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92 Northwest Quarterly Spring 2007

They’ve been called “The Greatest Generation.”They grew up during the Depression and fought to defeat Fascism all over the globe. Now in their eighties, these veterans are losing their comrades in arms at the rate of more than 1,400 per day. Northwest Quarterly recently asked some local veterans to share their memories of war.

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:42 PM

Northwest Quarterly Spring 2007 93

Kaare (pronouncedCORY) Nevdal, Rockford,

Ill., was just 19 when the Germansinvaded his homeland of Norway onApril 9, 1940. Life in his small, westcoast village near Bergen soonbecame intolerable under the occu-pation. By the following spring, hedecided to escape to England.

“I couldn’t stand not to be free,”recalls Nevdal. “We had to carryidentity papers everywhere, andsomeone was always watching us. IfI stayed much longer in Norway, Iknew I would end up in jail.”

After one escape attempt wasthwarted by a North Sea storm,Nevdal succeeded in reaching theShetland Islands by fishing boat onMarch 15, 1941. He went to Londonto enlist in the Royal Norwegian AirForce, and the Norwegian govern-ment-in-exile sent him to Toronto,Canada, for training.

While in Canada, Nevdal visitedhis aunt in Rockford, who sent a pic-ture of the two of them to Nevdal’sfamily in Norway, claiming it washer and her son, in order to foolGerman censors. This was the first

“We had BOAC uniforms andBritish passports,” says Nevdal.“Sometimes we even transportedescapees from Norway.”

Since Sweden was neutral butblockaded by belligerents, some con-sumer goods were available inStockholm that were unattainable inwar-rationed Scotland. Nevdal’scousin’s wife asked him to bring hera girdle on one of his flights.

“I had to smuggle it out by wear-ing it under my uniform,” saysNevdal. “It was very uncomfortable.I gained lots of sympathy for ladieswho wore them.”

Nevdal recalled a Norwegianpoem he copied when he reachedEngland the first time. Its meaningcould speak to the motivation formany veterans of World War II.

Kjemp for alt som du har kjartDo om see det jelderDa er livet ie saa svartDoden ikke heller

Fight for all that you hold dearDie if it’s that importantThen life will not be so hardNeither will be death

indication his family had thatNevdal was still alive. He also methis future wife, Muriel, in Toronto.

After completing his training as aradio operator/gunner in 1942,Nevdal was sent to Iceland where hejoined the 330th squadron of CoastalCommand. He flew on long, tediousanti-submarine patrols and convoyescort duty in the North Atlantic,first in N3PB Nomads, then in PBYCatalina float planes.

In March of 1943, Nevdal wastransferred to Scotland in theShetland Islands. From there he flewpatrols along the Norwegian coast-line in huge, four-engine Sunderlandflying boats. The Germans calledthem “flying porcupines” becausethey had so many guns (18) onboard. One purpose of these flightswas to keep German submarinesfrom surfacing, thus slowing themdown and making it difficult forthem to attack Allied shipping ontheir way to Russia. But in May of1944, Nevdal’s plane caught one onthe surface.

“We dropped depth charges on thesub from about 50 feet above thewater,” recalls Nevdal, “but it tooktwo attacks. All the time they wereshooting at us and we were shootingat them. The nose gunner was killed

during the battle.” The attack was successful,

and on May 16, 1944, the U-240, a type VIIc German sub-marine, sank to the bottomwith all 50 crewmen.

Later that year Nevdal wasagain re-assigned, this time toa special unit which flewcivilian aircraft in and out ofneutral Sweden. His unit car-ried VIPs, spies, and impor-tant documents betweenStockholm and St. Andrews,Scotland.

S t o r y b y J o n M c G i n t yL a y o u t b y S c o t t S c h w a l b a c h

Nevdal’s Aunt in Rockford, Ill., sent this photoof the two of them to Nevdal’s family inNorway to let them know he was still alive.

Kaare Nevdal was in Norway when the Germans invaded hishomeland in 1940. (Jon McGinty photo)

KjkjDDD

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:44 PM


Bethesda, Md. Finally diagnosedwith “shell shock and battlefatigue,” he was honorably dis-charged from the Marine Corps inJanuary of 1946.

Even though Berchiolli still suf-fers from his wounds, both physicaland mental, the VeteransAdministration denied him most ofhis disability benefits until 2001. In2006, after a letter of explanationfrom his daughter to Rep. DonManzullo, (R-Ill.), Berchiolli wasawarded the combat medals heearned in the Pacific more than 62years ago, during a small ceremonyin Rockford.

Sam Berchiolli,Rockford, Ill., was a hard-

hitting Marine who survivedthree Pacific island invasions andthree courts martial (he had a badhabit of insubordination). Althoughmarried with one child and anotheron the way, “Berch” enlisted in theMarine Corps in November, 1942, atthe age of 22.

