Hayner, Philip Avery

Title

Performer

Philip Avery Hayner

Interviewer

William Vollano

Description

Phillip Hayner was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He joined the Navy directly after Pearl Harbor. Although he was mildly colorblind, Phillip was assigned to the Signal Corps. Somehow, he missed the eye exam at Boot Camp. After Boot Camp at Great Lakes Naval Station, he was assigned to the Signal Corps, and briefly to Navy Choir Company 385. From the Great Lakes, he was transferred to Norfolk, where he was assigned to the Aquitania, which eventually landed in Glasgow, Scotland. On the third wave at Normandy, Phillip was aboard the LCVP, which carried 15 men. His unit was responsible for setting up a Command Post. Most of the action was north of his position. There were times when the German planes unloaded their leftover bombs on his unit. After more than three months on Normandy, his unit returned to England and was assigned to the Empress of Australia, which carried 2,000 German POWs to New York. From there, Phillip’s unit was sent to Camp Pendleton, California where they trained in landing their craft. Afterwards, they were sent to Hawaii, and then on to Okinawa. On Okinawa, their unit was responsible for taking fresh troops to the island, and returning troops to the Philippines, for R & R. Phillip married while he was on leave. Upon his discharge, he and his wife returned to Michigan. They had three children, all of whom did well in their chosen fields. Phillip is a retired tool and die maker, and now lives in Manchester, Michigan.

Date Span

1941-1945

Dates of Service

Subject

Enlisted; United States Navy; 11th Naval Beach Battalion; USS LST 68 (Landing Ship Tank); World War, 1939-1945; Second World War - European Theater; Second World War - Pacific Theater; Signalman

Publisher

Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Collection Location

2/18

https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.76530

Spatial Coverage

Second World War - European Theater; Second World War - Pacific Theater

Item