Tate, Hilary Breed, 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. Hilary Breed Tate reflects that he made history when he was taken into the Army. He and another guy (last name Brown) were the first two to leave St. Helena Parish under the Selective Service Act. This was December 10, 1940. His induction got off to a bum start - they missed the White Eagle bus in Greensburg so Frank Allen who was an employee of the Selective Service System took them to Hammond where they "flagged" the bus near the Hi-Ho where Hwy. 51 junctions with Hwy. 190. He rode the bus to Camp Beauregard near Alexandria, Louisiana. Soon they were transport- ed by train to Camp Shelby, Mississippi to take IQ tests, have clothes issued to them, etc., then back by train to Beauregard. Hilary took his basic training at Beauregard, then for a short time was stationed at Camp Livingston, near Alexandria, where he worked as an orderly (handling bedpans, he said). In May 9141 he was transferred to Camp Polk, near Leesville, Louisiana where he operated the switchboard for a while. He remained at Polk until August, 1944. Hilary served as Range Communications Sergeant on firing ranges and noted he handled all communications on small arms and artillery on firing ranges. He was in telephone communications the entire time he was in the Army. He recalls spending about a month (Aug./Sept. 1944) at Camp Crowder, Missouri where he taught telephone climbing. Shortly thereafter he left to report to a camp at Marysville, Califor- nia. He was there for a short time and recalls spending a few nights in the desert. He mentioned an encounter in the desert with wild oats that would stick like briars and cling to a blan- ket. What a nuisance! Late 1944 found him on board a ship enroute to his overseas assignment. The ship docked in the Fiji Islands and at Mel- bourne, Australia. He had hoped to go ashore, but by the time it became his turn it was decided no one else would be permitted to leave the ship due to the fact that those who had gone ashore came back inebriated. After a 40 day journey they landed in Bombay, India. The longer route was necessary due to the Jap- anese-infested waters on the shorter, more direct route. Hilary volunteered for the baggage detail and was rewarded with being able to shower in salt-free water. For the 40 days aboard ship, salt water was the only available water. He recalls today how clean he felt after this refreshing shower. He was sent by train across India to Calcutta to a staging area. A few days later he was aboard a train to New Delhi where he was unassigned. From New Delhi he was sent back to Bombay where he was assigned to telephone systems - a switchboard at Hotel De Pak Mahal and some barracks where troops were stationed, including some British. He recalls with wry humor the corporal who was stationed there. Thinking Hilary was his replacement, he spoke of "going home" and how good the steaks would taste and how cold the beer would be. Six or eight months later Hilary saw him stringing telephone wire in the same area. He had not gone home. Hilary stayed in Bombay a month or two and was sent back to Calcutta and up to Ledo where he was assigned to the 236 Signal Service Battalion. The better known Burma Road to China had been taken over by the enemy and the Allies had developed the Ledo Road through Burma and into China. Alongside the road was an 8 inch pipe on top of the ground through which gasoline was pumped from India to Kin Ming, China. A rail line was laid parallel to the road. They rigged a Jeep to "ride the rails". There were, of necessity, stationes to check on the flow of the gasoline. He and others were responsible to maintain telephone communications between these stations. With the end of the War, Hilary received word of his ro- tation home. He was flown across India where he boarded the Liberty Ship to begin his journey home. The ship made its way over the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and into the Atlantic Ocean. They reached New York Harbor November 11, 1945 (Armis- tice Day) and docked alongside the historic USS Missouri on which the peace treaty was signed with the Japanese. He recalls seeing people streaming aboard to tour the Missouri. They proceeded to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and through Indiana to Camp Shelby, Mississippi where he received his discharge on November 18, 1945. Having circled the globe from West to East, he returned to his native St. Helena Parish where his wife and son Randy awaited. Today, having overcome serious illness, he lives with his wife, Pat, east of Amite. Hilary is employed by the District At- torney's Office and enjoys visiting with family and friends, in his spare time. A special joy are the grandchildren. -------- Newspaper clippings: 20 Nov. 1942 Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Tate of Montpelier had as their guests re- cently their son and daughter-in- law, Sgt. and Mrs. Hilary B. Tate, Jr., and little son, Ran- dolph, of Camp Polk. 6 Aug. 1943 Sgt. Hilary B. Tate of Camp Polk, La. has been recently trans- ferred to Los Angeles, California. 15 Oct. 1943 Sgt. H.B. Tate of Camp Polk, spent the weekend with his wife who is teaching in Pine Grove, and with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Tate of Montpelier. 9 June 1944 Sgt. Hilary B. Tate, ASN 340, 3278, A.S.F.T.C. Camp Crow- der, Mo., has been transferred re- cently from Camp Polk, La. His wife and little son Randy who have been with him at Camp Polk have returned to spend the sum- mer with relatives at Pine Grove and Montpelier. 28 July 1944 Sgt. Hilary B. Tate, 34003278, Co. C, 4th Bn., ASF-PRD, Camp Beale, Calif. has been transfer- red recently from Camp Crowder, Mo. * * *