“ E v e r y b o d yelse was joiningup, and theMarines werethe only servicethat would takea married man,”Berchiolli says.

After “almost”completing basictraining (thatwas the firstcourt martial),he was sent toNew Caledonia in the South Pacific,then to New Zealand. Trained as aBAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)gunner, Berchiolli was eventuallyattached to G Co., 2nd Btn., 8thRgmt., 2nd Marine Division.

On Nov. 20, 1943, he was part ofthe initial invasion of Betio Island inthe Tarawa Atoll, the first majorisland invasion of the Central PacificCampaign. With the probable excep-tion of Iwo Jima, Tarawa was themost heavily defended piece of realestate in the entire Pacific war.

“I remember getting out of theHiggins boat into the water,” recallsBerchiolli. “I saw the palm treesahead, the explosions, wadingtowards shore. Then it’s a blank untilthe next day. I was standing next tothe Captain by a pillbox when I gothit on day two.”

Berchiolli woke up 11 days later ina hospital in Hawaii, recoveringfrom wounds to his head, arms and

legs, as well as internal injuries fromblast concussion.

“I never knew what hit me, but itkilled the Captain,” he says. “Theywere still picking sand granules andshrapnel out of me in 1981.”

Berchiolli’s late wife, Nellie,received an erroneous letter inform-ing her that her husband was miss-ing in action. It took two monthsbefore she learned that he was alivebut wounded.

After recovering from his wounds,Berchiolli was put to work for sever-al months training recruits on theshores of Oahu. In June of 1944, he

rejoined the 2ndMarines as theyinvaded Saipan inthe Marianas. Itwas there that“Berch” experi-enced some of themost intense fight-ing of the war,attacking Japanesein pillboxes andcaves, sometime in

hand-to-hand com-bat. They took fewprisoners.

“The stench fromburning flesh wasawful,” he remem-bers. “It made me sickto my stomach.”

Berchiolli waswounded twice morein battle, and spentseveral days recuper-ating in a field hospi-tal from shrapnelwounds incurredwhile reconnoiteringa beachhead on near-by Tinian.

Because of hiswounds, Berchiolliwas sent back to theStates, but instead ofbeing discharged, hewas reassigned toguard duty in

Left: Berchiolli waited more than 62 years to receive hiscombat medals from the Marine Corps.

Below: Sam Berchiolli survived his wounds from three inva-sions in the Central Pacific. (Jon McGinty photo)

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:44 PM Page 3


Kaare (pronouncedCORY) Nevdal, Rockford,

Ill., was just 19 when the Germansinvaded his homeland of Norway onApril 9, 1940. Life in his small, westcoast village near Bergen soonbecame intolerable under the occu-pation. By the following spring, hedecided to escape to England.

“I couldn’t stand not to be free,”recalls Nevdal. “We had to carryidentity papers everywhere, andsomeone was always watching us. IfI stayed much longer in Norway, Iknew I would end up in jail.”

After one escape attempt wasthwarted by a North Sea storm,Nevdal succeeded in reaching theShetland Islands by fishing boat onMarch 15, 1941. He went to Londonto enlist in the Royal Norwegian AirForce, and the Norwegian govern-ment-in-exile sent him to Toronto,Canada, for training.

While in Canada, Nevdal visitedhis aunt in Rockford, who sent a pic-ture of the two of them to Nevdal’sfamily in Norway, claiming it washer and her son, in order to foolGerman censors. This was the first

“We had BOAC uniforms andBritish passports,” says Nevdal.“Sometimes we even transportedescapees from Norway.”

Since Sweden was neutral butblockaded by belligerents, some con-sumer goods were available inStockholm that were unattainable inwar-rationed Scotland. Nevdal’scousin’s wife asked him to bring hera girdle on one of his flights.

“I had to smuggle it out by wear-ing it under my uniform,” saysNevdal. “It was very uncomfortable.I gained lots of sympathy for ladieswho wore them.”

Nevdal recalled a Norwegianpoem he copied when he reachedEngland the first time. Its meaningcould speak to the motivation formany veterans of World War II.

Kjemp for alt som du har kjartDo om see det jelderDa er livet ie saa svartDoden ikke heller

Fight for all that you hold dearDie if it’s that importantThen life will not be so hardNeither will be death

indication his family had thatNevdal was still alive. He also methis future wife, Muriel, in Toronto.

After completing his training as aradio operator/gunner in 1942,Nevdal was sent to Iceland where hejoined the 330th squadron of CoastalCommand. He flew on long, tediousanti-submarine patrols and convoyescort duty in the North Atlantic,first in N3PB Nomads, then in PBYCatalina float planes.

