Margaret said, “They had a grass landing strip, but now it has been put back into crops.”
Do you still have your plane?
“No. He donated his last plane to the Evansville Wartime Museum in Evansville, Indiana,” said Margaret.
Should we have dropped the bomb on Japan?
“Some people said we shouldn’t have done it, but I think we did the right thing. We lost many men. That would have been a mess. Strange, we people, strange,” said Don. “I have remorse for all the boys that were killed.”
Harry Lyons—US Army Air Force
“I trained a lot of men who never came back. That’s what hurts so bad.”
Harry was born on September 8, 1918, in Freedom, Kentucky, near Glasgow. Although he was ninety-six years old at the time of this interview, he was very clear and distinct about his memories of WWII. Harry was wheeling down the hallway of a Kentucky nursing home in his wheelchair, wearing a WWII veteran’s hat. Harry agreed to chat on the outdoor porch about his WWII memories. He said he was not shipped overseas but would talk about what he did during the war.
Military Training
Harry was drafted into the Army Air Force on January 27, 1941, and served for four years, nine months, and twelve days. He was drafted at twenty years old while working at the Wheeler Catering Company in downtown Indiana, on the Circle. He later said he didn’t like Indianapolis very much.
He was stationed at several air force bases in California. He got his physical at Ft. Harrison in Indianapolis. Also he had training in Louisiana for three months and in South Carolina for six months. He thought he got some good jobs out of it all. He trained rookies when they came into the service. “I trained a lot of men who never came back. That’s what hurts so bad.”
He recalled, “This little corporal said, ‘Fall in,’ and he was a hateful guy. We lined up, and he said, ‘You damned dog faces,’ while this big guy said to the corporal, ‘Don’t call me a dog face, or I’ll bury you in this mud.’” Harry said, “He couldn’t get along with the Yankees. They had people from all over that he had to train. There was a guy from Hazard, Kentucky, that they couldn’t do a thing with. They are not raised the way they should be. This boy was sent back to Indianapolis.”
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, “things were popping! Another guy and I were going to San Francisco to ride the cable car. When we got to the gate, we didn’t know the Japs had hit them [Hawaii]. They stopped us, and we returned to the barracks. There was a fellow who had just returned from Pearl. We were listening to a little radio telling about the bombing while it was happening. He named off the ships that were sinking.” When asked how he felt at that time, he said, “Very sad feeling.”
Harry continued, “I saw the man that didn’t heed the warning at Drew Field near Tampa, Florida. I saw him face to face. He was on our base on his way to Washington, DC. This was the guy who was watching the radar screen. I am guessing he was released from the service.” The soldier Harry was referring to was Kermit Tyler, who was on duty on the day of the Pearl Harbor bombing. Mr. Wood, the only surviving man from Pearl Harbor in the Glasgow area was from Barren County, Kentucky. Harry said he had not met Mr. Wood, but there was a write-up in the local newspaper about him.
Harry was in Battle Creek, Michigan, when the war was over. Harry was promoted from private to three-stripe sergeant and was a motor sergeant at Drew Field.
What did you think about the Allies dropping the atomic bomb on Japan?
“That’s what ended the war. They thought we had more bombs, but we just had one more left.”
He had a friend who was a POW. His friend wouldn’t talk to anyone else but Harry about his experiences in the war. However, his friend has passed away.
Harry ended the conversation with this story. “I was at Hamilton base in California on guard duty one night. I was cold, so I got up in the bomber to get warm.” He said it was the only time he was in an airplane while he was in the air force.
Did you get in trouble?
He said, “No, no one knew about it!”
What type of plane do you think it was?
He thought it was an XB-19. The plane seemed to be an experimental bomber, of which only one was produced during the war. As Harry said, it was “too heavy to take off” and couldn’t be used for fighting. It was probably a Douglas XB-19 (SBLR-2) experimental heavy bomber, made in 1941.
Sadly, Harry died on November 29, 2016, at age ninety-eight.
Raymond and Berniece S.—US Army and army wife
“I remember about General Patton and all that he was doing. He had quite a colorful life, I think.”
Berniece graduated from Broad Ripple High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1938. She had five sisters and a brother, Robert. Robert went into the navy but didn’t see combat. She is the only surviving sister now.
She went to work at the American Legion Auxiliary while Raymond was gone. “My aunt was the national treasurer there, and she wanted me to work for them doing secretarial work.” The American Legion Auxiliary is a women’s patriotic service organization. According to their website, “It has been serving, helping, and meeting the needs of our nation’s veterans, military, and their families—both here and abroad.”
What was life like for you when the war started?
“I was married and nineteen years old. I remember when it first came over the radio, with President Roosevelt saying, ‘It was a day of infamy’ and declaring war.”
What did you think about Pearl Harbor?
“Shock. We just couldn’t believe that could happen. We were living in a little apartment in somebody’s home at that time. We had the radio on that Sunday morning, and we just didn’t know what to think. It really was shocking.”
