We've heard civilian stories about where people were and what they were
doing when they heard the news about Pearl Harbor.
My mom said she was at home reading a book by the kitchen radiator and her
sister Patsy was in the living room teaching their brother Frannie to jitterbug when
the news came over the radio that Sunday afternoon.
What was happening at the Army Camps & bases around the country?
My Dad had just arrived back to Camp Edwards with the 181st IR and was
preparing to muster out on Dec 8th. When I asked him about hearing the
Japs had bombed Pearl, he'd only say: "I was in for the duration." That
was all I could get out of him about it, no emotion, but it must've been devastating
to realize that you weren't going home, you were going to war.
There are no entries in Dad's 1941 diary after Dec7th. I wondered what was going on in
Camp Edwards & other Camps/Forts around the country. Never having been taught WW2 history, I think most of us just assumed that Pearl Harbor happened and then we went
off to war. Not quite.
Infantry regiments were detached & reassigned to other
divisions etc. I read somewhere that there was only one unit left of the original 26th ID
in Camp Edwards - a military police company. I believe that company was my Dad's.
He writes in his diary that he was inspected by the 39th and later that he was transfered
to the "39th MP", but I can't find anything about that unit.
Here are some excerpts from his '42 diary:
Jan 12TH: issued new gas masks at Logan Field. Some boys still on furlough.
14th: our Company has guard
15th: 15 fellows left our company to go to the 182nd
16th: Flying column again (this must be some kind of military maneuvar)
18th: last day for visitors of the 182nd
19th: Al & Fred went to the 182nd to say goodbye to Jackie Pierce & McGeever before
they pullout
20th: 182nd moves out
21st: check on equipment
23rd: Loaded trucks on trains
24th: our company has guard
31st: went home on Cutler's pass
In february, my father was picked for a special drill team to go to Canada for a "goodwill"
trip and exhibition. Dad was proud to have been selected as a "model soldier". Feb 42 he
was inspected by VI ARmy Corps. While he was in Canada, his brother Joe was in a very
bad automobile accident & almost lost his eye.
Feb 3rd: yellow fever injections
9th: group picked for Canada
10th: drill all day
11th: new equipment
12th: Inspected by SIXTH ARMY CORPS
13th: Inspected by General Eckfeldt
14th: TRip to Canada. Joe's accident
15th: arrive in Montreal. 5 mile parade. show revue in auditorium at night.
101st moves out at 10:30 for Toronto.
16th exhibition in arena
17th: left for Ottawa. Parade to Parliament. Heard PM McKenzie King speak
18th: Ash Wednesday, back to Montreal
19th: left for Quebec, dinner on the train. Parade in afternoon
20th: left Quebec for tHree Rivers, Parade afternoon & night.
21st: Went skiing in Three Rivers. Back to Montreal for Hockey Game Canadians VS
Black Hawks.
22nd: left Montreal for Camp Edwards at 7:30pm. Blizzard!
I want to add that the 182nd infantry regiment was reassigned after
Pearl Harbor to Task Force 6814 on 1/14/1942 & was sent to Australia
& then on 3/16/1942 to New Caledonia. They were then reassigned to the
Americal division and landed on Guadalcanal on 11/12/1942. Dad notes
in his diary on 12/19 that "Bart Connelly was killed in action" and I wonder
if this was one of his buddies from the 182nd.
M2