Hewitt, Cecil F.
Cecil F. Hewitt: World War II
Interviewed by Amber Marchbanks (Midwest City Rotary Club Interview)
Interview Date: April 2004
Q: When were you born?
A: April 2, 1924.
Q: When did you first being thinking that the US might get involved in World War II?
A: Well, I was a senior in high school, and I graduated in May of 1942. So, that was after Pearl Harbor. We were the first graduating class after Pearl Harbor, so I knew that I would be going into the service.
Q: What was your reaction and the reaction of your family and friends when Pearl Harbor was attacked?
A: Well, we were all very upset, ah, in fact, the unity of our class, ah, all – almost all of the boys that graduated in the class served in the armed forces, either in the army, navy, or marines, coast guard.
Q: How old were you in December 1941?
A: I was 18 years old.
Q: Were you already in the military in December of 1941?
A: No.
Q: Were you drafted or did you enlist?
A: I was drafted.
Q: How did the other men in your area feel about serving in the military?
A: Well, they were all proud to do it. Our country had been attacked and we felt like it was our duty to serve.
Q: How did your family, wife, or girlfriend feel about you going off to war?
A: Well, of course, my parents, ah, were proud that we were serving – my brother and I both. Ah, of course, like any parent they were upset, you know, not knowing, ah, what was ahead for both of us.
Q: In what branch of the military did you serve?
A: I was in the navy. I had a choice of being in the army or being the navy, and I was – after I graduated from high school, I worked at the naval ammunition depot that they were building in McAlester. And, ah, so, working for the navy, I thought, “well, the navy would be a good place to serve.” And so, when I had my choice, I chose the navy.
Q: Where did you have basic training at?
A: San Diego, California.
Q: What was your basic training experience like?
A: Ah, (laughs), well it was like something that I had not been used to. And everyone else was not used to it. But, ah, I went through basic training. Kind of an amusing thing – when I joined the navy I didn’t realize until I was sworn in that I couldn’t swim!
Q: Oh my gosh!
A: So, ah, but, but they taught me to swim in no short order.
Q: I bet they did. And after basic training, where did they send you?
A: I was sent to Iowa State College, ah, at Ames, Iowa, for electrical course.
Q: In what capacity did you serve during World War II? Your duty, rank, and the places in which you served?
A: Well, after I went to Iowa State College to the electrical course, when I graduated from there, I was sent to naval air technical training center in Chicago. And, of course, I was an electrician after I graduated from the training at Ames, Iowa, and then I, ah, was assigned to an aviation electrical course that I took at – in Chicago. And then I was later transferred to Jacksonville, Florida, where I completed that training. Ah, and then, ah, I was an aviation electrician when I – an electrician when I graduated from Ames, Iowa, but I was an aviation electrician after I completed my course in Jacksonville, Florida.
Q: What was your rank?
A: Ah, aviation electrician.
Q: OK. In terms of your own experience during World War II, under what kind of conditions did you live and work? Such as food, clothing, etc.
A: Well, I was assigned – I was sent to Norfolk, Virginia for further assignment. From there I was sent to Bermuda, ah, to be in a PBM patrol bomber group that patrolled for submarines outside of Bermuda. And so I was in Bermuda for 15 months, and the war in Europe was about to conclude, ah, and then, we – my squadron that I was in, they patrolled for submarines in the Atlantic. Just before the war was over, some German submarines had gotten by the area that they were patrolling and we were sent back to the East Coast, because they thought that Germany was going to launch robot bombs on New York City. So, after – then we patrolled out of Norfolk, Virginia. And then the war in Europe was over, and then I was sent to automatic pilot school in Jacksonville, Florida from there. And I was taking that course in Jacksonville, Florida, when the war in Japan was over. And then, electrician – my rank was frozen and I had to serve extra time before I was discharged.
Q: Oh.
A: Because they had a shortage of electricians.
Q: What kind of contact did the military permit you to have?
A: What kind of what?
Q: What kind of contact – like with your family and friends and all that during your service?
A: Well, I didn’t get home until after a year for leave. In other words, I was sent directly and didn’t get any relief until after a year that I was in the service. But that was about it.
Q: Unfortunately, you all didn’t have the kind of stuff we have today where you could see them while you’re over . . .or talk to them on the phone.
A: That’s right. Well, everything – the trains were the means of transportation while I was in – you were on troop trains across the United States, but then, when I was in Norfolk, then I flew to Bermuda in a PBY, which was a patrol bomber. It’s amphibious – it can land in water and, ah, land on land, also.
Q: They had those in World War II?
A: Ah-huh.
Q: Wow, I didn’t know that! That’s cool. If you feel comfortable talking about it, please describe your combat experiences.