Berniece was introduced to her husband, Raymond, by her sister Joanne. Raymond drove her sister to a special school because she had a disability. Joanne said, “You should see my sister.” Well, they met and dated. Berniece married Raymond in 1941, and they were married for sixty-one years before his death.
Raymond was not immediately in the war because his company kept getting deferments for him, since he was a truck driver. His job hauling supplies was helping the war effort. ‘“Finally,”’ he said, ‘“no more deferments’ when his twin brother, Kenneth, went into the army. Raymond felt that he should be serving in the military too. I think this was about a year or year and a half before the war ended. In a short time, they were serving in the tank division together.”
What was his job in the army?
“He was in tank destroyers with his brother and in the military police. He did not see combat because the war was over before they shipped out.”
Family Life
“While he was in the army, I got pregnant with the only child we had. Thankfully the army helped us with the hospital and everything.” The child was injured at birth and had special needs all her life. Raymond and Berniece took her to a school in Owensboro, Kentucky, that specialized in children with her type of injury. It was a very difficult thing for Berniece and Raymond to do. They hoped the school could help her.
What about the rationing during that time?
“We got coupons, and you could only get so much. At first we didn’t even have a car. We were struggling young kids. The first one we bought was from a neighbor. It was a Chevrolet coupe. Later we graduated to one from my aunt Minnie. It was a little better and bigger car. Gradually we got so we could buy our own—nice ones. We had to be on our own because my folks couldn’t help us. They had all these other ones. In fact we were taught that we had to do things on our own, to be responsible, in other words.”
Do you think the United States did the right thing when they dropped the atomic bombs on Japan?
“Yes, I think so. Because they wanted to end that war, and we had lost so many boys with that surprise attack. We were still at war and getting our people killed and all. I’m sorry that it killed a lot of civilians, but that’s war. What could we have d
one? Just waited, and got more and more of our people killed. They were all over those islands. I remember James Doolittle when they dropped that bomb on Tokyo.
“I remember about General Patton and all that he was doing. He had quite a colorful life, I think.”
Berniece looked much younger than her ninety-four years at the time of this interview. She was very active and still drove her Cadillac. Her cars have become much better!
Part 5
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is located in Southwestern Indiana, and the Ohio River borders its downtown riverfront. Evansville converted its peacetime industry into making war materials and supplies for the military in the 1940s. These Evansville veterans and residents had some part in winning World War II:
*Anna Johnson—Servel factory worker
*Bill Kincheloe—US Army, tank division
*Don Kuhlenschmidt—CPT pilot
*Charles McDonald—US Army infantry
*Arthur McGregor—Civil Air Patrol, Republic Aviation Inspector
*Herman McGregor—US Navy, communications
*Arlin McRae—US Marines, infantry
*Jerry Moser—US Navy, sound operator
*Bill Muller—US Army Air Corps, bombardier
*Connie Norlin—State Department worker in Washington, DC
*Howard Norlin—US Navy, medical technician
*Harold Pettus—US Army, powder man
*James Pike—US Marines, machine gunner
*Allen Sanderson—US Army Air Corps, P-47 Pilot
*Dorothy Wahnsiedler—LST factory worker
*Lucy Wahnsiedler—factory worker
*Emma Weber—Faultless Caster supervisor and Briggs factory
*Harold Weber—US Navy, boatswain mate
All these brave men and women risked their lives daily to do their jobs. At the time of this writing, their ages ranged from ninety to ninety-nine years old. All of them had unique stories to tell about the war. All of them were welcoming and glad to tell their stories.
Women in the Factories
The original Rosie the Riveter, Rose Will Monroe worked in a Ford plant in Michigan building B-24 and B-29 bombers and died in 1997. She was a famous symbol of women who did their part to help the war effort working in the defense plants around the country. There were around eighteen million women involved in making war materials in the United States after war was declared in 1941. With all the plants in Evansville making parts and war armaments, there were many stories of women who worked in these factories and women who worked helping the injured soldiers when they returned from the war as well.
LST—Landing Ship Tank were built in Evansville during the period of 1942-1945. These ships were not expected to last beyond WWII and were not given names, but were numbered. They have been nicknamed, Long Slow Targets as they did not move very quickly. LSTs carried tanks, truck, troops, and jeeps to and from battle sites. LSTs were built in other locations, but the ones that were built in Evansville were built at the Naval Shipyard near the Ohio River. Then they floated them down the Ohio to New Orleans. Workers would climb aboard the ship and finish working on them on the trip to New Orleans. The Evansville Shipyard made 167 ships until the conclusion of the war.
LST 325 is docked in Evansville, Indiana. During her WWII service, she won two battle stars. LST 325 was involved in the Battle of the Bulge unloading ships and soldiers on Omaha Beach.
Evansville —WWII War producing city
The following stories are about some of the men and women who worked in factories during WWII. These factories retooled when war was declared and produced war materials after 1941. Evansville was an important supplier of war supplies for the war effort.
