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Francis interviewed at Library
Mr. Francis was born in Talihina, Oklahoma, on May 17, 1921. He signed up for Coast Guard duty in Fort Worth, Texas, and was sent to Algiers, Louisiana, for boot camp. He was assigned to Company P2. His training involved rifle and bayonet instruction and marching and standing watch. Upon completion of his training in Louisiana, he was sent to Treasure Island near San Francisco, California. While at Treasure Island, he stood watch to make sure telephone cables across the island were not vandalized and he also boarded ships to inspect them and make sure they were following customs requirements. One time he boarded a Russian ship but did not find anything amiss there. He was given the opportunity to go to Columbia University in New York City and receiving training to become a Pharmacist Mate. After learning to give shots and carry out other medical procedures he was sent to Philadelphia. There a sick bay was opened in a tobacco warehouse. He was responsible for giving the men in the Coast Guard their proper shots and for treating any that might be sick. His next assignment was in New Jersey where he served as a first aid man at a rifle range. While he was stationed at the rifle range a Navy remote controlled airplane from nearby Cape May crashed and burned. The remote controlled plane was supposed to be controlled by another plane flying behind it. Another assignment was up the coast to Seaside, New Jersey, where he served as a Pharmacist Mate in charge of sick bay. His area was hit by a hurricane there and the boardwalk along the beach was washed away. There were servicemen there who patrolled the beaches on horseback watching for submarines. From Seaside, New Jersey, he was sent by train to Oakland, California, to be shipped overseas. He was assigned to the USS Pickaway APA, a troop ship to head to New Caledonia. Ground swells caused the ship to toss and roll and he did not feel well the first couple of days. On this same trip he crossed the equator for the first time and was initiated as a shellback. The ship traveled alone and zigzagged across the Pacific. It crossed the International Date Line at midnight on July 3, 1945 so those on board went from July 3rd to July 5th completely missing the fourth of July. At New Caledonia he was assigned to the buoy tender Ironwood which was thousands of miles away. He boarded an LCM and island hopped trying to catch up with his assigned ship. He went to the Gilbert Islands and Guadalcanal. While at Guadalcanal he boarded USS LSM 85. This ship was called "The Lone Ranger" because it traveled so much by itself. The ship was leaking in about three places because it had previously been rammed by an LST and had a hole in the side. His ship again crossed the equator and arrived at Eniwetok after a very rough ride. After a short stay the ship headed for Guam where it arrived on August 14, 1945. The ship stayed in the harbor and Mr. Francis saw B-29's returning from raids on Japan. The harbor was so full his ship was sent on to Saipan and as he came into harbor there was a large commotion and he learned that the war had ended. After a short turnaround in Saipan, he returned to Guam for a few weeks. He then was sent to Leyte in the Philippines. On September 12, 1945, he finally caught up with Ironwood, the ship he had been assigned to and he received mail there for the first time in 88 days. He only spent a couple of days aboard this ship. He was then assigned to an LST as the chief medical officer. This LST transported troops and materials from island to island in the Philippines. He left the Philippines November 7, 1945, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on November 26, 1945, and arrived in San Diego December 10, 1945. He was discharged on December 18 at Long Beach, California. From there he signed on with a travel bureau to ride by car to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his parents were then living. These World War II veterans' interviews are sponsored by the Franklin Memorial Library and by the Governor David Emanuel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
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