Tate, Edward R., 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.

     Edward R. Tate, having finished high school at Montpelier
in 1932 and after realizing farming was a low-paying vocation,
began working as a roughneck in the oil fields of South Louisi-
ana.  While working on a pipeline near Alexandria he received
'greetings' from Uncle Sam and was selected for the United States
Army.  Edward reported for induction at Greensburg on April 4,
1941.  Among those reporting for duty was Lee Tate and W.D. "Tut"
Blades.  They left Greensburg very early and after a very cir-
cuitous route through Baton Rouge and New Orleans arrived at 
Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where they were sworn
in near midnight (wouldn't allow any to escape!).  Clothing was
issued which consisted of heavy winter woolens.  One poor guy
was issued jodphurs and wrap leggings (vintage World War I)
which forced him to arise even earlier than the other G.I.'s to
dress.

     Edward received basic training in Field Artillery at Fort
Bragg, North Carolina near Fayetteville where he clearly recalls
a sign outside an establishment "No dogs or soldiers allowed"
(note dogs was listed first).  Following basic, he was trans-
ferred to Camp Forrest, Tennessee for more advanced training in
field artillery.  His group was in an anti-tank battalion.
Edward participated in military manuevers in the Carolinas,
Louisiana, and later in desert maneuvers in Death Valley, Cali-
fornia.

     From Camp Forrest, he was sent to Ft. Hood, Texas, where
they were trained as tank destroyers.  The group was then sent
to Needles, California, where they were on desert manuevers as
tank destroyers with "Blood and Guts" General Patton.  General
Patton chose a different battalion to go to North Africa and
Edward's group was transferred to the California coast to Fort
Ord near San Francisco where they trained as an amphibious
Tractor Battalion.

     Edward was chosen to teach International Morse Code for
communications to selected enlisted men and officers.  Strangely,
he never used the Morse Code in combat.

     While stationed in California he met his future wife, Nellie
Rae.  A native of Missouri, she, like many other young women dur-
ing the War, was working in munitions plants to help the War
effort.  These women were affectionately called "Rosie the
Riveter".

     From Fort Ord, Edward's group was sent to Seattle, Washing-
ton, where they were shipped out from Puget Sound to Hawaii.
They were then sent to Enewietok where Army, Navy, and Marines
congregated to invade the Philippines.  Enewietok was later used
for atomic bomb practice.  After the Philippines were secure,
they hit Okinawa.  Because they were members of the amphibious
group, they were the first ashore, landing from LST's.  "These
were like riding in a tub," Edward said.

     When Okinawa was secured, they returned to the Philippines
to draw replacement men and supplies to invade Japan.  Thankfully,
President Harry Truman authorized the dropping of the atomic
bomb on Japan which brought World War II to an end.

     Soldiers were returned home on a point system.  A child at 
home counted for more points than service time.  Due to a strike
on the West Coast which tied up the ships, it was more than two
months before Edward was able to 'head home'.  Upon reaching
California, the returning servicement feasted their eyes on the
Golden Gate Bridge.  A troop train was formed in San Francisco
which whisked them non-stop to Pittsburg, Texas, where Edward
was discharged.  The return home was plagued by strikes as the 
buses were then on strike.  Anxious to reach home, several men
hired a taxi from Shreveport to Baton Rouge.  Edward reached his
home in Montpelier Christmas Day, 1945.

     Edward settled down to farming, married his 'war bride' and
later went into the dairy business.  After the death of his first
wife, Nellie, he married Inez Bridges who was a widow with three
sons.

     In summing his military service, Edward said succinctly,
"It was not much.  We went, we did our job and came back."  Pausing
reflectively, he said, "Some did not come back."

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Newspaper Clipping:

12 Nov. 1943

  Edward Tate of the U.S. Army
visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Neil Tate, at Montpelier recently.

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