Strong, Eugene, 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. Eugene Strong (Gene) was born and grew up in Roseland. He attended Roseland Elementary and graduated from Amite High School in 1937. After graduation, he worked at the Roseland Box Factory for several months, then served in the Merchant Marines from 1938- 1940. He returned to Roseland and he and Miss Mable Sharkey were married on June 30, 1940. Gene worked as a truck driver until he was drafted into the Navy in 1944. Basic training was at San Diego, Ca. He was sent overseas to Guam where he worked as a truck driver. Gene commented they were sent overseas with only a pocket knife (no weapons for defense). He said he worked from midnight until 12 noon and often they had to wait for a load. He recalled once while waiting for his load, he fell asleep and dreamed he was being held by the throat by a Japanese. Another time he went to unload and someone was sitting on a cherry pick- er. A Japanese? He felt strongly it was the enemy. He reported this to the office and he was sent to another location to unload. They moved supplies from one area to another and sometime from the dock where they had been unloaded from a ship to another storage area. Gene said Guam was supposed to be secure but the Japanese were so well-entrenched in tunnels until the Americans felt their presence from time to time. For example, the Japanese would steal food from the camps. Just a few days before he left for home, several Japanese shot into the camp. Luckily no one was hurt. He also recalls that as late as twenty years after the war ended, a few Japanese soldiers were still hiding on this island. There was one guy who was especially afraid. They would awaken him to report to duty and he would cower and hide until daylight. He was finally assigned different duty. Gene said he was able to make it during his tour of duty because he simply accepted his lot. The first time Gene drove a truck with a trailer was on Guam and he became quite good at this. All of this was without any special training. Until more permanent buildings were built, they slept on cots in Quonset huts. Gene said he saw Bunny Durning and Bill Tycer, hometown boys, while on Guam. This was a pleasure to see someone from home. With the end of the war, Gene returned home and was discharged at New Orleans in January 1946. He vividly remembers his trip from California to New Orleans on a train. Returning home on an aircraft carrier, about 2 a.m. water began to pour in. Everone thought the ship was sinking. Tahnk- fully it was learned someone opened the wrong valve and had turned on the sprinkler which cause a lot of water to flow. Gene and Mable built their home on the Sharkey family prop- erty on Sharkey Road in the Kedron Community. This is where they raised their children - seven children with two deceased. There are 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Gene now lives alone in his home since the death of his wife Mable. Gene had farmed, has done work as a carpenter and as a mechanic and drove a truck. He is now retired and enjoys visits to his family and friends to "enjoy a cup of coffee". ----- Newpaper clipping: 11 Aug 1944 Eugene N. Strong, AS, Co. 44- 436, U.S.N.T.C., San Diego, 33, Calif., is now stationed at this address. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Strong west of Rose- land. Eugene recently enlisted in the Navy after serving several years in the Merchant Marines. His wife who was formerly Miss Mabel Helen Sharkey of the Woodland community. * * *