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TIMELINE FOR CHUCK'S MILITARY SERVICE
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Feb. 1942 Charles goes to Sitka, Alaska and works for the Siems Drake Puget Sound Company, a civilian contractor in Alaska for WWII military construction. Enroute to Alaska, he stops in Seattle and joins the Steamfitters Union.
June 16, 1942 Charles receives a notice from the local Skagit County draft board that after taking his case up with their head office it was their decision that Charles' Induction should be next in order and would take place during the first part of July, 1942.
July 30, 1942 Charles is at Camp Callan, Calif. at what is now Torrey Pines Golf Course. His rank is Private. He is in telephone technician's school, in an anti-aircraft training unit.
October 2, 1942 Charles has been sent to Los Angeles for a 9 weeks course at the "National Schools" for special training in electricity. He is billeted at Casa de Rosas Inn, 2608 South Hoover St., Los Angeles, Calif. near the University of Southern Calif. Charles is now drawing a sergeant's pay but he will not get any increase in rank as long as he is in this school.
November 15, 1942the 475th Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft) (Automatic Weapons) was activated at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts.
Nov. 24, 1942 Charles receives his diploma in Electrical Engineering. He came through the course with about a 79 average.
For the class the average was 73.From Sedro-Woolley Courier-Times newspaper. ca. November, 1942 (Clipping from Jody Dameron)
Dec. 1, 1942 Charles was in New Orleans, enroute to his next post at Camp Davis, N. Carolina for six weeks more training.
Dec. 2, 1942 Charles is in Atlanta, Georgia, enroute to his next post in N. Carolina.
Dec. 8, 1942 Charles is at Camp Davis, N.C. He is now a Corporal in the E Battery Enlisted Div., Anti Aircraft School. He spends the next six weeks there in training.
Jan. 15, 1943 Charles completes his training at Camp Davis.
Feb 2xx- 1943 Charles stops in Washington, D.C. enroute to Boston and his next assignment at Camp Edwards, Mass. He is in Battery B 475th Battalion CA (A.A.)
Mar 24, 1943 Charles is still in training at Camp Edwards. He has been promoted to Staff Sergeant.
April 22, 1943Charles received his first furlough and went home to visit his parents in Sedro-Woolley, WA. His leave was cut short so he did not visit his other relatives.
April 30, 1943 The 475th Battalion was reorganized and redesignated as the 475th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Semi mobile).
May 3, 1943 Charles has spent the last 18 days on maneuvers: sleeping in pup tents, going without showers, wearing same clothes night and day, etc. He spent Easter in Boston and visited with Alice Pressentin in New Jersey enroute back to Camp Edwards.
May 17, 1943 Charles' captain talked him out of going to Officers training school. Charles says he was reluctant to leave the group he is with, now that he is a Staff Sergeant.
June 10, 1943 Charles is assigned to Fort Dix, near Trenton, NJ. He has been on field maneuvers all over New Jersey, including Atlantic City and around Philadelphia. He is now attached to the 4th Division 13th Corp which Charles says is President Roosevelt's pet outfit. It has about 14,000 picked men. Charles goes to New York City on leave, riding the subway, at the Astor House to see Harry James, and goes to the show at the Stage Door Canteen.
July 17, 1943 Charles expects that his unit will ship out soon. He's been issued all new clothing, even a wrist watch. He is proud of the new carbine 30 caliber semi-automatic rifle he was issued. He took it out on the rifle range and made expert with it. He received an efficiency and good conduct ribbon from the War Dept. Only three in his outfit made this honor.
Charles took out $10,000 insurance with his parents as beneficiaries. He had formal portraits taken and sent to his parents.
Aug. 8, 1943 Charles is still at Ft. Dix, and finding the waiting for departure tedious. Apparently he had some leave and went into New York City, staying at the famous Hotel Algonquin.
October 1, 1943 The 475th Battalion departed San Francisco Port of Embarkation for overseas service.
