Youth: I was born in Pasadena, California, in 1923 As I aged into my early years, I attended Willard Elementary School in Pasadena, then went on to Wilson Junior High, and eventually to Pasadena Junior College where I lettered in football.
I worked awhile for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach.
Military: In January, 1943, I was drafted into the Army Air Corps (as it was known then.) Along with hundreds of other new inductees, we were loaded onto a train and went south for the winter to Biloxi, Mississippi.
After basic training, I was shipped to a small camp near Laurie Field in Denver, Colorado where we were trained to use 50 caliber machine guns and the 20 mm cannon.
I also unhappily served on “K.P.” (kitchen police) and was taught the army techniques of peeling many dozens of potatoes, and washing stacks of pots and pans. I also spent many hours on “guard duty.”
I was scheduled to chum along with some buddies who had learned to use parachutes. They were sent to other airbases where the B-17’s, B-25’s, and the B-26’s were based, but I was sent back to my home state, California, near Fresno. That’s where I learned to sleep in a big tent with a bunch of other GI’s.
Some time later, as part of the 364th Fighter Group, I was whisked away to the Torrance Airport, near Lomita. Part of my duties out on the runways, was to attach tow targets to the underside of many twin-engine P-38 fighter planes.
We also loaded the ammunition on those planes. Pilots would fly those planes and shoot at the tow targets we had attached to the planes.
I had also been stationed in other fighter groups in Ontario and Santa Cruz.
Then out of the blue, we were piled onto a train, which took us to New York to a place called Camp Shanks. After ambling around this area for awhile, we climbed up the gangplank of the Queen Mary for a delightful cruise to northern England.
A short while later we were moved to a darn nice base named Honington.
It was here that our unit began “Missions” in which we began to know the pilots as we loaded the planes with fuel, ammo and either belly fuel tanks or a couple of bombs for their missions in their “sight-seeing” bombing runs over Germany. We also helped the crew chiefs maintain the engines.
Suddenly, we were denied any passes to London, had to quit dancing at the Hammersmith Palace, or drinking beer at the “George Pub.” I was sent to special training to service the P-51 fighter planes.
We kept very busy working on the P-51 fighter planes because the pilots loved to fly these planes. They were being limited to no more than 30 missions.
We soon learned that we Americans and our allies would be invading France.
Some time after the war in Europe ended. I boarded a plane for a flight to France To “package” the planes that were to be sent to the Pacific areas.
As my services were no longer needed in Europe, our unit boarded a troop ship for our cruise back to the States. I ended my military career in November, 1945 at Fort MacArthur where I received my Honorable Discharge. I returned to Pasadena.
Civilian life: Mitzi and I married on December 7, 1941. We have a daughter who is a nurse, and works in Long Beach; also a granddaughter in Brookings, Oregon who is married to a retired fireman, and they have four kids. I’ve worked on construction jobs in Southern California, Oregon, Nevada.
I did a short stay in Vietnam where we built military items at Monkey Mountain and Marble Mountain outside of Da Nang.
I have memberships at the Masonic Lodge, Shrine, and the American Legion in Seal Beach. Mitzi and I began boating at the Corsair Yacht Club at Emerald Bay in Catalina.
I became active in the 11th Coast Guard Auxiliary helping local boaters. I am currently active in the Elks and Seal Beach VFW Post 4048.
Before we moved to Seal Beach, we had lived in Altadena where I was active in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team.
Mitzi and I have traveled in numerous countries including jolly ol’England, France, Spain and a couple of trips to Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand.
We are happily living in Seal Beach and dabble in politics.
Veteran activities: We strongly urge all military Veterans to join up and participate in the local Veterans organizations to strengthen our numbers for Veterans legislation and to partake of the benefits due for their valiant efforts in preserving our country.
The Veteran Post and Auxiliary members are very much involved in bettering our communities, and assist the patients at the VeteransHospital in Long Beach.
Bill Thomas of Rossmoor is a Veteran of World War II, and Past Commander of VFW Post 4048, and American Legion Post 857. E-mail him at: vvbthomasvets@gmail.com.
