Air Force Command,
Aviation Engineering Squadron # 46
Interview by Johnnie Faye Taylor
John is the son of Jeff H. and Leone Cooper Pitts. He graduated from High School in Dodge County. He went to Jr. College at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia on a basketball and baseball scholarship.
When Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941, John was 18 years old and just the right age for being drafted.
In the spring of 1942, one of John's high school friends who had joined the Marines was home on a 10 day leave before going overseas. John and his friend visited together and the conversation soon turned to the war. This brought up the subject of John's possibilities. John felt that he was ready for a change. He didn't seem to have any direction in his life at the time. His friend recommended he join the Marine Corps instead of waiting to be drafted. His friend also recommended that John ask for a school if he did join the Marines. Chances were very good that he could get a school and not have to be in the Fleet Marines which is Line Duty.
John decided to take his friend's advice. He and another high school friend, Guy Evans, went to Macon, Georgia to enlist in the Marines. They were sent to Paris Island, S.C. for Basic Training. The pay was $21.00 per month. This seemed sufficient for a young man raised on a farm and never had been accustomed to having much money in his pocket. Clothing was issued with khakis for summer and woolens for winter.
Basic Training lasted for 13 weeks. Days were long and hard at Paris Island. John was happy to have Guy there with him. They supported each other when the going got tough. There were only 6 people there from Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The other people in his group were from the North. John says it was tough fighting the Civil War all over again. He got along with everybody except the people from Boston. He just couldn't seem to get along with them.
Even though Basic Training was hard, John learned a great deal. He learned to take pride in his appearance. The Marines are strict about the way their men look and the image they portray to the public. Inspections were often and severe. John appreciated the Marine Corps rules and tried to live up to them.
When John finished this training, he left with gratitude for surviving the rough training sessions and also for the feeling of accomplishment. He was no longer a youngster but had indeed become a man. He was proud to be a Marine.
John asked for and received a school. He had always been interested in aircraft, engines and all things mechanical. The AAM School seemed perfect for him.
He went to Quantico, Virginia for about two months before going to Jacksonville for long school. The school in Jacksonville, Florida was an AAM School. It would last for 11 months. John trained to become an aircraft machinist mate.
Another advantage to the school in Jacksonville was the opportunity to go home on weekends. John managed leave for home visits once or twice each month. John's family was still in Dodge County. Also John's high school sweetheart was from Dodge County. Visits home could be coordinated with his girl friend's trips home from college. The courtship continued!
Living conditions while attending the school were great. The barracks were in good shape and the food was good. John felt the Marine Corps was really looking after him well.
At the end of the AAM School, John was qualified for all aspects of aircraft maintenance. His diploma showed him to be fully qualified for all engine work. John's received his orders to report to Cherry Point, North Carolina. Cherry Point had just opened as a new Marine Base.
Upon reaching Cherry Point, John was assigned to AES 46 and was put on permanent personal status. He became a transport section crew chief with 11 men working under his leadership. He did a lot of flying and received flight pay for those trips. Many pilots were being trained. One of John's jobs was to sit between the pilot and co-pilot on the training flights to be sure that the instrument panel was working properly. He enjoyed knowing he had the ability to fix planes to make them safe for flights.
There were many close calls during these pilot training flights. Pilot training included a lot of touch and go landings. Sometimes the plane landed more than once on what was supposed to be one landing. There were several close calls while training green (new) pilots to fly. Many of the flights were of 6-8 hours duration. Once there was a plane crash shortly after take-off. John had been scheduled to make the flight but plans were changed at the last minute. Again, John was thankful to God for taking care of him. He later visited one of the plane's crew who was burned badly during the crash.
It was a long way from Cherry Point, N.C. to Dodge County, Georgia. John missed seeing his girlfriend. There was no money for phones in many of the Dodge County homes including his girlfriend's. The U.S. Mail was just not the best way for John and the love of his life to court. It was decided that marriage was the solution. They could be together finally.
Minnie Woodard traveled to Cherry Point. John and Minnie were married in February, 1943 in New Bern, N.C. They began what was to become a long and happy marriage.
Minnie and John lived in Cherry Point. John now had a home to come to after duty hours each day. Minnie's college prepared her for a teaching career. With John's pay increasing with his responsibilities and Minnie's salary teaching, the young couple were doing well.
However, changes were coming. After about 2 years at Cherry Point, John and Minnie became parents when their daughter, Katrina, was born. It was necessary for Minnie and Katrina to be at her parents' home during this time.
It was just as well his family had gone to Georgia, John got his orders to go overseas about that time. He reported in to San Diego, California to await further overseas orders. While in San Diego for maybe two months, they did some different types of duty. They did some guard duty. Mostly they were just kept busy with drills, marches, inspections and other activities to keep their minds occupied so they would not think too much about home or where they were going.