October 4, 1943 Charles sends Pauline a "V Letter" from aboard a troop ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean . He makes no reference to where he is going. He does comment that it would be "funny" if he ran into Fred Chatterton, his sister, Caroline's, fiancé. Fred was in the U.S. Army, and at Pearl Harbor during the Dec. 7 attack by the Japanese. Fred later was in many of the battles of the South Pacific, from Tarawa to Iwo Jima , [Fred and Caroline married March 18, 1944 in Bremerton , WA .]
October 21, 1943 The Battalion arrived on Guadalcanal in the southern Solomon Islands .Charles says he was on New Caledonia and Espirito Santos (now Vanuatu) at this time.
Dec. 5, 1943 Charles writes that he has been busy organizing his work at a new base. (Probably Guadalcanal) [Charles' APO number (709) was used for mail from Guadalcanal, Guam and the Solomon Islands.]
Maps of New Caledonia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_New_Caledonia
James Michener was also at Espirito Santos and wrote his Pulitzer-prize winning book, Tales of the South Pacific (in 1946) about his experiences there during WW II. The stories were based on observations and anecdotes he acquired while stationed as a lieutenant commander in the US Navy on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands (now known as Vanuatu ).
Dec. 18, 1943 Charles asks his sister, Pauline, to make contact with a young war widow "Lucille" who lives in Portland with her infant daughter. He met Lucille and her parents while in training in San Diego at Camp Callan.
Jan. 4, 1944 Charles is still under APO 709. He reports that he has moved into a new "permanent" home—a tent built up off the ground, with front and back porch and screening walls to keep out the mosquitoes.
Feb. 7, 1944 Charles is still apparently at the same base, and says his work is "routine." He encloses a money order with this letter, and asks Al or Pauline Kemmerich to buy a Valentine floral arrangement for Lucille and have it delivered.
Feb. 21, 1944 Charles writes that he has "been doing a little bit of everything: carpentering, plumbing, cement work and now every other evening I run a movie projector and put on a show for our outfit. I'm getting to be a jack of all trades."
Mar. 25, 1944 Charles is promoted to First Sergeant. Charles turned 30 years old on Mar. 4.
April 23, 1944 Charles learns that two of his sisters have married. Caroline married Frederick Chatterton on March 18 in Bremerton , WA . Erma married Marion ("Flash") Follett on April 7 in Bremerton , WA . He also learns that another sister's husband, "Poly" Dameron, who is serving with the U.S. Army Engineers in Europe has been promoted to T/Sergeant.
July 6, 1944 Charles writes that the first white women have arrived on "the island." They are Red Cross girls. Arrangements were made for five of them to come down for an evening of dinner, games and dancing. "Everyone had a wonderful time. Guess you can see how the fellows appreciated a chance to talk and dance with a girl after 10 months of bachelorhood." His APO is still 709
Aug. 16, 1944 Charles writes that Lucy is now a ticket agent for United Airlines at the Portland , OR airport. He notes "It's been 26 months now that I've been away from home. From the looks of things now maybe another year will see everything wound up. Never thought when I was inducted that it was going to be such a hunk out of my life. Oh! Well it's quite an experience."
Sept. 23, 1944 Chuck writes: "I'm tired of being a mosquito commando. I'm not bucking for a Purple Heart but I certainly want one chance at those yellow bastards before this mess is over. I've got to have some satisfaction for 2 ½ years of this Army life."
No letters between Nov. 10, 1944 and March 2, 1945
Mar. 2, 1945 Charles adds " New Guinea" to the dateline on his letter. His APO no. is for Finschhafen, New Guinea. His Battallion is now probably in training for the planned assault on Japan.Charles notes that one of his Army buddies has a sister married to Earl Snell, who was Governor of Oregon from 1943 to 1947 when he was killed in a plane accident.
July 1945 The month of July 1945 saw the final preparations of the units to be used in the assault on the Japanese home islands.
July 13, 1945The 475th AAA AW Bn A/T was assigned the mission of supporting a reinforced regimental combat team that would precede the initial landing in Japan.