In March of 1943, Nevdal wastransferred to Scotland in theShetland Islands. From there he flewpatrols along the Norwegian coast-line in huge, four-engine Sunderlandflying boats. The Germans calledthem “flying porcupines” becausethey had so many guns (18) onboard. One purpose of these flightswas to keep German submarinesfrom surfacing, thus slowing themdown and making it difficult forthem to attack Allied shipping ontheir way to Russia. But in May of1944, Nevdal’s plane caught one onthe surface.

“We dropped depth charges on thesub from about 50 feet above thewater,” recalls Nevdal, “but it tooktwo attacks. All the time they wereshooting at us and we were shootingat them. The nose gunner was killed

during the battle.” The attack was successful,

and on May 16, 1944, the U-240, a type VIIc German sub-marine, sank to the bottomwith all 50 crewmen.

Later that year Nevdal wasagain re-assigned, this time toa special unit which flewcivilian aircraft in and out ofneutral Sweden. His unit car-ried VIPs, spies, and impor-tant documents betweenStockholm and St. Andrews,Scotland.

S t o r y b y J o n M c G i n t yL a y o u t b y S c o t t S c h w a l b a c h

Nevdal’s Aunt in Rockford, Ill., sent this photoof the two of them to Nevdal’s family inNorway to let them know he was still alive.

Kaare Nevdal was in Norway when the Germans invaded hishomeland in 1940. (Jon McGinty photo)

KjkjDDD



Bethesda, Md. Finally diagnosedwith “shell shock and battlefatigue,” he was honorably dis-charged from the Marine Corps inJanuary of 1946.

Even though Berchiolli still suf-fers from his wounds, both physicaland mental, the VeteransAdministration denied him most ofhis disability benefits until 2001. In2006, after a letter of explanationfrom his daughter to Rep. DonManzullo, (R-Ill.), Berchiolli wasawarded the combat medals heearned in the Pacific more than 62years ago, during a small ceremonyin Rockford.

Sam Berchiolli,Rockford, Ill., was a hard-

hitting Marine who survivedthree Pacific island invasions andthree courts martial (he had a badhabit of insubordination). Althoughmarried with one child and anotheron the way, “Berch” enlisted in theMarine Corps in November, 1942, atthe age of 22.

“ E v e r y b o d yelse was joiningup, and theMarines werethe only servicethat would takea married man,”Berchiolli says.

After “almost”completing basictraining (thatwas the firstcourt martial),he was sent toNew Caledonia in the South Pacific,then to New Zealand. Trained as aBAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)gunner, Berchiolli was eventuallyattached to G Co., 2nd Btn., 8thRgmt., 2nd Marine Division.

On Nov. 20, 1943, he was part ofthe initial invasion of Betio Island inthe Tarawa Atoll, the first majorisland invasion of the Central PacificCampaign. With the probable excep-tion of Iwo Jima, Tarawa was themost heavily defended piece of realestate in the entire Pacific war.

“I remember getting out of theHiggins boat into the water,” recallsBerchiolli. “I saw the palm treesahead, the explosions, wadingtowards shore. Then it’s a blank untilthe next day. I was standing next tothe Captain by a pillbox when I gothit on day two.”

Berchiolli woke up 11 days later ina hospital in Hawaii, recoveringfrom wounds to his head, arms and

legs, as well as internal injuries fromblast concussion.

“I never knew what hit me, but itkilled the Captain,” he says. “Theywere still picking sand granules andshrapnel out of me in 1981.”

Berchiolli’s late wife, Nellie,received an erroneous letter inform-ing her that her husband was miss-ing in action. It took two monthsbefore she learned that he was alivebut wounded.

After recovering from his wounds,Berchiolli was put to work for sever-al months training recruits on theshores of Oahu. In June of 1944, he

rejoined the 2ndMarines as theyinvaded Saipan inthe Marianas. Itwas there that“Berch” experi-enced some of themost intense fight-ing of the war,attacking Japanesein pillboxes andcaves, sometime in

hand-to-hand com-bat. They took fewprisoners.

“The stench fromburning flesh wasawful,” he remem-bers. “It made me sickto my stomach.”

Berchiolli waswounded twice morein battle, and spentseveral days recuper-ating in a field hospi-tal from shrapnelwounds incurredwhile reconnoiteringa beachhead on near-by Tinian.

Because of hiswounds, Berchiolliwas sent back to theStates, but instead ofbeing discharged, hewas reassigned toguard duty in

Left: Berchiolli waited more than 62 years to receive hiscombat medals from the Marine Corps.

