This is just a quick note regarding a couple of things that happened to me during the years I spent with the Marine Corps. One that I am proud to remember was the pleasure I had getting to know Captain Jimmy Roosevelt, who was the son of the President of the United States. He was a member of the Raiders, of which I was, and I found him to be a really fine person and a great person to serve with. I remember one time when we were taking heavy fire, he was as dug in and protected as the rest of us, but made the comment that if the nips will stop acting naughty he would take a nap, not at all nervous by the gunfire. Just as calm as though he were setting in his living room at home. Always showed that courage no matter what the circumstance was, always out in front.
Another of those times was on Okinawa. I had a very good friend named James Fremont. He was from the state of Maine and always said as soon as this war was over with, he will go back to Maine and the forest and no one will ever see him again. He was raised by his father in the forest, where his father taught him to harvest the trees and he had the arms built for it. He never showed any fear at combat problems and was awarded the Silver Star for action on Okinawa for wiping out a machine gun nest, which was really causing problems. But, just let him be put in line to be given medical shots, and down he would go. So we always got in line just behind him so we could catch him and stretch him out where the corpsman gave him the shots. He is in the Punch Bowl Memorial in Hawaii.
Another of the times to remember are the times I spent knowing Joe Downey. I met Joe in Korea when I was sent to one of the Marine Air Squadrons as a replacement to the Gunny Sgt. of the unit. He was the NCO of the maintenance department and was in charge of the establishment of latrines. He was in the process of building a nice one for the officers, when we received the word to fall back, as the Chinese had broken through lines north of us. This meant moving the entire squadron out. This is the type of problem Joe was given. He did a fine job of organizing and getting the outfit out. I was with him moving the last truck load and I was pushing him to get on the truck so we could move, only to be told he had to put in a couple of bombs, and was told those were to be in the bath houses he had built. His comment was that no gook would have the pleasure of his crap house. This hold up almost cost us dearly, for the truck moved out and into a Chinese roadblock. We made it with all our weapons going and Joe cussing that the gooks had stolen the ammo for his Thompson machine gun. Joe was one who loved beer and after retiring from the Marine Corps, he had a problem getting a job, for he was an electronic specialist and the employer who wanted to hire him said no to having a beer with his lunch. He got the OK though, when it was found that he drank his beer hot, so he was given the OK to have one with his lunch.
In thinking of other good thoughts of my time in service, I recall with great pleasure having as a wonderful friend and companion, Sergeant Major Miscousky. He was a Staff Sergeant when I first met him in 1941, while I was in Boot Camp or during the last week of Camp. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton and was given the duty of selecting from the Boots, volunteers for the new organization being formed, the Raider Battalion. He not only selected a group of us, but he continued to be with us and to train us. He went to our first action at Guadalcanal, but was with me at two other actions. He moved up in rank and became a Master Sergeant and was so when he retired. He now is in a rest home in Virginia and in November 2010, he will be 100 years old. I count him to be one of my closest friends.
Art Paris, PM
