Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:58 | Young draftee Al Samsel says he learned important lessons in basic training and it would be good if everyone had to go through it. He thought he would be sent to Europe as a replacement but instead was put on a train for California and the Pacific.
Keywords : Al Samsel Bean Station Tennessee Europe Pacific Ft. Oglethorpe Georgia Camp Blanding Florida Jacksonvillle infantry basic training flare Maryland replacement California Ft. Ord
Seasick? It's as sick as you can get, remembers Al Samsel. His Pacific crossing took him to the Philippines, where he went in with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in his promised "return." They moved through the countryside in a clean up operation against isolated Japanese and nearly became victims of friendly fire.
Like many in the Pacific, Al Samsel was training for the invasion of the Japanese homeland when news came about the atomic bombs. Instead of invading them, he got to know the Japanese people while assigned to post war duty.
It was the Summer of 1946 before Al Samsel came home from the Pacific. He was grateful he had seen some of the world overseas, because it gave him a new appreciation for America. He was also grateful that President Truman didn't need long to look at a horseshoe.
