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"A Mother's Prayer"
Ted McClung, WWII Veteran, oral history
Interview: February, 2001 9:30 am
Interviewed by: Betty Dotson Lewis
Summersville, WV
I was born September 2, 1923 at home, Mt. Lookout, West Virginia.
My parents were Ira and Nora McClung. I have 5 brothers and 4
sisters. I was the 5th one going in the service. We all served
during WWII. Out of the 5, four of us were overseas. We all
served in the Army.
I was in my 2nd year at Nicholas County High School when I
enlisted in the Army. Four of my brothers were already in the
service and I felt dissatisfied and enlisted in November 5, 1942.
I had my Basic Training at Camp Grant, Illinois, just out of
Rockford, where the temperature got down to 45 degrees below
zero. Finished Basic Training the 1st of February 1943 and I was
sent to Camp Campbell,
Kentucky on February 4, 1943 to the 29th Field Hospital.
I finished training in the hospital at Camp Campbell and was
transferred to Ft. Ord, California sometime in May. There we had
amphibious training with guns (live ammunition) getting ready to
go to the Luzon Islands. The Japanese didn't recognize our Red
Cross, so we had as much training on how to use guns as the
infantry.
We shipped out from Ft. Ord for the Luzon Islands on the 1st day
of July, 1943 on a LST Ship, and landed in the Luzons on the 26th
of July. We landed on Adick Island. We were there until the 14th
of August, 1943.From there we made the invasion on the 15th of August, 1943 at
midnight. It was partially daylight (it just gets dusk there,
never dark). We were lucky that the Japanese had evacuated the
Island. According to reports received, 12,000 Japanese were on
the Island but all we found were 6 in a plane hanger drinking
coffee but their guns, supplies and everything was still there.
(I always wondered if it were tea instead of coffee they were
drinking because they are big tea drinkers).
They left behind between 20 - 25 suicide submarines. (It was a
great honor for them to be killed like that; chained to a suicide
submarine and sent out to die).
We were there until February 12, 1944. We had snow at least 20
feet deep. You could walk on top of the snow, the wind blew all
the time. We were medics, but we also unloaded supplies used to
invade Japan.
We got back to Seattle, Washington on the 20th of February 1944.
I went to Ft. Lewis, Washington and then to Camp Bowie, Texas. We
got a 20 day furlough and then back to Camp Bowie.
Three weeks later we were at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and from
there I was shipped to our Division in England where we opened a
hospital station. On the 15th of August, 1944 we moved to France
and set up our Field Hospital to care for our troops. The closest
the Field Hospital could be set up to the front line was from 1/2
mile to 1 mile. Our job was to take care of our wounded soldiers
and the wounded Germans. In November just out of Antwerp, Belgium
we opened up a Station Hospital.
Before Christmas, twenty-five of us were sent to Brussels to open
up a hotel for the men coming back from the front lines to rest.
In March, 1945, twenty of us were transferred from the hospital
to the infantry.
We had infantry training in France but we had already had tougher
training at Ft. Ord. Then we went to Nuremberg, Germany as
occupational troops. We were there for one; they put us on a
train to Marseilles, France for direct shipment to Japan. We were
there approximately from one month to 6 weeks.
We were suppose to load on a ship the 15th of August to go to
Japan. The Japanese surrendered on the 14th of August, 1945. They
got us out of bed at midnight and told us that we would not be
going to Japan we would be going home.
On the 1st day of September, 1945, we got on a ship and headed
for the US. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in
my life was the Statue of Liberty when we arrived in New York
Harbor. We sailed right by it, close enough to touch, I thought.
We went to Ft. Meade, Maryland. We were given a 45 day furlough
to go home and then report back to Ft. Meade. There, I received
my discharge, November, 1945.
I was awarded on the Asiatic, One Battle Star, European Theater,
2 Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Ribbon, American
Theater Ribbon .
Fortunately, none of my brothers were killed but
one of my brothers suffered from Battle Shock. I got one letter
from him, he was in France and then the next time I heard from
him, he was in England in the hospital. He served in what was
called "the Bastard Tank Battalion", 750th Tank Battalion. They
were sent out with a Battalion of infantry on the front lines to
clear the way. The stress of killing and intense battle fatigue
was too much for him.
Two other brothers served in the 2nd Army Division, one was a Lt.
and one a Tech. Sgt. One was on limited service.
My mother's one prayer was that she would see all her sons come
home from the war alive and she did. She passed away soon after
that.
I belong to the Civil Air Patrol. I have the rank of Lt. Col. I
have total of 22 ribbons from the Civil Air Patrol and the Army.
I am so proud I am finally receiving my high school diploma.
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