Memories of Olin Plunkett—U.S. 4th Naval Beach Battalion

 

           In 1942 I joined in Augusta, Georgia when I was 19 years old.  I went to Norfolk, Virginia to the Norfolk Naval Base where I stayed for 3 or 4 months.  I was then transferred to Solomon’s Island, Maryland where I was in amphibious training for 3 or 4 months.  After that I was off to Roseneath, Scotland where I trained with the Army Ranger Division out of Texas.  In 1943 we invaded North Africa.  We took over the Naval Bases in Oran and Arzew, Algiers Africa.  I operated a tug boat in the harbor there for 12 months and was then transferred to the 4th Beach Battalion.  With the 4th Beach Battalion I made it into Sicily, Italy and then it was back to the United States.  It was 1944 and I had a 30 day leave so I went home.  I had been courting this girl before the war.  I remember I met her at a Baptist Young People’s Union meeting.  We were roasting marshmallows when I saw hers catch fire and I noticed how cute she was.  We got married and I have never questioned how lucky I am...63(+) years have been great.  But then I was assigned aboard the USS Queens APA 103 Attack Transport.  We picked up the 3rd Marine Division in Honolulu and then made the invasion into Iwo Jima.  After that we picked up troops and took them to an island Entiwetok in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.  Harry Truman dropped the bombs and we carried the initial troops in Sasebo, Japan.  And then again it was back to the Philippines where I stayed for one month.  Finally it was back to the states for discharge.  It was December 31, 1945.  The war was won by that time.
           There were many events that happened during the war, some I can’t talk about.  But some aren’t so bad to remember.  When we were in training and had leave we would go ashore where we would drink the local wine and just have a good time.  But some of the sad parts include the story of an accident that happened one night.  One of the boys that slept beside me got killed one night...a boat ramp fell on him and we gave him a military burial.  Another night one plane came in strafing.  Our lieutenant dove under the ramp.  The boat was swaying side to side so much that when the Lt. came out we couldn’t recognize him.

           Another time an Army tractor was pushing the sand up to get the vehicles across.  A German ADH shell got the tractor and completely demolished it.  It was only 30 feet away from me.
           Once when I was in Italy, we were going down a road and we came across a man with a donkey cart with wine in the cart.  We took his wine off the cart.  He complained so we gave him a few dollars.

Olin Plunkett