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Summary:

Interview with William Garbo, landscape architect and Army veteran (112th Cavalry, Texas National Guard), concerning his experiences with G Troop, 112th Cavalry, in the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II. Growing up in an Italian-American family in Mississippi during the Great Depression; volunteering for the draft and processing at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 1943; basic training at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia, 1943; War Dog Training Center, San Carlos, California, October-December, 1943; assignment to the 26th War Dog Platoon, 1944; assignment to New Guinea, 1944; Battle of the Driniumor River and his attachment to elements of the 32nd Infantry Division, 1944; jungle patrols on New Guinea with his dog; his transfer to Troop, 112th Cavalry, and the invasion of Leyte, Philippines, October, 1944; his new duties as a machine-gunner; small unit combat in the Philippines; living conditions in the Philippine jungles; comments about the fighting prowess of his comrades in the 112th Cavalry; comments about replacements; jungle patrols on Leyte and Luzon; the 112th's activities around Marungko and Antipolo, Luzon, 1944-45; descriptions of cannibalism by Japanese soldiers; his wounds from artillery shrapnel and evacuation by helicopter; his return to the 112th Cavalry and preparations for the invasion of Japan; witnessing the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945; occupation duty at Tateyama, Honshu; relations between Japanese civilians and American occupation troops; destruction of Japanese defensive fortifications and weapons on Honshu; his return to the States, December 1945, and mustering out of the service. Appendix consists of a "humorous" certification (one leaf), a patrol report (one leaf), a letter from General Cunningham (two leaves), a Christmas card (one leaf), honorable discharge (two leaves), and photos (eighty-one leaves).

Author/Creator:

Garbo, William, 1924-

Contributors:

Johnston, Glenn

World War II Pacific Theater (Island Hopping) Oral History Project

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Oral history interview with William Garbo, 2003 November 24 [by Garbo, W.]

Related Works:

University of North Texas oral history collection

Related Series:

Oral History; [volume] 1566

Subjects:

Garbo, William, 1924- — Oral history

United States Army — History — World War, 1939-1945 — Oral history

Texas National Guard — History — World War, 1939-1945 — Oral history

Texas National Guard — Cavalry, 112th — Oral history

World War, 1939-1945 — Personal narratives, American — Oral history

World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — New Guinea — Oral history

World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — Philippines — Oral history

Japan — History — Allied occupation, 1945-1952 — Personal narratives — Oral history

Genres:

Oral history — Examples

World War II oral history — Examples

Pacific Theater oral history — Examples

General Notes:

Interview conducted in 2003 for the World War II Pacific Theater (Island Hopping) Oral History Project. Interviewer: Glenn Johnston.

Physical Description:

326 pages, 89 unnumbered leaves : facsimiles ; 29 cm

Call Numbers:

OH 1566

OCLC Numbers:

430964934