. They still had work to do. One job was to dump/destroy unexploded munitions. They took boxes of grenades and other explosives out to sea for disposal. The men slept in large 14 man canvas tents. One of the men figured out a way to make a freezer out of borrowed parts. Apparently a cow wandered into their area. The guys agreed that if the cow left, they wouldn't bother it. If the cow returned to their area, they would kill it, butcher it, and store the meat in their new freezer. The cow returned. The guys ate well, even though the meat was kinda tough.

During this time, Bob tried to keep in touch with his family back home by writing letters. Bob's letter writing slipped for a few weeks. His family hadn't heard from him so they wrote the commanding officer to inquire about their son. Bob was advised to write home...now. The food was largely from C-ration containers. Sometimes, the food was provided in a unit termed the ten-in-one. One package would feed 10 men. The order of returning was the same as arriving. The first troops in the area were the first to return home. Bob was a late arriver so remaining behind was expected. Because of his many skills, Bob was made the company clerk for a short time.

In due time, Bob and his fellow soldiers were prepared to leave the Philippines. They boarded another troop ship and made a one-month redeployment voyage. On returning to the U.S., the ship sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. What a sight! The men off-loaded at San Francisco.

When he returned to the "States," he didn't think it was so important to keep taking the pills to prevent malaria. On returning to Nebraska, he became ill. The diagnosis was malaria. Dang! When he recovered he did some work around the folk's place and enrolled for college in Oklahoma. There he met a sweet woman named Pat. They married a bit later. They raised their four children in Nebraska. Bob made most of his career in the credit field.

Bob earned several medals while in the war. He merited the Combat Infantry Badge, the Asiatic-Pacific medal, the Victory Medal and others. He and his wife live at the Nebraska Veterans Home in Scottsbluff.

Good job, PFC Bob Books! Thank you for your service!