Pat C. (Julius) Kissel, U.S. Army

My WWII Experiences

I received a greeting from my rich uncle to report for a physical on October 9, 1941. I was classified as 1A and shipped to Ft. Sill, OK. There I was offered the opportunity to join regular Army Air Force. I did and was shipped to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX.

A couple of years were spent there, and then I was off to Kearns, UT for overseas. We went up through Canada by train and Tounton, Mass. and on to Boston Harbor to go to England. We joined a large convoy for Europe and landed in Liverpool, England. Then we went by train to Maidenhead. There I worked in the war room until D Day.

I was assigned to landing craft for D Day but was called off to help clear the camp at Maidenhead.

Then I flew to Omaha Beach to join the 8th Air Force, 1st Engineering Brigade. There were 18 of us in all. The first wave came on the first night on Omaha Beach. The container for the scatter bombs hit within the trees above us.

I don’t remember the name of the next stop, but it was a chateau between Omaha and Paris. Then we went to Paris for 45 days, living in an abandoned German general’s quarters. From Paris we went to a hunting lodge in Luxemburg. From there went to Leige, Belgium, then to Spa, Belgium where we lived in a nice lodge. The spa was a resort like Hot Springs, AR.

In Spa, a second wave. As I was leaving our telegraph machine in an underground garage, a terribly loud popping occurred. If the door would have been on the right side, lights out!

After the bulge, we moved to Dormagen, Germany on the Rhine. We were shelled there but called in the Air Force. A squadron of P51’s let go of everything right above our heads. No more shelling!

V.E. Day. It seems as if my number was needed in the Pacific. So I went to Marsailles, France on a troop ship (no escort) in 52 days. Later stopped at Guadalcanal. After passing through the Panama Canal and initiation to Neptunas Rex Crossing the Equator.

The Pacific war ended half way to the Philippines. We tied up to a sunken ship in Manila Bay. Then we loaded on to flatcars (40 x 8) to Lingayen Gulf.

My records finally arrived from Europe with more than twice the points needed for discharge. I was discharged honorably on December 7, 1945.

My medals are as follows:
American Defense Medal
American Theatre Campaign
European Campaign w/5 battle stars
Asia Pacific Theatre
Philippines Liberation
Good Conduct w/knotted oak
Victory Ribbon

Mission accomplished!