Below: Sam Berchiolli survived his wounds from three inva-sions in the Central Pacific. (Jon McGinty photo)

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:44 PM

Drafted intothe Army in 1943, Harold

Babler, Monticello, Wis., wastrained to be a radio operator/com-pany clerk for the 590th FieldArtillery Btn., 106th Infantry Dvn.His job was to ride in a jeep with theforward observer ahead of his owntroops and call in artillery strikesfrom their 105 mm howitzers ontoenemy positions.

Babler’s unit landed in Le Havre,France, on Nov. 20, 1944. Less thantwo weeks later, they were deployedalong a 21-mile stretch of the frontlines near St. Vith, Belgium, in theArdennes Forest.

“They called it the ‘ghost front’because it was so quiet there,” recallsBabler. “There was no action goingon, so they thought it would be agood place for a ‘green’ unit likeours.”

All that suddenly changed on themisty morning of Dec. 16 when theGermans launched what becameknown as the Battle of the Bulge. The106th was one of the first units to becompletely surrounded by the rapid-ly advancing enemy troops. Afterfour days of intense fighting, manycasualties, and no re-supply or rein-forcements, the division surren-

dered. It was the largest mass sur-render of Allied forces in theEuropean Theater.

“The Germans knocked us about,took our watches and overcoats,everything,” says Babler. “Then theymarched us off to an open fieldwhere we spent the night in freezingweather.”

After another 40-mile march in thesnow, Babler and his fellow prison-ers traveled in railroad boxcars, 60 ormore per car, for five more days and

nights. At one rail yard, their trainwas bombed by Allied planes, killingfour Americans and injuring 11.

Babler arrived in Bad Orb,Germany, on Christmas Day andwas marched into Stalag 9B, alongwith 1,270 other POWs—American,British, Russian and FrenchMoroccan. The 18-year-old wasallowed to send a postcard home to

his family in Bellville,Wis., to let themknow he was alive.There he stayed untilJan. 25, 1945, when hewas moved to anoth-er camp, Stalag 9A,deeper in Germany.

“The Army taughtus how to shoot andfight, but they neverprepared us for life ina POW camp,” saysBabler. “Your life wasno longer your own.

95Northwest Quarterly Spring 2007

Someone else determined how youlived—or died.”

The men were housed in tarpaperbarracks, more than 500 men perbuilding. Each barracks had onlytwo small wood-burning stoves forheat. Prisoners were given only twoarmloads of wood per day to burn,and no blankets. The meager diet ofthin soup, dark bread and ersatz cof-fee caused Babler to drop from 140lbs. to 80 lbs. in four months of cap-tivity. Malnutrition and dysenterywere commonplace.

On Good Friday, March 30,American troops liberated the campafter the Germans abandoned it theday before. By the end of April,Babler was back in the States. Whenhe stood in his first chow line in theUnited States, German prisonerswere handing out the food.

Babler later got married and set-tled in Monticello, Wis., where heand his wife, Wanda, live today.About 20 years ago, he went back toGermany and visited the old camps.Stalag 9B was a children’s summercamp and Stalag 9A was a senior cit-izen retirement home.

“I’m not a hero,” says Babler. “Thereal heroes are the ones that nevercame home, or were wounded forlife. I’m just a survivor.”

Stalag 9A German prison camp, 1944.

Above: Recently liberated POWs at Stalag 9A gather around a3rd Army lieutenant to receive rations and cigarettes.Below Right: Harold Babler was captured by the Germans duringthe Battle of the Bulge and spent four months in captivity.

Jon M

cGint

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WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:45 PM

“We heard those shells whistle justover our heads on their way to thebridge,” remembers Leech. “Theytold us not to lie down on theground, or the concussion couldinjure us. It wasn’t until about fiveyears ago that I could sleep througha thunderstorm.”

The war in Europe ended on May8, while Leech was guarding prison-ers captured earlier during the bat-tles for the Ruhr. Leech went on tomeet the Russians at the Elbe Riverand then to relieve the 82ndAirborne as part of the army of occu-pation in Berlin.

After the fighting stopped, Leechwitnessed a simple event thattouched him deeply. It was a columnof trucks descending a hill, all withtheir lights on.

“After all those months of black-outs and fear of attack, that was asight to see,” he says.

Never wounded, Leech was dis-charged from the Army on March,22, 1946, but his wife, Margaret, wasunsure when he would return totheir Pennsylvania home, since theircorrespondence was frequentlydelayed.

“I went around with my hair alldolled up and makeup on for twoweeks,” she recalls. “When he finallyarrived, my hair was up in curlers.”

On that same ChristmasDay of 1944 that Babler was

entering a POW camp in Germany,Ray Leech, Freeport,Ill., was sailing out of aU.S. port on his way toFrance with his unit,the 310th InfantryRegiment, 78thDivision.

“We became replace-ments for soldierskilled in the Battle ofthe Bulge,” recallsLeech.

