thedrifter
12-05-08, 08:13 AM
World War II veteran recalls impact of Pearl Harbor
By Colin McCandless
pressreporter@thefranklinpress.com
On Dec. 7, 1941, the unthinkable happened on American soil. Japan delivered a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, destroying or damaging myriad battleships and combat planes, taking more than 2,400 lives and ushering our country into World War II.
As America prepares to observe the 67th Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor this Sunday, the Press interviewed World War II veteran and Franklin resident Vernon Stiles to ask him about what it was like living during this tragic and momentous event in our nation's history.
Stiles, who was 16 at the time of the Pearl Harbor assault, served as a communications specialist for the 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II and earned a bronze star for heroic achievement in December 1944 action in Belgium.
His older brother Edwin also fought in World War II, serving as a combat engineer with the 44th Combat Engineers and spent time as a POW in a German Stalag from December 24, 1944-June 12, 1945. Excerpts from Vernon's interview appear below:
The only contemporary equivalent of the Attack on Pearl Harbor that this most recent generation has experienced was the 9/11 World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist bombings. Although this occurred not nearly as long ago, it will likely be one of those events that people alive at the time will always remember - and they will likely remember precisely where they were when they first heard the news.
Q: Do you recall exactly where you were when you first heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?
A: I believe I was at home on the farm (in Franklin).
Q: What was your immediate reaction or response when you first learned of the news?
A: "I was just at an age where life had really begun to set in-to realize what a serious deal it was. With what information we had at that time."
Q It surprised our military, were you shocked that anyone could have carried out such an attack on American soil?
"Definitely."
Q: FDR asked Congress for a Declaration of War after Pearl Harbor. Did you pretty much assume right then that you would be fighting in the war when you turned 18?
A: At this point, Vernon's brother Edwin had been drafted and he knew it wouldn't be long before he came of age and would be drafted as well, he recalls. "I began kind of preparing myself for it then."
Q: Did the attack make you wish you were old enough to join the Armed Forces then? Did it motivate you to want to join and help in the fight?
A: "We wanted to do anything we could do as civilians as well as getting into the service and doing what we needed to do for the country-and the world when it comes right down to it."
Q: What was the mood of the times when this happened. You always hear 9/11 referred to as the "The Day Everything Changed." For Pearl Harbor it was "A date which will live in infamy" in the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. How did Pearl Harbor change people's attitudes and perspectives?
A: "(We were) totally dedicated to whatever was needed to protect our country and support the war effort. In other words, it brought it home to I'd say, everyone, almost 100 percent, of how important it was to go to war and get rid of people like Hirohito, Hitler, Mussolini."
Stiles added that he is surprised he has not seen many articles about the enormous amount of support it took here domestically to keep not only the U.S. military supplied, but also the prodigious amount shipped to our allies in Russia, Britain and France. He recalls that it took millions of people to supply the war effort.
"It's staggering. That was an enormous, enormous, enormous job. Civilians from this little community right here, right on up. Your Merchant Marines and Navy and all those people, Seabees, whoever, whatever their job was. They really did a job keeping us supplied. Of course if it hadn't been for that, we would have been useless."
Q: Was there credible fear at the time of Pearl Harbor that another attack on American soil could be imminent?
A: "Yes, you just didn't know. But we felt of course that our Navy had regrouped and our intelligence system, which was not all that good then, or they wouldn't have been able to make that attack-would beef up and at least try to stay on top of anything like that. We had confidence that our government would do what was needed."
Q: Was there immediate resentment and backlash against Japanese-Americans and even Asian-Americans in general, as there was with American Muslims immediately following 9/11?
A: "Quite a lot. I don't think it was as great as a lot of people try to make it seem. The Japanese that were living in the United States and Chinese, whoever, did get pretty raw treatment (referring to Japanese internment camps), but we didn't know a whole lot about that at that time. But they did what they thought they had to because they didn't know whether there were spies among them."
Stiles recalled that as civilians and of course in the Army they were schooled on the spy situation. They were told 'be careful who you talk to and what you say to them.'
"In other words, 'be on the lookout'"
Stiles commented that the impetus behind him sharing his World War II experiences is for our young people to be aware of the history.
"That's the biggest reason for me saying anything. Because they need to know. It's so important, even to young adults."
Vernon D. Stiles WW II profile
-Birthdate-Feb. 21, 1925
-Joined conflict 1944
-Communications specialist, trained at Camp Van Dorn, Centreville, Mississippi.