Departure date for overseas was set. Their first stop was the Philippine Islands. They pitched their tents out in the jungle while there. John remembers the mosquitoes, monkeys and lots of other insects and animals that became pests and/or neighbors to the U.S. Marines. Some Japanese were on the island at that time. They had to be very careful of their movements. Also they were warned to be careful what they ate and drank. Necessarily, John's group remained close to camp.
The next stop for John was Bouganville Island in the South Pacific. They were there about 90 days camping out with the Australians.
More orders came through and a Liberty ship was sent to transport them to Singtow, China. The Liberty Ship carried 500-800 Marines through the islands en route to the North China Sea. Living conditions on the ship were pretty bad. John remembers the Captain working the sailors very hard. There was lots of seasickness among the men on board ship. Sailors were busy swabbing the decks to keep them clean. John felt sorry for the sailors.
En Route through the islands, they were shot at several times. They received no damage. Also while en route, the Captain announced that the United States had bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The results were that the Japanese had surrendered. Some of the Japanese on the islands obviously had not received word because the firing continued from some of the less inhabited islands. It took about 45-50 days to get from Bouganville to Singtow, China.
Minesweepers were sent out to meet the ship as it neared Singtow. They were needed to clear the way. As they neared the bay, they were met with the most awful odor and the sight of hundreds of dead Chinese that had been killed by the Japanese. The Marines disembarked at Singtow and were again shocked as they got to their new quarters. They were housed in old Japanese barracks. There was no plumbing. It was winter and very cold.
They lived in close quarters under really bad conditions. It was a trial getting along with each other. Though they tried to respect and get along, it was not always easy.
Many of the orphan children hung around the barracks and mess hall. Finally a guard had to be posted around the mess kitchen to keep the children from stealing food.
On the occasional trips into the city of Singtow, children approached the Marines and said "money, money, Joe". This seemed to be the only English they could speak. The children didn't appear to have much to live for.
The Marines were warned of bad food and drink when away from the barracks. Especially they were told not to drink Russian Vodka because it was poisonous.
John's group was assigned guard duty. It seemed as if their mission there was solely to protect the United States interests in the area.
After about 4 or 5 months in Singtow, John had enough points for a discharge. At that time, the government used a point syustem to determine who was discharged and who they kept. Some men had to stay in service for as long as 8 years. John was given 12 points for his daughter. All in all, he had about 4 years in the Marines and was ready to go home to his wife and daughter. Some of the troops didn't like the point system but it worked well for John.
John was put on a troop transport ship going to San Diego, California. En Route, he received a cablegram saying his mother was seriously ill and he needed to be at home. The ship's chaplain told John to ask his C.O. in San Diego for leave and it would be granted. Upon arrival in San Diego, John did as he was told but it didn't work. He was denied leave until he completed the approximately 10 days of processing. Among the things he had to do in San Diego was turn in all his overseas gear.
During this time, John was very concerned about his mother. With no phones at home, he could not call to ask about her condition. He was also anxious to get back to see Minnie and Katrina.
From San Diego, John was sent back to Cherry Point, North Carolina. Then he got 10 days leave to go home. His mother's health had improved. After his leave, he returned to Cherry Point. He was offered the opportunity to re-enlist but he was not interested.
John was given an Honorable Discharge on March 21, 1946. He is very proud of his Marine Corps experience. He continues to have a lot of respect for his friend who gave him advice on the Marines and helped shape the direction he should take once in the Marines.
John went back to Dodge County and went to work for J.C. Lowery who owned several businesses. He worked for him a few months.
On January 1, 1947, with the assistance of Mr. Lowery, John moved his family to Dublin. They moved into a 4 room apartment on Gaines Street in the location where Pitts Pontiac and Buick is now located. The Pitts family lived there for a year or two.
John opened a small car lot on Jefferson Street. He later moved his business to the corner of Gaines and Roosevelt Streets. The business prospered.
His mother, who had been so ill and caused John so much concern in late winter and early spring of 1946, lived for about 15 more years. She was able to see her son become a successful businessman.
John and Minnie Pitts joined the fellowship of Jefferson Street Baptist Church when they moved to Dublin. They remained members there through the births of two more children who were both boys. The children grew up and got married while members there.
John and Minnie are now active members of First Baptist Church. They are also members of the Townsend Sunday School Class there.
Even though in John's Marine Corps experience there were many ups, downs and trials, he is extremely proud of his service to his country. He is appreciative of the knowledge gained during that time. John believes all young people would be better off in life if they spent 2-4 years serving their country.
No comments:
Post a Comment