Chutz, Wayne J., St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate.
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Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives
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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.

     Wayne J. Chutz was born January 3, 1915 in a small settle-

ment, Grand Levee, in Pointe Coupee Parish.  He attended Morganza

High School.  After high school in 1933 during the Great Depres-

sion he entered the CCC's.  The company was formed at Camp Beau-

regard in Alexandria and from there he was sent to Camp Bolivar

E. Kemp, Greensburg.

     After a year in the CCC's, Wayne went to work for a dredging

company headquartered in New Orleans.  At the beginning of World

War II, he was still with the same company working in Key West,

Florida.  In 1942, he got a release from the company and traveled

to New Orleans and joined the Navy C.B.'s (Construction

Battalion).  This was in November 1942.  He reported for duty in

February 1943 and was sent to Camp Perry, Virginia, a large C.B.

base for his basic training.  Completing his basic training, his

battalion boarded a train for Camp Endicott, Rhode Island, about

30 miles from Providence, Rhode Island.  Here he had advanced

training.

     On July 6, 1943 they left for California to Camp Raussan at

Port Huneme, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles.  There they

had more training.

     On October 14, 1943 his BAttalion boarded a ship bound for

the South Pacific.  The 93rd C.B.'s finally reached its desti-

nation, Baulka Island of the Russel Group some 60 miles north

west of Guadalcanal.  There they began the construction of

roads, air stirps, warehouses, hospital, communication lines,

radar station and all of the things they had been trained to do.

     In February 1944 a convoy was formed and he headed for Green

Island which was their first invasion.  The first few nights he

said they spent most of the time in foxholes due to air raids

and bombings.  On this island they began the process of build-

ing:  roads, bridges, hospital, air strip for fighter planes and

large bombers.  They remained on Green Island about eight months.

     Wayne said they shoved off again on October 25.  All of the

equipment was loaded on the freighter.  They landed on New Guinea

on October 31.  In New Guinea a large convoy made up for the in-

vasion of the Philippine Islands.

     On November 14, 1944, the ship Wayne was aboard pulled into

Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.  They got into some small landing

boats and made land on Samar.  There all the equipment was un-

loaded and there on the southern part of Samar we had reached

our destination.  Here we bagan to build air strips for fighters

and bombers, hospital, communication lines, radar towers and all

necessary buildings.

     July 4, 1945 Wayne was one of 200 men who was sent to the

United States for a rest period.  While he was home on leave the

atomic bomb was dropped and when the Japanese did not surrender,

the second bomb was dropped and then the Japanese surrendered.

     On November 12, 1945, Wayne reported to the Naval Base in

Algiers where he remained for two weeks.  He was shipped back to

Camp Endicott, Rhode Island where he remained for about four

months at which time he was discharged.  This was in February 

1946.

     Returning to civilian life, he worked for Ethyl Corporation

for 17 1/2 years when he was laid off when the plant down-sized.

He then worked construction work for seven months.  For the

following 17 years he operated a grocery which he owned.  During

this time he also operated a gravel pit.  In 1983, he sold the

gravel pit, closed the store, and he and his wife traveled some.

     Wayne and Miss Miriam Calmes were married on July 11, 1948.

They were the parents of four sons and have two grandchildren.

Since the death of his wife, he lives alone near relatives.  He

enjoys growing vegetables and visiting friends and relatives.

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