Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:00 | Bill Jackson recalls life on Bougainville Island including the heat, being struck by lightning, and a late night run-in with a local banana-craving creature.
Keywords : Jackson William McKinley Marine Bougainville banana heat lightning
Bill Jackson recalls how fortunate he was to have experienced drill instructors during boot camp, two of whom had served as Flying Tigers in China.
While stationed on Bougainville Island, Bill Jackson remembers a night when 72 Japanese troops attempted to infiltrate his camp. He grabbed the first thing he could, his bayonet, and chased after one Japanese soldier. He also describes how some U.S. service members would act as natives on the island to gather information against the Japanese.
Bill Jackson recalls how they were helped by locals while stationed on the island of Bougainville, including a plantation owner who would call in Japanese-related intelligence on his radio, and other locals who would keep U.S. troops fed in between supply deliveries.
Besides making supply runs to nearby islands, Bill Jackson describes how his unit was involved in gaining intelligence while stationed on Bougainville Island, specifically regarding the invasion of the Philippines.
Bill Jackson remembers a flight from Bougainville Island to the Philippines where his unarmed Douglas C-47 transport aircraft became a "sitting duck" for a Japanese fighter. Through a clever flight maneuver, however, the transport aircraft managed to escape.
