Lawrence Estes 1920-

Lawrence Estes WW2 Service

Some history of my service in 184 Infantry. I joined in April 1939. In 1940 we were inducted into the regular army. We left Auburn, California on 3 March 1941 for Camp San Louis Obispo, (California) to help guard the Pacific Coast. After war was declared, we guarded an aircraft plant in southern Washington as military officials worried about further attacks after Pearl Harbor. We served our country around the world in battles. We, as members of the infantry, come together once each year on March 3 to remember those who have passed on. People who have not been in service do not like to hear us to talk about old times. This is the only time we have to find who had passed on. We do not have a paper to keep us posted on news by the ten who made up us at home. Although servicemen had already been home, people was tired of the war and so were we. Arrived since only the parents were glad to see us not the town people of Auburn. There of _______ _____ Auburn is ________ items.

From Auburn to San Louis Obispo ____. Then we went to Ft. Lewis, Washington for maneuvers. From there we went to San Francisco Zoo. We trained swimming in the Flishaker swimming pool with our packs and clothes on. They had a train track around the zoo by our tents, and (would) blow the whistle when it (train) came by at night. We would take the whistle off the train. From San Francisco we went to Ft. Ord for training in the desert. Later we took our place on ship to the Aleutians. Forty below zero. We put in at Seattle, and went aboard a submarine. When we left there we went to Ketchikan where the sun would go down about 3 o'clock in the morning. When we left there we went to Hawaii. Most of us come down with sick. From there we went to Caledonia (?) to fight imperial Japanese marine (division?). I was shot with a wooden bullet. They thought the wooden bullet was poisoned. From there back to Hawaii, Camp McKinley for the South Seas. We had to pass in review of (General) McArthur and President Roosevelt. We knew we were going to the Philippines. We invaded the Philippines October 20 1941, I was wounded again and was flown to ____ Dutch Guinea, and there the Japanese invaded the hospital. I had to organize the wounded who could walk to fight off the Japanese. After the battle in Biak (?), I returned to my company in Kwajalein to fight Japanese again, and was wounded again at __________, and was flown to Guam, and from there to Hawaii, and in ________ I met up with an old buddy Kinkade Uritch, and got some clothes. I could to into town and when the doctor operated on me I asked if he and the nurse were singing. I heard the most beautiful singing I had ever heard, and I told the doctor about it. I went into town and ran into a man I had known in Auburn. I had him to get me a bottle of whisky. I took it back to the barracks. I had a lot of fun with the nurses that night. When I left the hospital I was place in charge of 300 Japanese going to Camp Beal (?). When we got to San Francisco it was the first time some of them had seen ____trains that weren't crowded. I assigned some Sergeants to cars to control the Jap to Camp Beal, OK.

[Notes of visit with Lawrence Estes on August 31, 1997]

Was in the 7th Army Division. Called "Corlet Long Knives." Served at Aleutians, Hawaii, New Guinea.. A general wanted to make me a Lieutenant after the battle with Japanese at hospital but I wouldn't take it. Flew with "Jolly Roger" air crew to Australia. Went ashore in the Aleutians in a rubber boat; could see Japanese in compound; radioed information to landing troops; had an Apache Indian to talk to ship, he was killed after the landing. Was on shore three days before the landing. Was at Kwajalein, Philippines, Okinawa, and wounded three times, with wooden bullets, last time in chest. In Okinawa the Japanese would mix in with women refugees. Women would have packs on back that were machine guns. When they got close to American lines the women would lie down and Japanese would straddle them and start shooting the machine gun. They hid pistols in dippers of babies.

[Contributed by Leo R. Estes 1 Oct 2000 12:00am; last modified 7 Nov 2000 8:41am]