12 - The End of the War

The Americal had started from Australia, New Zealand, New Caladonia where it got its name. (Americal) Americans on New Caladonia. No number, it was castoffs from the old Army square division when they reorganized into the triangular division. The 164^th was from the 37^th, the 182^nd was the oldest regiment in the US Army dating back to Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War. They the originals had defended Bunker Hill at the start against the British. The 132^nd was from Chicago. The field artillery was the 245^th, 246^th , 247^th ect. All cast offs and was made inot a new division for the island hopping to Japan. The 164^th was sent to reinforce the Marines on the canal (Guadalcanal). The marines didn’t think much of the army so gave them a quiet section of the line around Henderson Field. Well the Japs thought that well here was green troops and we will just overun them and take back the airstrip. The 164^th did so well defending their sector the marines issued the Army a citation commending them and in effect they were good enough to be Marines. An old marine from the canal told me this in San Diego a couple of years later when he saw my division patch and asked me what outfit I was with.

When the war ended we were getting ready to go to Japan. One day the war was proceeding and the atom bomb was dropped. They the (Armed Forces Radio) said the Air Force had dropped one bomb that had destroyed a whole city. President Truman said quit now. Well they dropped the next one and the war was over. When the troops heard the news they started firing their guns and it was worth your life to stand up and walk around outside. After what seemed like forever they got them to stop. Now they had to convince the Jap’s it was over. They printed leaflets and used loudspeakers, had Japanese radio broadcasts and told them that the formal surrender would take place at a appointed time.

They were to march in lay down their arms and be sent back to Japan.. They must have had doubts as they had troops coming out of the jungle forty years later. Japanese troops had never in their history every given up their arms. Well on the appointed day they (most of them) with their officers marched in, in uniform with their arms, rifles, mortars, machine guns, and swords. All officers and NCO’s had sabers as a badge of office. It was some sight as it looked like they had us outnumbered.