P-47 Air craft
The P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the main American fighters, was made in Evansville by Republic Aviation. It was a fighter bomber made from 1941-1945. It was one of the heaviest planes in the war when fully loaded. It was one of the best at diving, but no so good at climbing until paddle blade propellers were installed on the P-47 in early 1944.
One of its best features was it could withstand significant damage and get its crew back to safety. It was nicknamed the “Jug”, a shortened version of juggernaut and “T Bolt”. The top speed of the P-47 was 440 mph. P-47 pilot, Allen Sanderson, said, “The P-47 is a great airplane, one of the best.”
There is a P-47D Thunderbolt on display at Wright Patterson, United States Air Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The bright yellow and silver P-47 Thunderbolt, Five by Five, sports an elephant on its nose. There are several P-47s around the world.
Evansville Maritime Museum
The Evansville Maritime Museum is located in Hangar One at Evansville Regional Airport, Highway 41 in Evansville. According to it website, “Its mission is to collect and preserve accounts and objects to educate future generations about the sacrifices of the men and women of those who protected our freedom.” The museum contains many items that were produced in the Evansville factories as well as aviation memorabilia. It is their hope to one day have a P-47 airplane donated to the museum.
The Evansville Story
The following men and women were highlighted as working for the war effort during WWII in Evansville, Indiana. They include: a nurse; airplane factory workers; army wife; airplane inspectors and civil air patrol member. There stories show the pride and dedication of the citizens of a small town on the Ohio River in the 1940s.
Evansville worker stories:
Jane Eberhart
Mildred Ginger
Kew Bee McDonald
Arthur McGregor
Anna Johnson
Florence Miller
Dorothy Wahnsiedler
Lucy Wahnsiedler
Emma Weber
Certainly there are many more people who worked in the war producing factories who are not mentioned in this book. These are only the ones I was fortunate enough to interview and record their personal story. When most of the able-bodied men were drafted, or enlisted, the women and remaining men had to fill in where needed.
Jane Eberhart—Nurse
“It took about three years before I could get a car after the war was over.”
Jane graduated from high school in 1943. “I had a scholarship for nursing school. I started nursing school at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. In 1943 they were recruiting student nurses to move nurses into any branch of the service they needed them. At that time they didn’t know how long the war was going to go on, but they were preparing, and of course they were recruiting graduate nurses too. Graduate nurses went on and joined whatever branch of the service that they wanted, but no guarantee.”
Jane went on to say, “Many of us in the class, there were thirty-six of us in the class to start with, about half of us joined the Nurse Cadet Corps. We were told at that time when we finished our schooling that they would give us an opportunity to ask for a service that we wanted to join. Well, as it turned out, the war ended in 1945. So at the end of my schooling, they assigned me to one of their veterans’ hospitals in Dayton, Ohio. I went there for six months. We were outfitted with both summer and winter uniforms. Unfortunately I don’t have any part of the uniform left.”
Jane does have a picture of herself wearing the uniform. “When we were off duty, we would wear it [to] downtown Evansville or downtown Dayton.” By that time Jane was twenty-one years old.
“I was paid eighty dollars a month. I don’t know what the soldiers got, but that was very good pay,” said Jane. “They were also paying for my schooling. Nursing schooling was not that expensive at that time. I think it was two hundred a year. We went year-round, without vacations. We lived at the hospital where rules were strict, and we followed them.”
Jane’s husband, Robert, was in the army air force, but he was color blind, so he couldn’t fly. He did basic training in Utah. He spent his career working in an army hospital in Montgomery, Alabama. He worked as an X-ray technician. He later went back to school and eventually became a teacher.
; Did you have any interaction with any WWII soldiers at the VA hospital?
“When I was at the VA hospital, on the unit that I worked on, we may have had three or four WWII veterans. All the rest were old, and they were WWI and may have had some Spanish American War vets. This was a big hospital, with about four thousand patients.” Jane said, “This was after the war, about 1946, and they were just getting the transfers from the war. Penicillin was discovered in 1939, and came into more common usage during the war. It was just being used, so people with infections were helped by an antibiotic and never went to the hospital. Many medical advances are made in war time.”
“During the war years, 1943 to 1946, I corresponded with several soldiers. There were five or six from Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky. Every weekend they came by buses. The USO was a great place for dancing and meeting people. All my correspondents came home safely from the war. Only one married an Evansville girl. I have no recollection of the other soldiers.”
How did you meet your husband?
“I met him through a friend in Evansville. Indirectly we met “dragging Main Street,” a common activity for young people of the 1940s. We were engaged for eighteen months before we got married. By that time we got to know each other pretty well.”
He had come from a family where he was an only child, and she had come from a family of five children. They had to compromise some. They had four children—three daughters and one son. “I enjoyed having the kids. They were fun for me.” At the time of this interview, she had just received word that she had a new great-grandchild. Her husband, Robert, died in 1976.
WWII Heroes: We Were Just Doing Our Jobs Page 21