John T. Anderson, Oral History

Title

John T. Anderson, Oral History

Performer

John T. Anderson

Interviewer

William Vollano

Description

John Anderson was born in the small town of Catch All, Tennessee on May 26, 1923. John was always interested in airplanes. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy on August 11, 1941 because he could see that war was coming. John was trained as a machinist in Norfolk, Great Lakes, and River Rouge, where he met his wife. Enlistments lasted for six years at that time. He was shipped to Guam and later to Guadalcanal, where he serviced fighters that were stationed there. Since the island was not completely secured, servicemen were continually finding and killing Japanese soldiers. John said that he and others were continually bombed by Japanese airplanes, mostly at night. John did not receive any wounds, but he did have malaria three times. John was discharged in 1947, and returned to Tennessee. He took a job as a watch repairman, and eventually had his own business. John would repair watches for jewelers in the area Until he retired in 1988. John was very proud of the fact that he built his house, a three-bedroom one, in Tennessee. When he fell down the stairs last year, his family got him to move to Michigan, where his four children live. They were concerned because his Tennessee home was nearly half hour from the hospital. Here in Michigan, John has been and continues to be treated by the Veterans Administration Hospital. He and his wife live in American House senior living, in Ypsilanti. John was especially proud of his Tennessee ancestors who, during the Civil War, helped a severely injured soldier from the North. When other Northern soldiers were in the area looking for food, this recovering soldier told them not to bother this family, since they had saved his life.

Subject

Enlisted; United States Navy; World War, 1939-1945; Second World War - Pacific Theater; MM 3rd CL

Publisher

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Collection Location

John T. Anderson Collection at the Library of Congress

Run Time

1 hour, 0 minutes, 12 seconds

Rights

Library of Congress Rights and Access

Language

English

Date

Dates of Service: 1941-1947

Spatial Coverage

Second World War - Pacific Theater