us14

On February fourth 2008 I interviewed my grandfather Thomas Milliken Moore over the phone. I chose him because I knew he had fought in the War but other than that I didn’t really know much else. My grandfather was born October 22, 1925. He attended Country Day School (now MICDS) and Brown University. After the war he had a job as a publisher. His favorite hobby is bird watching.
 * __Sec 1__**

1) What are your most vivid memories of WWII? “Well combat; I helped try to capture some German prisoners and the town I was in was invaded by Germans. Once I also asked a German soldier to surrender but he didn’t understand.
 * __ The Interview __**

I graduated in 1944 from the Country Day School and was drafted in September of 1944 and was shipped off to Germany in January of 1945. The war ended in May of 1945, but I was not able to celebrate VE day because my division, was in charge of guarding utility and gas plants to protect them from sabotage. A group of Germans called “Werewolves” were bent on destroying the infrastructure of Germany to sabotage the allies.

My division was the 2nd division to leave Europe. We were going to be shipped to Japan next. Before I was going to be shipped to Japan I was given a 30-day leave and ended up in New Jersey. When I called my mother she thought I was calling from Germany and I was in Union Station in Saint Louis. On the day I arrived in Saint Louis I heard that the Americans had dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, I was so happy that I would have to go to Japan.

In 1949 after I graduated from Brown University I decided to take a trip to Germany. Back then Germany had been divided into 4 military sectors and I really need a military passport to stay in the hotel that I did, but I didn’t have one. I only had American Express Travelers Checks and no currency at the time. I was on the street and saw some great binoculars for sale. I knew that the Germans made great binoculars and wanted to buy some. I went back to the hotel to exchange currency and asked the clerk for currency to buy binoculars. He said “ Oh those Jews are selling binoculars, in a very derogatory manner”. After fighting in the war and seeing all things that the Germans did to the Jew I just wanted to just spit on him. I said, “ I thought you killed all the Jews!" He gave me a dirty look and I just felt disgusted. He just got mad and went upstairs.

When I was in Germany, in the Bavarian Region, in a town, our unit had artillery set up in front of a house. We were surrounded by Germans. Some German soldiers walked by and I asked why we were not shooting? An older soldier replied, “ If we shoot they will shoot back”. I realized we would be dead if we shot back. Later a German soldier who was shot decided to hide out in the basement that we are all hiding in. My Officer asked if anyone speaks German, I raised my hand. I was instructed to ask him to surrender. In my best American German I say “I asken you to un surrender zez”, He replies “ Vas is Dat” (German for what I don’t understand”. I realize my German is unsatisfactory and our unit leaves him in locked in the basement and we go up to the first floor. He surrendered in two days.

Both of my older brothers were also in the war stationed in the Pacific. Interestingly they met in Guam at some point during the war. My oldest brother was an artilleryman with the Marine Corp. My second oldest brother was a B29 pilot in the Pacific. We all survived the war and my mother was so happy.

When I was in Bavaria I saw pillboxes from the Siegfried Line

I saved a Nazi flag that I took off a flagpole after the war, but I gave it to a girlfriend’s brother and never saw it again.

2) What was your role in the war?

“ I was in the infantry, I was a machine gunner.

3) How old were you?

18 and 19 years old

4) Where were you in the war?

“I was in France and Germany”

5) What were the best things about the time?

“ There were no good times, when we got fed I guess.”

6) What were the worst/most difficult things about the war?

“ Well when the Germans were shooting at us and there was incoming shells everywhere. And the living conditions were horrible I was living in a hole almost he entire time.

7) How do you think the war changed the country?

“It made the US the #1 military power in the world, it developed a much stronger economy, and made it a very influential country.”

8) What are the lessons a 7th grader in 2008 should take away from the war?

“ Well I think it’s good to know the specifics of the war like what caused the war and how it was resolved so something like that never happens again.

Something people should take away from this interview was that WWII was a very hard time and a positive attitude like my grandfather had can get you through even the most difficult times.
 * __Sec 3__**