A: Well, I didn’t have any combat experience, except, ah, a German submarine – I was stationed on the base in Bermuda. Ah, we – during the war, ah, when the war was over with Italy, their submarines were brought to Bermuda, and they patrolled – while they were patrolling with the Germans before that, then they – the submarines were brought to Bermuda and they patrolled for our side after Italy surrendered. So we had Italian submarines, ah, based in Bermuda. Ah, we – one of our squadrons was involved and some ships, and they attacked a German submarine, and, ah, they blew the conning tower off the submarine. This submarine was towed in to Bermuda by ship, and then the prisoners were – some of them were in the hospital. The captain was in the conning tower, ah, I think he had multiple injuries.
Q: What was your more memorable experience during World War II – combat or otherwise?
A: Well, for one thing, ah, I was walking to the hanger one morning and we had – as I mentioned the patrol bomber squadron that I was, ah, in the ordinance man was testing before the planes were to leave on patrol, and instead of, ah, testing to circuits to see if it would work, he dropped four aerial depth charges and two torpedoes on the ground from the bomb bay and they just bounced – they didn’t go off!
Q: You were so lucky!
A: So that was a pretty good experience!
Q: Did you hear them bounce?
A: Well, no I didn’t – it just happened.
Q: How long did you serve during World War II?
A: Three years.
Q: After serving during World War II, where did the military send you, or were you immediately discharged?
A: Well, I was discharged. I went in in May of ’43, and then I was discharged in May of ’46. And then I went to what was Oklahoma A & M College after that.
Q: Lucky you, huh?
A: Ah-huh.
Q: What kind of reception did you receive when you got back to the United States?
A: Well, the country was very unified. Ah, and everyone was proud of their people that had served in the, ah, armed forces, which is kind of different than what it was in Vietnam and some of the other wars. But I don’t think I’ll ever see the unity during World War II that we had, and, of course, Tom Brokaw’s book The Greatest Generation, ah, is very true. And even today our high school class is very close – closer than the other classes. We communicate with one another via e-mail all across the United States. And there’s a bond, I guess, between our class members that, ah, that didn’t exist in other classes, even though we were in a graduating class of 150 students.
Q: I’m sure it was a new reality for you guys. It’s very different – like I noticed one time I had an experience where I got really mad at one of my classmates because he wouldn’t even stand during the pledge of allegiance. . .
A: Right, right.
Q: It’s hard to think that the country went from the unity that they had in World War II. . .
A: Exactly.
Q: Kids don’t even want to stand for a country that was fought for.
A: I was with my parents, ah, when we heard about Pearl Harbor, and of course, I was still a senior in high school. And we were driving back south of McAlester and we were in our car and had the car radio on and then they announced about Pearl Harbor being bombed.
Q: That must have been a weird feeling.
A: It was. Of course, we were trying to think, “well, now, where is Pearl Harbor?” you know.
Q: Yea, did you think – before you heard about that, did you feel like the United States was kind of invincible or . . .?
A: No, I didn’t I didn’t suspect that we would be entering a war. I didn’t think anything about it, you know.
Q: OK. How did your war experience, if at all, your relations and interactions with your family, friends, spouse and/or girlfriend?
A: Well, ah, of course, like I say, there was a closeness – a bond in our graduating class. And, ah, I guess that’s about it.
Q: I’m sure your family was a lot closer, too, than . . .
A: Well, yes, of course, my brother, ah, was in Alaska and he was in a plane that crashed into a mountain. Incidentally, it was a PBY just like I flew to Bermuda in. They were taking off and the plane hit the mountain and, ah, it killed 10 out of 15, but he survived, ah, and he never got over the fact that I got an emergency leave because he was in the hospital!
Q: Do you still keep in touch with some of the people you served with?
A: Do I – closer?
Q: Do you still keep in touch with some of the people?
A: Oh, yes. We send e-mails to one another. Ah, in fact, ah, we stay in touch that way.
Q: That’s great, that you all learned to do that. How has your World War II experience impacted your life?
A: How did the experience what?
Q: Impact your life? Like did it have any affect on your views of other wars?
A: Well, I think discipline was one factor, you know, that, ah, of course, even in those days, discipline with your family – if you did something wrong in school, ah, your family saw to it that you were disciplined, and, ah, and of course, it was a shock when you were just a kid in a small town going into the service and with basic training and the screaming and the hollering and the rigorous aspects that you went through, you know.
Q: You had never been to a big city before?
A: Oh, well, yes, I’d been to, ah, Oklahoma City and places like that.
Q: What kinds of general observations and conclusions do you have about World War II and your World War II experience?
A: Well, I think, ah, unity, ah, was the biggest thing. There was a bond, ah, that we were all proud to serve our country and I think – I think that was probably the greatest thing.
Q: OK, thank you.
