Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:01 | John Mahmarian was a pre-med student when the attack on Pearl Harbor sent shock waves through the nation. He entered a Navy program that would allow him to finish school and then receive a commission. The naval training he received then was unlike any schooling he had ever encountered.
Keywords : John Mahmarian University of Georgia (UGA) West Hoboken NJ pre-med Northwestern University
When John Mahmarian joined the crew of LCI-500, he'd never so much as stood a watch. He got plenty of practice in the convoy that dodged German subs during the Atlantic crossing. After dealing with some ungrateful British soldiers in a pub, the Yanks got down to business, training for the coming invasion of Normandy.
About a week before D-Day, the skipper went to a meeting and came back with a thick notebook detailing the plans for the fleet of LCI's. John Mahmarian was the Executive Officer of LCI-500 and he and his captain were very careful to safeguard the secrets in the book.
LCI-500 delivered a company of British commandos to the Normandy beachhead flawlessly. John Mahmarian was sickened, though, when he noticed bodies floating around the ship. As the ship was backing off from the beach, he had to post a man back at the propellers to perform a grim task.
After D-Day, the ship was full of holes so John Mahmarian spent some time in a British dry dock while it was repaired. Then he made 25 trips back and forth delivering personnel to join the growing foothold the Allies had made. His most dangerous encounter was an episode of friendly fire, though he was almost shot by an ungrateful German pilot he plucked out of the English Channel.
The Allies were pushing across France and the American landing craft were being turned over to the British. John Mahmarian went back to the States for leave, then joined the crew of an LCI heading for the Pacific. He became the skipper of his ship as the war was ending.
It took John Mahmarian quite a while to get home from the Pacific because he was afraid to fly. Then, when he got to San Francisco, he opted for a train instead of a plane to complete the journey. You can guess what happened to the train. He decided against the medical career he had intended and joined his father's business.
