Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:15 | What do they do at Parris Island? Harry Kone can tell you because he went there for basic training after Pearl Harbor. His training continued on board ship in the Pacific. Then he got acquainted with giant mosquitoes.
Keywords : Harry Kone Parris Island basic training Pago Pago mosquitoes Malaria Guadalcanal
Growing up in Baltimore, Harry Kone used to hang around the docks watching the cargo ships unload. No one from shore was ever allowed on ships from one particular country. When he went off to college and heard the news about Pearl Harbor, he and his friends began to wonder. What are we going to do?
On Guadalcanal, you could tell by the sound of the engine whether it was a Zero or a Betty Bomber. Harry Kone learned to tell the difference while trying to get out of the rain. There was never a mystery about one thing, what was for breakfast.
The Japanese on Guadalcanal were aggressive but US Marines persevered and sealed the victory. Harry Kone was relieved when it was over but was forced into a series of hospitals because of an injury. He headed for home on a ship full of wounded men.
Wounded Marine Harry Kone went to his bunk when he arrived at a California hospital and found a book sitting there that would have a profound effect on his life. That book helped give him strength to get through his war injury and to get through the next crisis.
Harry Kone says each generation should do the best that they can. He sure did on Guadalcanal but he hopes some later generation will find a way to avoid war. He relates what he found out while hiding beneath Japanese planes.
