Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:44 | Morale was good in Hawaii in 1940. Why? The garden spot of the world, the ladies in Honolulu and the relatively easy duty. Roy Mooney would bivouac in his company's area of responsibility for a week at a time, then return to the barracks. Sometimes, they were Guinea pigs for the Army's C-ration development, so they got an early taste of instant coffee. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
Keywords : Roy Mooney Hawaii Honolulu Soldiers Beach guinea pig rations coffee
What a deal! Join the Army and go to Hawaii! That's what Roy Mooney and fifteen others he knew did in 1940. They were destined to be scattered all over and lose touch but they all got their start in the Pacific paradise. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
War was expected in the army garrison on Hawaii, so the troops were training to defend the island from hostile forces. Roy Mooney remembers how he and another soldier were chewed out over a damaged M-1 rifle. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
Roy Mooney was part of the cadre of troops on Hawaii that was there to defend the islands against possible aggression. On Saturday, December 6, 1941, he returned to his barracks after two weeks in the field. It was payday and Honolulu beckoned. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
The men were at the mess hall getting their breakfast when they heard a series of loud booms. They knew immediately what it must be and when Roy Mooney rushed to see what was happening, his fears were confirmed. The planes that were causing the destruction at Pearl Harbor were marked with the Rising Sun of Japan. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, Roy Mooney's unit was deployed around the island's coast, watching for any signs of invasion. In the middle of a pineapple field, he saw someone walking where there should have been no one walking. The man appeared to be Japanese. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
When the draftees arrived in Hawaii to join the Pacific campaign, it was Roy Mooney's unit that trained them. He had just become a cook, which came with certain perks, like not getting shot at so much. In the unit were two guys who got along until payday and he recalls the time it got way out of hand. (This interview made possible with the support of NORMAN PRESSLEY.)
