HAAS-ARTHUR

T131848

Arthur George Haas

 

I entered the U.S. Navy at the United States Naval Air Station in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 19^th 1942. I underwent recruit training at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes (north of Chicago), Illinois. After recruit training I was ordered to the USS McDougal DD-358. I served on this ship throughout World War II. I was a Machinist Mate, which meant that I would be working with such things as the ship’s boilers to ensure that the ship’s crew and officers would have good drinking water, warm showers, and could drink good old NAVY COFFEE. I left on board the USS McDougal from Charleston, South Carolina, and proceeded south to South America in the South Atlantic. We went through the Strait of Magellan into the Pacific. We had many Port-of-Calls but the most remembered were in Valparaiso, Chile, and Lima, Peru. I did some sightseeing in these Ports, and being neutral countries there were Germans in these ports. We would see them on the streets when we toured the towns on bicycles. I saw the Galapagos Island with all its wonders. We were then sent through the Panama Canal to be used as convoy protection for the preparations of the D-Day invasion. While at sea we experienced a roll in excess of 70 degrees during a fierce storm. Most of us thought the ship would not recover from the roll and the thought that we would all perish was ever present. As the roll almost flipped us we were caught by another wave and righted. Only by an act of God and our good luck did we survive. Our ship went to England as a convoy escort. We sailed the Atlantic with darkened ships as not to give away or make it easy for the enemy to identify us. We sailed into Liverpool, England. We escorted convoys for D-Day to Le Havre, France. I knew this was important duty as my brother Arnold Haas was on one of these troop transports going in for the invasion with the United States Army. We continued our escort duty in that area until the War in Europe ended. Liverpool had the stench of death all the time. I remember that smell well. We continued our escort duty in that area until the War in Europe ended. We were sent back to Charleston, South Carolina, to have all our super structure removed to make less of a target to the Japanese Kamikaze planes. From there, we had orders to proceed to the Pacific Theater. We headed to the Panama Canal where we were recalled to Charleston, South Carolina, because the War with Japan had ended. A major highlight of my World War II experience was when I was in the hospital in Panama and had a bedside visit and chat with the First Lady, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a very pleasant lady to talk with. I never forgot her kindness. I served three years, eleven months, and seven days in the United States Navy. I elected to leave the Navy and was honorably discharged at the Personnel Separation Center, Naval Air Station, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 5^th, 1945.