Robert Willard

Era: World War II

Military Branch: Army

"We had a farm and had to have an auction. Sold cows, horses and machinery.

"Was active service 9 June 1944. Took basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. Went to Fort Ord California. Left the states New Years Eve. 30 days on a wooden Dutch Ship. Got to New Guinea. Missed convoy to Leyte.

"Japs got most of that convoy. Sailed to Cete. From there to Lugou, Phillipines. Joined 158 R.C.T. Bushmasters Old Arizona National Guard. Fought from Manita south for about 5 months. Then made a beachhead at Legasjas southern tip of Luzon on a Sunday morning.

"Got wounded April 25,1945. Cleaned the Japs out of Luzon. Started to train for a beachhead on a island 28 miles south of Japan. They told us it would be 90 per cent casulties. Then the war was over. We went to Japan as we had the LCT searhead building for guns and ect. Sailed for home on Dec, 1945. Arrived Seattle Washington Dec.

"Christmas Day two of us went to town for breakfast. Looked for a place to eat dinner, everything was closed. A man named Claude Baurn came by in his car and asked if we had dinner. We told him no, jump in he said. His wife had sent him to the ship for 4 service men and no one showed up. He picked up 2 more. It was one of the best Christmas Dinners I ever had.

"Got discharged from Camp McCoy 9 January 1946."