John enlisted into the U.S. Army on September 2, 1938 at the
very young age of 16. John was to remain in the Army until his discharge on
July 12, 1945.
After basic training John was assigned to the famous 1st
Cavalry Division. At the start of WWII the division actually had horses. It was
with profound sadness that the division was ordered to give up their mounts and
become mobilized. The horses were sold at auction to farmers and ranchers
around the El Paso Texas area. For many years after the war, these horses could
still be found with the branding iron markings of the 1st Cav.
The 1st Cavalry Division was sent overseas and
began training in Australia. Thereafter the division was involved in fighting
the Japanese in such areas as New Guinea particularly Los Negros and Manus and the
Admiralty Islands in the southwest Pacific.
Perhaps the largest invasion the division took part in was
the liberation of the Philippine Islands in the fall of 1944. The division
participated in the landings on the islands of Leyte and Luzon. John was on the
first wave in the landing on Leyte with the 271st Field Artillery
Regiment. John also fought the Japanese in the mountains east of Manila, Philippine’s.
John was discharged from the Army in the summer of 1945 with
the rank of Technical sergeant 4. He was awarded the Bronze star with Oak Leaf
cluster.
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