Oral History Interview with Garold Weasmer, June 15, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Jerry Weasmer. Weasmer was drafted into the Army in June or July 1943 and sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training. He sailed from San Francisco in late 1943 on the USS America, a big luxury liner that had been converted to a troop ship, to New Caledonia. Not long after, he was sent to New Zealand and put into a rifle company in the 43rd Infantry Division. He was a replacement and after training in New Zealand, the 43rd was sent to Wewak, New Guinea. After a while, Weasmer transferred to an intelligence and reconnaissance platoon and received additional training on New Guinea. The division was relieved by the Australians and he was shipped to the Philippines on the USS DuPage (APA-41), going ashore at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon on 9 January 1945. Weasmer was in the first wave. As soon as they hit the beach, they received heavy artillery fire. His intelligence and reconnaissance platoon went inland about a mile and a half but saw nothing. The 43rd Division was on the left flank. Weasmer was on Luzon for about five months and provides a good description of his fighting there. They were pulled out of the line and started training for the invasion of Japan. Weasmer was on Luzon when he heard about the atomic bombs. After a short stint in Japan as part of the occupation forces, his division returned to the States. He was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and discharged