Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
3:48 | Eugene McPherson grew up in West Virginia, and before he knew it he was drafted into the army for World War II. He was first sent to Camp Barkeley for basic training, and since the army had a high demand for medical crew he was sent to Fort Thomas for medical training. After that, he had been shipped overseas to London and then finally stationed in France. (This interview made possible with the support of MAJOR GENERAL LARRY TAYLOR, USMC (RET).)
Keywords : Eugene McPherson World War II medical training Camp Barkeley Texas aid station London England drafted Fort Thomas Kentucky training infantry Camp Reynolds Pennsylvania Parkersburg WV New York Queen Mary Winston Churchill Glasgow Scotland English Channel Paris France Omaha Beach
During his time serving in WWII, Eugene McPherson worked in an aid station in France helping to get wounded soldiers off the battlefield. From there, they would be transported to the appropriate center to get them the treatment they needed. Unfortunately, there were a few close calls where McPherson almost got hit during evacuation missions. (This interview made possible with the support of MAJOR GENERAL LARRY TAYLOR, USMC (RET).)
While overseas, McPherson only remembers two casualties that were from his company, which he documents for us here; one of which was a very tragic freak-accident. He remembers where he was when the war ended, and that he only had a sum of 36 points. In order to go back home, he would have to do a lot more jobs in Europe to get his points high enough. One of those jobs was driving ambulances to and from different stations and hospitals. (This interview made possible with the support of MAJOR GENERAL LARRY TAYLOR, USMC (RET).)
After finally earning enough points to go home, McPherson was able to catch a ride to France to be shipped back to the states. While excited to see his family again, he remembers being very seasick the entire boat ride home. When they approached New York, he was one of the first ones let off because of his seasickness. (This interview made possible with the support of MAJOR GENERAL LARRY TAYLOR, USMC (RET).)
