Bud DArezzo

U.S. Navy

In 1942, when he was 18, Bud D'Arezzo joined the Navy. He went to midshipmen school were he was commisioned as an officer and then went on to New London Connecticut to train in submarine school. He said he wanted to get involved in submarines because they were incredibly interesting and because the idea of diving under sea to attack greatly appealed to him. He was a sonar officer who's job was to listen for enemy vessels.

The submarine personel were considered a "pet" force, he said, and were given a break at "rest camp" about every two weeks. D'Arezzo remembers rest camp as a little vacation where the men were served "extremely good food" and had "good times."

His most memorable experience of the war was engaging a submerged Japanese submarine which his crew could only see on sonar. The Japanese sub fired, missing, and the US sub fired, missing, before the Japanese turned and moved off. He recalls that as the scariest moment of the war.

At the end of WWII, D'Arezzo remembers recieving orders from headquarters at Pearl Harbor to stay submerged. He saw all sorts of US ships pouring into Tokyo Harbor, marking the end of conflict.

Submitted by:
Alan D. Ramey
Healdsburg, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Youth volunteer

Russell Davenport

Tom Degidon

U.S. Navy

Residence: New York, NY United States

Original home: New York, NY United States

On August 14, 1945, I got up and found the Captain of the good ship USS Block Island, a baby flat-top, dancing on her deck elatedly screaming at the top of his lungs "it's over, it's over!" There had been rumors floated around in the days before that Japan had announced their surrender, such rumors are commonplace in the service, but by the look on his face and the tone of his shouts, I could tell this time it was for real. The euphoric scene felt almost surreal, with the sun shining and everybody cheering. I was so excited my heart could not stop pounding. The Captain, a very serious, capable leader, could be seen jumping around the ship like a happy clown.

Soon after, we were ordered to go back to the base. We were driven by car to a base that was either in Maryland or Virginia. We never knew exactly where we were, this was because we were on Shore Fire Control, known to the public as frog men or Navy Seals by Hollywood. For security reasons, we were often not told the location of where we were being stationed to. We were all volunteers, but that's a different story. When we got there, everybody was excited - we all hugged eachother. As all the exhilaration settled down, I went to a chapel and thanked God.

Many of my experiences from the war, some joyful and some unspeakably painful were set aside in the years that followed. Over the last few years, after viewing Ken Burns’ documentary “The War,” I have felt inspired to write a screenplay "Home," reflecting on the experience of the war’s end. My ultimate goal is to put Home on Broadway so that young people get a sense of understanding, encouragement and inspiration from what we went experienced and what we did, so they can feel empowered to face the challenges of their time.

Submitted by:
Kevin Degidon
New York, NY - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Son/Daughter

Joan DeMunbrun

(Maiden Name: Schwochert)

U.S. Army Air Corps

Born: 1913

Residence: Chula Vista, CA United States

Original home: Deer River, MN United States

On August 14th 1945, I was stationed at Lawry Air Force Base in Colorado as part of the Women's Army Corp attached to the Air Corp. We consisted of several thousand personnel. I was an instructor for the operation and maintance of aerial cameras. We were aware of stepped up activity and were always on alert, but this was different. As I recall, sometime around midday I heard the sounds of screams of "it's over" and personnel started running from the base.

I felt stunned. Then I thought of my first assignment in Eagle Pass, Texas Army AT6 Flying School. As a photographer, I photographed the 18 year old cadets coming in the field. I also photographed crashes where we were ordered to take photos of the serial number of the plane and send it to Washington. I would then go to the lab and pull the negatives of the cadet who had become the casualty and make an enlargement of it for the family. I realized that the boys were not coming back home.

The women had signed up for the duration of the war plus six months. Having been on the bases for three years and never having been out of uniform, I realized now I would be going home. When I enlisted, I was living in a hotel so I didn't know where home would be. All I knew was the Army would pay for my trip back to Minneapolis and on Thanksgiving Day 1945, I was discharged and returned to Minneapolis. I spent thirty days planning on my future and decided to attend Fred Archer School of Photography in Los Angeles, a two year program which had been established for the returning veterans. From that time on my life has been with the veterans and of service to veteran causes.

Submitted by:
Rachel & Luc Perez
Chula Vista, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Youth volunteer

Joy Diers

War bride (Australia)

We were on our honeymoon in Sydney. At the time, Queenslanders were not allowed to cross the border but my husband knew the one in charge and managed to make a special request that four be allowed to go to Sydney, my husband and I and a GI and his wife.

The end of the war had a tremendous effect on me and my husband in particular because his belongings were put on a ship in Drisbane heading for landing in Japan. He got to take them off and head back to the USA as he had already been overseas since March 1942. We got to spend 3 months together before the next ship left for the USA. Then I waited 11 months to be able to go to Seattle Washington to join him.

Submitted by:
Linda A. Laurie
Poway, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Adult volunteer

Marie Duncan

Dilip Duttaroy