In High School I took a vocational class in Printing. I learned how to set type on a Linotype Machine. It was a high paying blue collar job, and I became good at it. Much later I would become an owner in a type setting company.
There were veterans from WWII working in my company that I came to admire and trust. Most of them carried the scars of war both physically and mentally. I want to tell you about some of them.
Bob was in the First Marine Division and landed at Guadalcanal to take Henderson field so the Air Force could land planes and fight from there. The enemy cut their supply line and they ran out of everything. Bob was forced to eat raw fish for weeks and said: “I can never eat fish again, cooked or not.”
Bob walked with a limp and carried shrapnel in his legs. He was the only veteran that would talk about his experiences. I once brought a photo book to work on the Guadalcanal Landing, and Bob was quick to tell me about his part in it. The downside came with his mood swings. He would have periods of anger over the smallest remarks. I, and the others knew to allow him space and time for recovery. Bob was a good man put into a terrible war. He died young, in his forties. Just sat down on the floor and died, I still miss him.
Les was a Linotype operator, and a Medic in WWII. He landed with the troops on Iwo Jima. He would say very little about his war experiences. He did mention that he saw them raise the American Flag on Mount Suribachi. Les said: “the flag they raised was very small, not like the one you see in the Memorial.”
Les was quite and withdrawn, but like Bob, could get angry over small things. Les helped me in my early day of typesetting while working for another company. When I got my own company I hired him to work for me. He was my teacher for running and fixing the Linotype Machine. I learned a lot from Les.
Shirley (male) said almost nothing about his war experiences. I did learn he caught Malaria in the jungles of Borneo, and still took medicine. He was really quite and withdrawn. Spent his time “marking up” jobs for the plant and avoiding conversations with others.
I have always had great respect for the veterans of foreign wars. They forever deserve our thanks and gratitude.
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