Peter Natale

U.S. Army

Born: 1920

Residence: Middleburgh, NY United States

Original home: Brooklyn, NY United States

I was a Sergeant with the 30th Signal Battalion stationed in Ardenza, Italy when the Germans surrendered in Italy in April of 1945.

Now that the conflict in Italy was over, our unit was preparing for re-deployment from Italy to the Pacific Theater of Operations on August 14, 1945 to begin taking on the Japanese. That day, we received a radio flash that the war was over as a result of the bombs being dropped on Japan. As a result of this information that the war with Japan had ended,our departure to the Pacific Front in August 1945 was put on hold until the Japanese officially surrendered in September 1945.

After Japan finally surrendered, I got my orders to go home in October of 1945.

I remember the dropping of the bombs on Japan in August 1945 as a blessing for the world and all of us service men. It saved countless lives and created a great many happy veterans.

Submitted by:
Peter Natale

Guy Nation

Donavon Newcomer

U.S. Navy

My mom had just boarded a bus to return to the family home in Findlay,OH, and I was on the street waving goodbye to her, unable to communicate the sudden outbreak of the news that WWII had just ended.

She had traveled alone from home to visit me where I was stationed at the Newport Naval Training Station, Newport, R.I. She had made this trip in spite of serious physical anomalies that required her to enter the hospital for major surgery upon returning to her home in Findlay, OH, but WWII had been traumatic for the entire family.

I was the youngest to enter the U.S. Navy after my two older brothers had already been serving their assignments, overseas. Being the youngest, my mom felt compelled to visit me in Newport, R.I. The other two could not be visited, of course. I was just 19 at the time of her visit and on the date the war ended.

Soon the downtown streets of Newport were filled with service personnel and civilians, alike, to celebrate the end of such a major war, but I watched my mom's bus disappear unable for us to share that glorious news.

The American Red Cross later contacted myself and my two brothers to arrange emergency leaves to travel home for the major surgery my mom was required to undergo. Although her condition was grave, she survived to continue with my dad to love the three of us in the years to follow until her passing in 1989.

When she first arrived for our visit, she became extremely anxious that I would not have liberty to spend time with her. When I did finally arrive, not only she broke out sobbing with relief, but all those parents at the station also sobbed with the sight of my arrival after that long wait.

Chula Vista, CA - United States

Andrew Nezolosky

(Maiden Name: Nezolosky)

U.S. Army Air Corps

By the end of war in 1945, Andrew Nezolosky had already been discharged from the military. At the time the war ended, Andrew was in New York city, at a small event celebrating the U.S. victory. Although his memories are murky, Nezolosky claimed, "My heart was finally at ease. America had won a war that had damaged so many souls."

Submitted by:
Molly T. Morrison
Santa Rosa, CA - United States

Ernst Nichols

Charles Nichols

U.S. Army Air Corps, Other (3122 Bomb Group)

Charles Nichols 1944 Shepard Field, Tx

Born: 1926

Residence: San Jose, CA United States

Original home: Indiannapolis , IN United States

In my last mission we were going to bomb a factory in Frankfurt, Germany. I remember as we were approaching there was a train full of ammunition coming form the factory. We bombed the train instead of the factory and two weeks later we returned to bomb the factory. I was in a B-25 bomber and not to many of us made it back. I was very fortunate to survive the few missions I flew. Our escorts were P-38s fighter planes who protected us on our missions. I only flew 3 missions as a tail gunner.

I was part of the 3122 bomb group TP1 station Sheffield Airbase about forty miles outside of London.

I remember my oldest brother was in the Navy stationed on board the USS Lansdale, a destroyer docked in NYC. A few hundred miles off the coast they ran into a severe storm, during that storm he had an attack of appendicitis. The ship was force to return to port for repairs and he was taken off to the hospital. Meanwhile, the ship left port while he was recovering, and the ship was later sunk. 47 men were killed. My brother was very lucky to miss out on the sinking.

The best news I had in my life happen when I was 19 years old when I heard the announcement that the war was over. Some one busted into the barracks shouting the war was over! We were drinking anything we can get our hands out. Dancing and partying following the announcement.

For the next few months we cleaned up the airbase to get it ready to close.

I didn’t come back to the United States until Jan 4 1946. I was discharged in 1948, and In 1949 I went to work for Clark Equipment retiring in 1989. I was married to my wife, Jean, for 51 years. (I was four years old when I married her)

Looking back on my life, I see WWII being a very unique time. We were all together; everyone pitched in, women in factories, people volunteering for the USO. I don’t think we’ll ever see something like that again.

Submitted by:
Robert Corpus
San Jose, CA - United States

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