Before going intocombat, an officer fromPatton’s 3rd Armybriefed the recruits onwhat to expect. He toldthem that, if they couldsurvive the first threedays of fighting, theirchances were good forsurviving a few moremonths.

Leech’s first combatcame on Jan. 29, whenhis anti-tank unit par-ticipated in breechingthe Siegfried Line, thefortifications on theGerman border justsouth of Aachen. Thatwas followed quickly by the battlefor the Rohr River dams on Feb. 5. Itwas there that Allied forces enteredthe Hurtgen Forest to capture thedams before the Germans couldblow them up and flood the FirstArmy below.

“We were often ahead of ourground troops, guarding road junc-tions,” says Leech, “but our AT gunsweren’t very effective against theGerman armor.”

On March 7, much to everyone’ssurprise, elements of the 9thArmored Division captured intact

the Ludendorff railway bridge atRemagen, crossing the last majornatural obstacle to the German inte-rior, the Rhine River. The followingevening, Leech’s battalion becamethe first Allied infantry unit to crossthe Rhine. They were deployed onthe hills east of the river to defendagainst German counterattacks.

Over the next few weeks, theGermans used every possible

weapon todestroy thebridge and pre-vent the Alliesfrom crossing,including divebombers, V-2rockets, frogmen,and huge 540 mmhowitzer gunsthat fired two-tonshells from morethan 20 milesaway.


Left: Leech’s son-in-law, Tom Moll, built this cabinet forLeech’s war memorabilia. (Jon McGinty photo)

Below: Ray Leech recalls his combat service by sharing hisunit history with his wife, Margaret. (Jon McGinty photo)

y

r


Drafted intothe Army in 1943, Harold

Babler, Monticello, Wis., wastrained to be a radio operator/com-pany clerk for the 590th FieldArtillery Btn., 106th Infantry Dvn.His job was to ride in a jeep with theforward observer ahead of his owntroops and call in artillery strikesfrom their 105 mm howitzers ontoenemy positions.

Babler’s unit landed in Le Havre,France, on Nov. 20, 1944. Less thantwo weeks later, they were deployedalong a 21-mile stretch of the frontlines near St. Vith, Belgium, in theArdennes Forest.

“They called it the ‘ghost front’because it was so quiet there,” recallsBabler. “There was no action goingon, so they thought it would be agood place for a ‘green’ unit likeours.”

All that suddenly changed on themisty morning of Dec. 16 when theGermans launched what becameknown as the Battle of the Bulge. The106th was one of the first units to becompletely surrounded by the rapid-ly advancing enemy troops. Afterfour days of intense fighting, manycasualties, and no re-supply or rein-forcements, the division surren-

dered. It was the largest mass sur-render of Allied forces in theEuropean Theater.

“The Germans knocked us about,took our watches and overcoats,everything,” says Babler. “Then theymarched us off to an open fieldwhere we spent the night in freezingweather.”

After another 40-mile march in thesnow, Babler and his fellow prison-ers traveled in railroad boxcars, 60 ormore per car, for five more days and

nights. At one rail yard, their trainwas bombed by Allied planes, killingfour Americans and injuring 11.

Babler arrived in Bad Orb,Germany, on Christmas Day andwas marched into Stalag 9B, alongwith 1,270 other POWs—American,British, Russian and FrenchMoroccan. The 18-year-old wasallowed to send a postcard home to

his family in Bellville,Wis., to let themknow he was alive.There he stayed untilJan. 25, 1945, when hewas moved to anoth-er camp, Stalag 9A,deeper in Germany.

“The Army taughtus how to shoot andfight, but they neverprepared us for life ina POW camp,” saysBabler. “Your life wasno longer your own.

95Northwest Quarterly Spring 2007

Someone else determined how youlived—or died.”

The men were housed in tarpaperbarracks, more than 500 men perbuilding. Each barracks had onlytwo small wood-burning stoves forheat. Prisoners were given only twoarmloads of wood per day to burn,and no blankets. The meager diet ofthin soup, dark bread and ersatz cof-fee caused Babler to drop from 140lbs. to 80 lbs. in four months of cap-tivity. Malnutrition and dysenterywere commonplace.

On Good Friday, March 30,American troops liberated the campafter the Germans abandoned it theday before. By the end of April,Babler was back in the States. Whenhe stood in his first chow line in theUnited States, German prisonerswere handing out the food.

Babler later got married and set-tled in Monticello, Wis., where heand his wife, Wanda, live today.About 20 years ago, he went back toGermany and visited the old camps.Stalag 9B was a children’s summercamp and Stalag 9A was a senior cit-izen retirement home.

“I’m not a hero,” says Babler. “Thereal heroes are the ones that nevercame home, or were wounded forlife. I’m just a survivor.”

