Bridges, James S., St. Helena Parish, Louisiana File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate. ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical Association, 1995. Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and reprinted with permission. JAMES S. BRIDGES April 8, 1914 - February 15, 1995 James S. (J.S.) Bridges graduated from high school at Oak- land High School in 1933 and did farm work, logging work, served in the CCCs and was drafted into the United States Army on April 2, 1942. He took his basic training at Camp Crowder, Missouri, then on to New Brunswick, New Jersey from whence he shipped out to the European Theater Operations on the luxury liner Queen Mary that had been converted to a troop ship during the war years. He departed on September 3, 1942 from the east coast and was five and one half days crossing the Atlantic. There were 20,000 troops and 500 nurses aboard the great ship. Letters were rigidly censored and to let the family know when he reached his destination, he wrote "I felt better on Minnie's birthday than I had in a long time." We then knew he had landed on September 12. He told us he first landed in Scot- land (9/12/42). J.S. endured the Blitz of London as did many other American soldiers. He served as a driver for officers up to a full Colonel including General Troy Middleton's aid, Mac Kornbeak. He was able to see a bit of London despite the War - he recalls Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, the White Cliffs of Dover, Stonehenge and other well known places. He said the saying was that when you visited Picadilly Square in London, you would see someone you knew. Sure enough, he saw Ted King ( a guy from our area) leaning against a light post when he visited Picadilly Square. He was stationed in southern England on D-Day and went on into France June 19, 1944. He later went into Germany and was present at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 at which President Harry Truman, Josef Stalin and Winston Churchill were partici- pants. He was very near Churchill as the Britian exited a build- ing. J.S. also went into Berlin in 1945 and vividly recalls the odor of death from people buried underneath the rubble brought about by the extensive bombings. He also went into Paris with the European Theater. Additionally, he received the "Memorandum Receipt from VIII Corps 18 January 1945, Bastogne, Belgium." He was in the battle zone for eleven months and during this time did not pay for anything except 20 cents for hair cuts twice monthly. After the end of the war, he shipped out for home on Septem- ber 26, 1945 from LeHarve, France and touched the American soil at Boston after three long years and 30 days, on October 3, 1945. He received his discharge at Camp Shelby on October 11, 1945, thus completing a cycle (he had spent some time at Shelby earlier during his army career). J.S. returned to civilian life and tried his hand at several things including what all G.I.'s called the 52/20 Club (they re- ceived $20 a week for 52 weeks in an effort to ease them back into civilian life). In 1953, he began work as a civilian em- ployee with the Air Force Supply, beginning at Sharp Station, Baton Rouge, where he and Miss Sybil White were married on July 27, 1958. J.S.'s job transferred them first to Mobile, Alabama and later to San Antonio, Texas. He retired in 1970 and returned to his native St. Helena Parish. They built a comfortable home on land J.S. owned. They became very active in church, attending Day's United Methodist where J.S. was on the Board of Trustees and a Steward. J.S. also served on the Board of Directors for Council on Aging for 15 years, the St. Helena Democratic Committee for 14 years and on the Board of Supervisors of Elections. He was Constable for the Sixth Ward, St. Helena Parish, from August 6, 1973 until May 1976. J.S. enjoyed growing vegetables and was known for his bountiful and tasty vegetables. - - - - - Newspaper clippings: 25 May 1943 Cpl. J.S. Bridges, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson W. Bridges of the New Zion community, has come through the European war without a scratch, according to word received by his cousin, Conley Lea. He was first sta- tioned in England, then France, and Belgium and now some- where in Germany 20 Aug 1943 Pvt. J.S. Bridges, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Bridges of the Sixth Ward, is enjoying his stay in England, according to a letter received recently from one of Jim's friends in London. * * * * *