-117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, nickname "Old Hickory"
-Earned Bronze Star for heroic achievement in December, 1944 action in Belgium
Ellie
By Colin McCandless
pressreporter@thefranklinpress.com
On Dec. 7, 1941, the unthinkable happened on American soil. Japan delivered a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, destroying or damaging myriad battleships and combat planes, taking more than 2,400 lives and ushering our country into World War II.
As America prepares to observe the 67th Anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor this Sunday, the Press interviewed World War II veteran and Franklin resident Vernon Stiles to ask him about what it was like living during this tragic and momentous event in our nation's history.
Stiles, who was 16 at the time of the Pearl Harbor assault, served as a communications specialist for the 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II and earned a bronze star for heroic achievement in December 1944 action in Belgium.
His older brother Edwin also fought in World War II, serving as a combat engineer with the 44th Combat Engineers and spent time as a POW in a German Stalag from December 24, 1944-June 12, 1945. Excerpts from Vernon's interview appear below:
The only contemporary equivalent of the Attack on Pearl Harbor that this most recent generation has experienced was the 9/11 World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist bombings. Although this occurred not nearly as long ago, it will likely be one of those events that people alive at the time will always remember - and they will likely remember precisely where they were when they first heard the news.
Q: Do you recall exactly where you were when you first heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?
A: I believe I was at home on the farm (in Franklin).
Q: What was your immediate reaction or response when you first learned of the news?
A: "I was just at an age where life had really begun to set in-to realize what a serious deal it was. With what information we had at that time."
Q It surprised our military, were you shocked that anyone could have carried out such an attack on American soil?
"Definitely."
Q: FDR asked Congress for a Declaration of War after Pearl Harbor. Did you pretty much assume right then that you would be fighting in the war when you turned 18?
A: At this point, Vernon's brother Edwin had been drafted and he knew it wouldn't be long before he came of age and would be drafted as well, he recalls. "I began kind of preparing myself for it then."
Q: Did the attack make you wish you were old enough to join the Armed Forces then? Did it motivate you to want to join and help in the fight?
A: "We wanted to do anything we could do as civilians as well as getting into the service and doing what we needed to do for the country-and the world when it comes right down to it."
Q: What was the mood of the times when this happened. You always hear 9/11 referred to as the "The Day Everything Changed." For Pearl Harbor it was "A date which will live in infamy" in the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. How did Pearl Harbor change people's attitudes and perspectives?
A: "(We were) totally dedicated to whatever was needed to protect our country and support the war effort. In other words, it brought it home to I'd say, everyone, almost 100 percent, of how important it was to go to war and get rid of people like Hirohito, Hitler, Mussolini."
Stiles added that he is surprised he has not seen many articles about the enormous amount of support it took here domestically to keep not only the U.S. military supplied, but also the prodigious amount shipped to our allies in Russia, Britain and France. He recalls that it took millions of people to supply the war effort.
"It's staggering. That was an enormous, enormous, enormous job. Civilians from this little community right here, right on up. Your Merchant Marines and Navy and all those people, Seabees, whoever, whatever their job was. They really did a job keeping us supplied. Of course if it hadn't been for that, we would have been useless."
Q: Was there credible fear at the time of Pearl Harbor that another attack on American soil could be imminent?
A: "Yes, you just didn't know. But we felt of course that our Navy had regrouped and our intelligence system, which was not all that good then, or they wouldn't have been able to make that attack-would beef up and at least try to stay on top of anything like that. We had confidence that our government would do what was needed."
Q: Was there immediate resentment and backlash against Japanese-Americans and even Asian-Americans in general, as there was with American Muslims immediately following 9/11?
A: "Quite a lot. I don't think it was as great as a lot of people try to make it seem. The Japanese that were living in the United States and Chinese, whoever, did get pretty raw treatment (referring to Japanese internment camps), but we didn't know a whole lot about that at that time. But they did what they thought they had to because they didn't know whether there were spies among them."
Stiles recalled that as civilians and of course in the Army they were schooled on the spy situation. They were told 'be careful who you talk to and what you say to them.'
"In other words, 'be on the lookout'"
Stiles commented that the impetus behind him sharing his World War II experiences is for our young people to be aware of the history.
"That's the biggest reason for me saying anything. Because they need to know. It's so important, even to young adults."
Vernon D. Stiles WW II profile
-Birthdate-Feb. 21, 1925
-Joined conflict 1944
-Communications specialist, trained at Camp Van Dorn, Centreville, Mississippi.
-117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, nickname "Old Hickory"
-Earned Bronze Star for heroic achievement in December, 1944 action in Belgium
Ellie