Stalag 9A German prison camp, 1944.

Above: Recently liberated POWs at Stalag 9A gather around a3rd Army lieutenant to receive rations and cigarettes.Below Right: Harold Babler was captured by the Germans duringthe Battle of the Bulge and spent four months in captivity.

Jon M

cGint

y pho

toWWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:45 PM Page 4

“We heard those shells whistle justover our heads on their way to thebridge,” remembers Leech. “Theytold us not to lie down on theground, or the concussion couldinjure us. It wasn’t until about fiveyears ago that I could sleep througha thunderstorm.”

The war in Europe ended on May8, while Leech was guarding prison-ers captured earlier during the bat-tles for the Ruhr. Leech went on tomeet the Russians at the Elbe Riverand then to relieve the 82ndAirborne as part of the army of occu-pation in Berlin.

After the fighting stopped, Leechwitnessed a simple event thattouched him deeply. It was a columnof trucks descending a hill, all withtheir lights on.

“After all those months of black-outs and fear of attack, that was asight to see,” he says.

Never wounded, Leech was dis-charged from the Army on March,22, 1946, but his wife, Margaret, wasunsure when he would return totheir Pennsylvania home, since theircorrespondence was frequentlydelayed.

“I went around with my hair alldolled up and makeup on for twoweeks,” she recalls. “When he finallyarrived, my hair was up in curlers.”

On that same ChristmasDay of 1944 that Babler was

entering a POW camp in Germany,Ray Leech, Freeport,Ill., was sailing out of aU.S. port on his way toFrance with his unit,the 310th InfantryRegiment, 78thDivision.

“We became replace-ments for soldierskilled in the Battle ofthe Bulge,” recallsLeech.

Before going intocombat, an officer fromPatton’s 3rd Armybriefed the recruits onwhat to expect. He toldthem that, if they couldsurvive the first threedays of fighting, theirchances were good forsurviving a few moremonths.

Leech’s first combatcame on Jan. 29, whenhis anti-tank unit par-ticipated in breechingthe Siegfried Line, thefortifications on theGerman border justsouth of Aachen. Thatwas followed quickly by the battlefor the Rohr River dams on Feb. 5. Itwas there that Allied forces enteredthe Hurtgen Forest to capture thedams before the Germans couldblow them up and flood the FirstArmy below.

“We were often ahead of ourground troops, guarding road junc-tions,” says Leech, “but our AT gunsweren’t very effective against theGerman armor.”

On March 7, much to everyone’ssurprise, elements of the 9thArmored Division captured intact

the Ludendorff railway bridge atRemagen, crossing the last majornatural obstacle to the German inte-rior, the Rhine River. The followingevening, Leech’s battalion becamethe first Allied infantry unit to crossthe Rhine. They were deployed onthe hills east of the river to defendagainst German counterattacks.

Over the next few weeks, theGermans used every possible

weapon todestroy thebridge and pre-vent the Alliesfrom crossing,including divebombers, V-2rockets, frogmen,and huge 540 mmhowitzer gunsthat fired two-tonshells from morethan 20 milesaway.


Left: Leech’s son-in-law, Tom Moll, built this cabinet forLeech’s war memorabilia. (Jon McGinty photo)

Below: Ray Leech recalls his combat service by sharing hisunit history with his wife, Margaret. (Jon McGinty photo)

y

r

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:45 PM


guns werealways a prob-lem.

“It soundedlike metal hailhitting theplane,” saysArola. “I used toput an extra flakvest under myseat, just to besafe. We also hadgood fighterescorts most ofthe time, some-times from theTuskegee airmenin their red-nosedP-51 planes. Oneof our ships was attacked by the first

jet plane I ever saw, aGerman Me-262.”

On one occasion,Arola recalls, someonestole the parachutesfrom a bomber, proba-bly intending to sell thesilk on the black mar-

ket. To hide the theft,the thief stuffed thepacks with newspapers.When the plane waslater shot down, thecrewmen fell to theirdeaths,

followed by astream of floatingpaper.

Arola was nevershot down, but hewas injured after thewar ended. Invitedto observe a check-ride by a new pilot

When Sulo Arola, Freeport,Ill., was drafted in July, 1943, hisinduction officer gave him some-thing few others received: a choice.Arola chose the Army Air Corps, andby the time he was commissioned inAugust, 1944, he had become atrained bombardier in B-17s, usingthe secret Norden bombsite.

In March of 1945, Arola wasdeployed to Foggia, Italy, as part ofthe 429th Squadron, 2nd bomb

Group, 15th Air Force. From Foggia,he flew frequent missions overnorthern Italy, bombing communica-tions lines, supply depots, railroadmarshalling yards and bridges. Hisplane dropped mostly thousand-pound HE bombs from about 27,000to 30,000 feet up, and flew in forma-tions with hundreds of other aircraft.“Sitting in that Plexiglas nose, I hadthe best view in the airplane,” herecalls.