July 14 , 1945 After service in New Guinea, the 475th Battalion moved to the Philippine Islands.
August 14, 1945 President Truman announced that Japan had surrendered. All combat training for Charles' Battalion was ended.
Sept. 10, 1945In a letter to Charles' sister, Louise Ledbetter, he writes: "Our outfit was attached to the 6th Army and we were scheduled to make an airborne invasion on Japan on D-3. We were going in as guinea pigs to draw the Japs into a trap. We were told our casualties would be as high as 60%. The big show wasn't to start until three days after we landed." Charles adds: "Yes I'm only 2 ½ hours' drive from Baguio. I'm 48 miles north of San Fernando and our camp is set right on the ocean which is the China Sea by the way. Get a map and look at the N.W. coast of Luzon."
September 13, 1945 The 475th Battalion relieved the 32nd Division in the vicinity of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, to arrange the surrender and processing of all Japanese troops in that area. The Battalion established outposts near Ibung, and Prisoner of War Stockades at Kiangan, Solano and Aritao and Headquarters at Bayombong.
Army outposts were set up in the mountainous terrain where reports showed the largest concentration of Japanese forces. At the outposts, the Japanese gave up all ammunition and automatic weapons. Later when they reached the Battery Headquarters they surrendered their side arms and were interrogated and searched. Then, they were transported by truck to the various stockades, tagged with name, rank and serial number, further searched and interrogated and then sent to the main prisoner of war camp at San Jose, fifty miles south.
Sept. 17, 1945 Charles says he is in the interior of Luzon. He writes: My job is to disarm, process and intern approx. 16,000 Japs that are still in this area.
September 27, 1945 19,274 Japanese Army and Navy personnel and civilians had surrendered to the 475th Battalion. Among the prisoners were many from the "Who's Who" of Japanese General Officers. Charles' APO no. is 198, listed as being for the Philippines.
Sept. 27, 1945 Charles writes: "Well the 475th finally made the front page. The paper says 11,485 but to date we've handled over 23,000 Jap prisoners."
[The Daily Pacifican, the Army Newspaper. Wednesday, Sept. 26, 1945]
The headline in the Pacifican: "No Allied PW's Being Recovered In Luzon Round-up."
Charles also reports that he saw Elwin "Poly" Dameron, husband of Charles' sister, Mildred two weeks ago. Poly is at San Fernada, 190 miles south on Luzon.
October 5, 1945 The Battalion moved back to its bivouac area on the shores of Linguayan Gulf.
Nov. 21, 1945The last letter from Charles. He is pessimistic about getting home before Jan. 15.
Nov. 28, 1945 Charles sends a satirical "form letter" to Pauline, with advice to civilians on the treatment of returning soldiers. At the bottom Charles adds: "Leaving tomorrow. I may see you by Xmas."
Dec. 11, 1945 In letters to their daughter, Pauline Kemmerich, Charles and Jessie Pressentin say that "Charles should be able to make it here by Xmas. He was to have boarded a ship about the 7th of Dec. We think he is on the water and should be close to Pearl Harbor by this time. He was transferred to a Tank Battalion headed for home."
January 9, 1946 The remainder of Charles' Battalion returned from overseas service and arrived at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation.
January 11, 1946 The 475th Battalion was inactivated at Camp Stoneman, near Pittsburgh , Calif.
From a website with information on the movements of Chuck's Battallion during World War II:
Re: Philippines 475th AAAWB Battery A
Constituted 3 November 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 475th Coast Artillery Battalion (Antiaircraft) (Automatic Weapons) and activated 15 November 1942 at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts.
Reorganized and redesignated 30 April 1943 as the 475th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Semimobile).
Departed San Francisco Port of Embarkation 1 October 1943 for overseas service and arrived on Guadalcanal on 21 October 1943 .
After service in New Guinea, moved to the Philippine Islands on 14 July 1945 .
Returned from overseas service and arrived at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation on 9 January 1946. Inactivated 11 January 1946 at Camp Stoneman, California .
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