Mr. Buckles was born February 1, 1901, and was 13 when World War I broke out and 16 when the US entered it.
He tried to join the Marines, but was rejected for being too young. Then he tried the Navy, with the same results. He told the Army that he couldn't provide his birth certificate and they let him enlist.
In December 1917, he sailed to Europe on the ocean liner Carpathia which had rescued the survivors of the Titanic a few years earlier. He was a military driver (as was my grandfather) and never saw action.
AFTER THE WAR
He came back after the war and worked as a banker in New York City, but got bored and went to sea as a ship's officer during the 20s and 30s. In 1940, he sailed in a ship from San Francisco to Manila, Philippines, and was there when the Japanese attacked after Pearl Harbor. He was captured and held prisoner for three and a half years, during which he lost one third of his weight.
He still has a chipped metal cup he used to eat beans and rice during his captivity. Of the 2100 captives released from his camp, he was the only one who didn't have to go to the hospital.
Upon his return, he was happy to find that all his paychecks had accumulated during the time he was held.
He has his own website at www.frankbuckles.com.
Mighty Fascinating Story. --Cooter
No comments:
Post a Comment