Because it was late in the war,Arola’s bomber was seldom attackedby fighters, although anti-aircraft

Arola was injured after the war when a student pilot crash-landed their aircraft.

in a B-17, Arola wrenched his backwhile crawling out of the wreckageafter the would-be pilot pancakedthe landing and crushed the landinggear.

Arola was released from activeduty on Jan.1, 1946, but he stayed inthe inactive reserves for eight moreyears. A few years ago, theCommemorative Air Force (CAF)flew a restored B-17 into AlbertusField in Freeport, and Arola went outto take a look at the old bird and toshow it to his youngest son, Gary.

“I was surprised at how small theplane was,” he says.

Arola (R-standing) and his flight crew pose in front of theirB-17G at Foggia in Italy.

Sulo Arola served with the 15thAir Force in Italy as a bombardier

in B-17s. (Jon McGinty photo)

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:46 PM


R i c h a r dHughes, Rockford, Ill.,

enlisted in the Navy inFebruary, 1944, and trained tobecome a quartermaster for LSTs(Landing Ship, Tank). The LST was abig, flat-bottomed ship designed totransport vehicles and troops acrosslong ocean distances and then landthem directly onto a beach.

Hughes left the United States viaNew Orleans later that year with asmall flotilla of other ships. Theyrefueled in Cuba, transited thePanama Canal, and joined the 7thFleet in the New Hebrides 31 dayslater.

Hughes was involved in severalmajor invasions in the Pacific,including New Guinea and thePhilippines. During these inva-sions, his assault ship transportedMarines, soldiers, tanks, jeeps,weapons carriers, surveillance air-planes and other landing craft.

The invasion of Biak off thenorthern coast of New Guinea wasthe first time Hughes was underenemy fire. The invasion wasintended to destroy anti-aircraftguns which the Japanese hid deepin large caves.

“The Marines were using flamethrowers to get at the enemy inthose caves,” he recalls. “We couldsee burning Japanese soldiers run-ning about. I was worried my familymight never see me again.”

An intelligence officer told Hughesthey discovered a cave on Biak thatwas filled with ice skates. Whenasked why they had ice skates in theSouth Pacific near the equator, theJapanese claimed they had been toldthey were on an island off the coastof California. The skates would beuseful after the invasion of theUnited States later that year.

On Oct. 22, 1944, General Douglas“I shall return” MacArthur and theSixth Army invaded Leyte in thePhilippines, and Hughes’ ship wasthere, unloading Marines. The land-ing fleet was attacked by bombersand, for the first time, by Kamikazesuicide planes. Hughes saw severalships blow up, although his escapeddamage.

The second invasion of thePhilippines took place at Luzon onJan. 9, 1945, and Hughes was there aswell. He remembers unloading sev-eral DUKWs, those amphibioustrucks now used to transport touristsaround the Wisconsin Dells. These“ducks” were off-loaded at night,and went on a mission to rescuePOWs from the Japanese camps.

“When the DUKWs hit the wateron their return trip, the POWsbecame frightened they were beingdrowned,” says Hughes. “Severalweaker ones died of heart attacks asa result.”In April, Hughes was on his way

to join the invasion of Okinawawhen his flotilla was hit by atyphoon. Several ships were sunk,and his LST was damaged andforced to return to Subic Bay in thePhilippines for repairs.After the war, Hughes’ ship trans-

ported personnel and supplies tothe occupation forces in Japan.Once while on shore leave, he visit-ed Nagasaki, site of the last atomicbomb explosion in the war.“The devastation was unbeliev-

able,” remembers Hughes. “Therewere wounded people all over. Inever saw anything like it.” �

Richard Hughes was a Navy quartermaster aboard an LSTduring several Pacific invasions.

Hughes’ ship transported troops and supplies whileunder attack by Kamikazes.



guns werealways a prob-lem.

“It soundedlike metal hailhitting theplane,” saysArola. “I used toput an extra flakvest under myseat, just to besafe. We also hadgood fighterescorts most ofthe time, some-times from theTuskegee airmenin their red-nosedP-51 planes. Oneof our ships was attacked by the first

jet plane I ever saw, aGerman Me-262.”

On one occasion,Arola recalls, someonestole the parachutesfrom a bomber, proba-bly intending to sell thesilk on the black mar-

ket. To hide the theft,the thief stuffed thepacks with newspapers.When the plane waslater shot down, thecrewmen fell to theirdeaths,

followed by astream of floatingpaper.

