WORLD WAR II: Walter Franckowiak's Story
As Told To Dorlan Franckowiak Wendling
On March 13, 1943, five months after my nineteenth birthday, I
was inducted into the armed forces. At this time, we were engaged in World War
II. We were fighting the Japanese in the southwest Pacific and the Germans in
Italy, France and Europe.
As a group from Chicago, we were taken to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, which was the
induction center for most of the Midwestern states, such as Wisconsin, Michigan
and Illinois. Here, we were put on active duty. We were given Army clothes, a
G.I. haircut (a crew cut) and interviewed as to our education and job skills.
From Fort Sheridan, we went by troop train to Atlantic City, New Jersey for our
basic training. All troop movements were by train and usually at night. In
Atlantic City, we learned how to march and how to handle a weapon. We would
march on the famous boardwalk alongside the Atlantic Ocean. We would do
calisthenics on the beach and, at this time, all the big hotels were taken over
by the U.S. Army.
After basic training, a large group of us from the Midwest were sent to an Army
administration school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Here we attended classes at
Mississippi State College. We lived in the dormitories and did our daily
calisthenics in the football stadium.
Upon graduation from administration school, we again went by troop train to
Kearns, Utah. This was the base for overseas training. Here we were taught how
to fire a rifle and how to use a bayonet. Here we drilled daily to get in top
shape. After four weeks, we were sent to San Francisco, California for shipment
overseas.
While awaiting our turn to go overseas, we stayed on Angel Island. This was a
small island off the coast of California. Here, we took daily hikes around the
island to stay in shape. From our island, we were able to see boatloads of
sailors heading for Treasure Island, which was a base for the U.S. Navy. We were
also able to see Alcatraz Island, which was a famous federal prison.
When we were ready to ship out, we boarded a troop ship similar to the one we
returned from overseas in. These troop ships were converted luxury liners, able
to hold a large group of troops. We left port at night and, once we were away
from the coast and in the Pacific Ocean, the ship would change its course every
so often to avoid being hit by a torpedo from a submarine.
After about seven days, we landed in Melbourne, Australia. Then, from there by
train, we went to Sydney, Australia. Australia was a great country with a lot of
open space. We could see the kangaroos jumping around. Australia was also famous
for having a lot of steak. We had steak twice a day and, whenever in town, the
famous breakfast was steak and eggs.
From here, we were flown across the Coral Sea to New Guinea. At one time, New
Guinea was nothing but jungles. You had to marvel at how our engineers cut into
mountains and cut down jungles to make camps and roads for our troops.
I was now assigned to a signal battalion, attached to the Fifth Air Force. Our
signal battalion was in charge of all the codes and signals used by our
airplanes, as well as the ground forces. We had secret codes so our pilots and
headquarters could contact each other without letting the Japanese know where we
were or what we were doing. The codes had to be changed every so often to
confuse the enemy.
As our troops advanced against the Japanese, we kept on the move. From New
Guinea, we went to the Bismark Islands and from there, we were going to go on a
very big mission.
The Philippine Islands were occupied by the Japanese since the beginning of the
war. Imagine my surprise to find out we were going to invade the Philippine
Islands!
We were to rendezvous with General Douglas MacArthur's forces in Halloudia. We
once again boarded a troop ship and headed for the Philippines.
We landed two days after the infantry of General Douglas MacArthur. Since we did
not have any place to start a headquarter, we worked with the engineers to build
an airstrip. Our engineers worked 24 hours a day to build the strip. All day and
all night we could hear the gunfire of the battles going on. Whenever there was
an air raid, we were allowed to run for cover, but the engineers kept right on
working.
We saw many Japanese planes shot down. Whenever a plane was hit by our
anti-aircraft, they would head for the harbor and try to crash into one of our
ships. We were under constant attack.
I must tell you that while we were here, our Navy fought the famous Battle of
the Midway Sea, in which the U.S. Task Force defeated the Japanese Navy. If it
were not for our Navy coming out victorious, all of us on this island would not
have been alive today.
As it was, by building this temporary airstrip, we saved many planes and pilots
because our Navy planes from carriers that were damaged or sunk had to land on
our strip. As our Army kept pushing the Japanese back, we followed right behind.
We eventually came to Clark Field, which was a big Air Force Base near Manila.
After we took all the Philippine Islands from the Japanese, we started preparing
to invade Japan. So, from Clark Field, our unit went to the Schouten Islands.
At this point, I had been in the service thirty months, twenty-four of which
were overseas, and I had not been home since I left in March of 1943. So I asked
for a furlough to go home. By agreeing to come back to serve another year
overseas, I was granted a thirty-day furlough.
As I was on my way home, the Japanese surrendered and the war was over. At this
point, the system was changed and anyone who had enough points could be
discharged. Since I had two years overseas, plus points for all the various
campaigns, I did not have to go back. We came home once again in a troop ship.
We landed in Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Washington.
At the time I was overseas, two of my brothers were also in the service. My
oldest brother, Edward, was killed in the invasion of Europe, while my younger
brother, Joseph, was a gunner on B-29's for the Air Force, stationed in
Guam in the southwest Pacific.
During my time of service, I received three promotions and came back a staff
sergeant in the Fifth Air Force. After a great big victory dance in Fort Lewis,
we went by troop train back to Fort Sheridan. I was sent home for ten days and
then returned to Fort Sheridan to be separated from the service.
I was discharged on October 12, 1945. That was two weeks before my 22nd
birthday. It was a great experience serving our country. We did get to see most
of the United States, as well as many foreign countries. there had been many
times during those twenty four months overseas I did not think I would ever make
it back to the States. By the grace of God, I did return.