Hello to all!

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Hello, My name is Jack, I spent 38 months overseas, 36 months in combat in the South West Pacific up through Luzon and Cebu. I lost my brother at Midway in '42. I'll be 91 in Feb.

I joined in 1940 and served in the Army until 1945. Our convoy was nine days out of Pearl when the japs hit, we were aboard the troopship Holbrook, our original destination was Corregidor, we diverted to Brisbane. Our convoy was escorted by the cruiser Pensacola.

I was in Darwin, Guadalcanal, Buna, Manis Island, the Admiralty Islands, Cape Gloucester, Hollandia, Woodlark, Arawe, Green Islands, Bougainville, Biak, Los Negros, Cebu, Luzon, Milne Bay, and quite a number of others.

I'll try to answer the best I can, but this old man's fingers are not as fast as they used to be.

[Wessex Wyvern]

Hello, Jack, welcome to this site too.
Lots more Americans here so I expect you'll be "interrogated" here rather more than the other place, which has more Brits, we're not very good on the Pacific War.
Cheers
Owen.

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Thank you Owen,

Jeff was kind enough to invite me to join your group, I'll do my best to check in when I can.

[Wessex Wyvern]

Hey Jack, you're a Recruit, bit of a while since you were one of those!!
Mods, Jacks a WW2 Veteran, is he going to be promted on this forum to WW2 Veteran status?

[Skipper]

Welcome on board Jack. It's good news to have you. Lot's of questions to ask about your stay in Dutch new guinea for instance.

[Erich]

a hearty welcome Jack from someone up in the snows of the NW..........

E ~

[WotNoChad?]

Welcome to the boards, honoured to have you join us sir.

[SouthWestPacificVet]

A hearty thank you fellas,

Chad the honor is mine, Owen I was last a recruit 67 years ago, it's odd how time seems to pick up speed as we get on, Erich keep warm up there, Skipper it's good to be aboard. I hope you all have a merry holiday with family and friends.

[Mussolini]

Welcome to the Forums! I'm sure Herr Otto will promote you to VETERAN status when he spots this thread!

[Slipdigit]

Howdy again, Mr. Jack, it is good to have you here.

[Otto]

Cheers and welcome Jack! It is truly an honor to have a WWII veteran with us.

Originally Posted by Wessex Wyvern

Hey Jack, you're a Recruit, bit of a while since you were one of those!!
Mods, Jacks a WW2 Veteran, is he going to be promted on this forum to WW2 Veteran status?

hanks for the heads-up WW. Jack, I've gone ahead and set your profile to indicate to the other members that you are WWII veteran.

This is my website, so if you ever have requests, questions or problems of any kind, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll get you sorted as soon as possible.

[Skipper]

Jack, I'm very glad you joined our forum. It is an honor and a privilege to talk with someone who has such a curiculum as yours. You"ll probably tell us you were just a kid at the time and that you did what you were told to do. But this is exactly why I want to say a warm THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, because if there hadn't been guys like you who did their share we may not have lived in a free world today.

[C.Evans]

Hello Jack, welcome aboard Sir and im greatly interested in reading what you have to say.

Take care and best regards--Carl.

[SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer]

Jack, I am humbled to be in the presence of someone has served his country and their people. I say that because I am very mindful, that today, society only seems to appreciate and respect the plastic people who's duty is to serve themselves.

A heart felt hello.

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Hello fellas,

Thank you, I'l be glad to answer anything you would like to ask me. I'll have to ask Otto if I should begin a new topic.

65 years ago today I was in Buna, tonight I sat with my children and their children around me.


Happy holidays to all

[Slipdigit]

Does it seem like 65 years ago?

How long were you overseas without seeing your family?

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Hello Jeff,

At times it seems like yesterday, tonight it seemed a hundred years ago, a different time, a different place, and a younger me.

I said goodbye to my Mother and Dad in Nov. 1940, next time I saw them again was Feb. 1945.

[Slipdigit]

Uncle Grady, one of my grandmother's brothers, was gone about like you. He was in the 31st Division and didn't see home for 4 years.

What was you personal weapon of choice and why and did any Japanese weapons catch your eye?

Right now I am killing time, waiting on my children to go to sleep.

[Sturmkreuz]

What a honor to have another Veteran here! I'm glad we've you here Jack! I welcome you.

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Merry Christmas Jeff,

Right now we are waiting for all the kids to come over.

I carried a 45, a trench knife, a thompson, or an M1 rifle. We had the old springfields when we shipped out in '41.

Jeff, if you mean "caught my eye" as unusual, we encountered some Imperial marines on one of the islands that were armed with submachine guns, and they were unique as well, some were over 6' tall and quite tough to put down, they turned out to be Korean conscripts.

Well, it's Christmas day and I've spoken enough of this for now.

Take care,

[Slipdigit]

I should have been more specific. Which Japanese weapons "caught your eye"? Did any appear to you to be good or superior weapons?

[SouthWestPacificVet]

Jeff,

Our equipment was better and our supply problems lessened as time went on, by mid '43 things were getting better. They were accurate with that long clumsy 6.5 rifle, and those 7.7 woodpecker guns.