Arola was nevershot down, but hewas injured after thewar ended. Invitedto observe a check-ride by a new pilot

When Sulo Arola, Freeport,Ill., was drafted in July, 1943, hisinduction officer gave him some-thing few others received: a choice.Arola chose the Army Air Corps, andby the time he was commissioned inAugust, 1944, he had become atrained bombardier in B-17s, usingthe secret Norden bombsite.

In March of 1945, Arola wasdeployed to Foggia, Italy, as part ofthe 429th Squadron, 2nd bomb

Group, 15th Air Force. From Foggia,he flew frequent missions overnorthern Italy, bombing communica-tions lines, supply depots, railroadmarshalling yards and bridges. Hisplane dropped mostly thousand-pound HE bombs from about 27,000to 30,000 feet up, and flew in forma-tions with hundreds of other aircraft.“Sitting in that Plexiglas nose, I hadthe best view in the airplane,” herecalls.

Because it was late in the war,Arola’s bomber was seldom attackedby fighters, although anti-aircraft

Arola was injured after the war when a student pilot crash-landed their aircraft.

in a B-17, Arola wrenched his backwhile crawling out of the wreckageafter the would-be pilot pancakedthe landing and crushed the landinggear.

Arola was released from activeduty on Jan.1, 1946, but he stayed inthe inactive reserves for eight moreyears. A few years ago, theCommemorative Air Force (CAF)flew a restored B-17 into AlbertusField in Freeport, and Arola went outto take a look at the old bird and toshow it to his youngest son, Gary.

“I was surprised at how small theplane was,” he says.

Arola (R-standing) and his flight crew pose in front of theirB-17G at Foggia in Italy.

Sulo Arola served with the 15thAir Force in Italy as a bombardier

in B-17s. (Jon McGinty photo)



R i c h a r dHughes, Rockford, Ill.,

enlisted in the Navy inFebruary, 1944, and trained tobecome a quartermaster for LSTs(Landing Ship, Tank). The LST was abig, flat-bottomed ship designed totransport vehicles and troops acrosslong ocean distances and then landthem directly onto a beach.

Hughes left the United States viaNew Orleans later that year with asmall flotilla of other ships. Theyrefueled in Cuba, transited thePanama Canal, and joined the 7thFleet in the New Hebrides 31 dayslater.

Hughes was involved in severalmajor invasions in the Pacific,including New Guinea and thePhilippines. During these inva-sions, his assault ship transportedMarines, soldiers, tanks, jeeps,weapons carriers, surveillance air-planes and other landing craft.

The invasion of Biak off thenorthern coast of New Guinea wasthe first time Hughes was underenemy fire. The invasion wasintended to destroy anti-aircraftguns which the Japanese hid deepin large caves.

“The Marines were using flamethrowers to get at the enemy inthose caves,” he recalls. “We couldsee burning Japanese soldiers run-ning about. I was worried my familymight never see me again.”

An intelligence officer told Hughesthey discovered a cave on Biak thatwas filled with ice skates. Whenasked why they had ice skates in theSouth Pacific near the equator, theJapanese claimed they had been toldthey were on an island off the coastof California. The skates would beuseful after the invasion of theUnited States later that year.

On Oct. 22, 1944, General Douglas“I shall return” MacArthur and theSixth Army invaded Leyte in thePhilippines, and Hughes’ ship wasthere, unloading Marines. The land-ing fleet was attacked by bombersand, for the first time, by Kamikazesuicide planes. Hughes saw severalships blow up, although his escapeddamage.

The second invasion of thePhilippines took place at Luzon onJan. 9, 1945, and Hughes was there aswell. He remembers unloading sev-eral DUKWs, those amphibioustrucks now used to transport touristsaround the Wisconsin Dells. These“ducks” were off-loaded at night,and went on a mission to rescuePOWs from the Japanese camps.

“When the DUKWs hit the wateron their return trip, the POWsbecame frightened they were beingdrowned,” says Hughes. “Severalweaker ones died of heart attacks asa result.”In April, Hughes was on his way

to join the invasion of Okinawawhen his flotilla was hit by atyphoon. Several ships were sunk,and his LST was damaged andforced to return to Subic Bay in thePhilippines for repairs.After the war, Hughes’ ship trans-

ported personnel and supplies tothe occupation forces in Japan.Once while on shore leave, he visit-ed Nagasaki, site of the last atomicbomb explosion in the war.“The devastation was unbeliev-

able,” remembers Hughes. “Therewere wounded people all over. Inever saw anything like it.” �

Richard Hughes was a Navy quartermaster aboard an LSTduring several Pacific invasions.

Hughes’ ship transported troops and supplies whileunder attack by Kamikazes.

WWII 92-99/MemHall100-107 3/12/07 2:46 PM

Reprinted by Permission ofNorthwest Quarterly Magazine

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