Ralph Omer, 87, of Perry, was drafted in Oct. 22, 1944, at the age of 21. He wanted to serve with the Navy Seabees, but he was assigned to the Army infantry.
He did his basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. He landed in Hawaii on March 31, 1945, and the next day he headed to Okinawa, Japan. The trip by boat was long.
kAm“%92E :D 2 766=:?8 E92E J@F 42?’E 56D4C:36] %96 D9:A 8@6D FA 2?5 E96? 4@>6D 5@H?[ D66>D =:<6 J@F ?6G6C 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 9:E 3@EE@>[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 96 ?6G6C 8@E D:4<[ 96 3C@F89E 7@@5 324< 7C@> E96 >6DD 92== E@ >6? H9@ H6C6] %96J 5:5?’E 2CC:G6 :? ~<:?2H2 F?E:= |2J a_]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 2 C:7=6>2? 2?5 2 7:CDE D4@FE] w6 DA6?E 2 =@E @7 9:D E:>6 29625 @7 E96 7C@?E =:?6D] w6 >256 DFC6 ?@E E@ 86E E@@ 72C 2H2J 7C@> 9:D >6?]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr=@D6 E@ E96 6586k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm~?46 96 H2D AF==65 @77 E96 7C@?E =:?6D 7@C 2 76H 52JD[ D@ 96 4@F=5 C6DE] %92E ?:89E ~>6C 2?5 EH@ @7 9:D 7C:6?5D 42>A65 2=@?8D:56 2 3=F77] %96J 5F8 2 7@I9@=6 :? E96 52C< @? 2 A2E9 E92E 42>6 FA E96 3=F77] ~?6 >2? DE@@5 8F2C5[ H9:=6 E96 @E96C EH@ D=6AE]k^Am
kAmp== E9C@F89 E96 ?:89E[ E96J 962C5 ?@:D6D 2?5 E9C6H 8C6?256D @G6C E96 4=:77 E9:?<:?8 :E H2D E96 y2A2?6D6] ~>6C D2:5 E96J =@G65 E@ D?62< E9C@F89 E96 =:?6D H96? E96J 4@F=5 2?5 42FD6 92G@4]k^Am
kAm“*@F 4@F=5 962C E96> >@G6 2C@F?5 :? E96 3CFD9 2E ?:89E 2?5 E96J 2=H2JD 2E6 2 =@E @7 82C=:4] *@F 4@F=5 D>6== E96>[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(96? E96J 8@E FA E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8[ E96J 5:D4@G6C65 2 4C24< C:89E 5@H? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 7@I9@=6] %96J 5F8 2 =:EE=6 E@@ 4=@D6 E@ E96 6586 @7 E96 3=F77 2?5 2=>@DE 76== @G6C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%6249:?8 4:EJ 3@JD 9@H E@ 5C:G6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm(96? E9:?8D 42=>65 5@H?[ 96 H2D EC2?D76CC65 :?E@ 2 E2?< 4@>A2?J 2?5 3642>6 2 5C:G6C] w6 H2D D6?E E@ z@C62[ H96C6 96 E@@< 42C6 @7 E96 E2?<D 2?5 >256 DFC6 E96J H6C6 C625J E@ 8@] %96J H6C6 @A6? E@A 2?5 5:5?’E 92G6 2 4=@D65 EFCC6E]k^Am
kAm~>6C DF886DE65 E@ 9:D 4@>A2?J 4@>>2?56C E92E 6G6CJ >2? :? E96 4@>A2?J =62C? 9@H E@ 5C:G6 2 E2?<] w6 E9@F89E E92E H2D 2 8@@5 :562 2?5 2D<65 ~>6C E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 >6?]k^Am
kAmw6 E@@< E96 E2?<D E@ 2 3:8 36?5 :? E96 C:G6C D@FE9 @7 $6@F= E92E H2D 7:==65 H:E9 D2?5] w6 E@=5 E96 >6? 5C:G:?8 2 E2?< H2D D:>:=2C E@ 5C:G:?8 2 42C] %96 72C> 3@JD 5:5?’E 92G6 2?J AC@3=6>D 2?5 H6C6 C625J E@ 8@]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ E96C6 H6C6 7@FC @C 7:G6 >6? :? E96 4@>A2?J E92E 5:5?’E <?@H 9@H E@ 5C:G6] %96J H6C6 7C@> }6H *@C< r:EJ]k^Am
kAm“%CJ E@ E6249 E96> 9@H E@ 5C:G6 2 ac\E@? E2?< — E92E H2D BF:E6 2? 6IA6C:6?46[” ~>6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 9:D EH@ J62CD[ 96 H2D 2D<65 E@ C6\6?=:DE[ 3FE 96 D2:5 ?@] w6 H2?E65 E@ C6EFC? 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“x’> AC@F5 E@ 92G6 5@?6 >J 5FEJ] x H2D 92AAJ E@ D6CG6 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 EFC?65 @FE 2== C:89E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am