William "Roy" Dowden, Vernon Parish Louisiana ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Dowden's memories of World War II focus on near visit to Japan By Kelly Moore / Staff Writer Leesville Leader June 6, 2004 Hornbeck -- When William "Roy" Dowden joined the Louisiana National Guard back in 1939, he never envisioned he would become part of the greatest war in United States history. Dowden, of Hornbeck, began his military career when he joined the Louisiana National Guard in the fall of 1939. Having been raised in Kisatchie with a diploma from Kisatchie High School in 1935, Dowden began a college career four years later at Louisiana Normal, now known as Northwestern State University. Soon his life would take a major turn. "I joined the National Guard in the fall of 1939, known as the 204th Coast Artillery and Aircraft (204 CAAA). I used that as a means of getting a little money for clothes and to pay for college," Dowden said. What Dowden didn't realize at the time when he joined the National Guard was that in October of 1940 his unit would be federalized into the National Army on Jan. 6, 1941, months before the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and thrust America into World War II. Dowden was one of the many men who made the great Louisiana Maneuvers. "On Jan. 6, 1941 we were sent to Camp Hewlett, Texas, and we stayed there until the war broke out," Dowden said. "The day after we got there Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. I was still in the bunk when they came running to tell us that they had bombed Pearl Harbor. I remember saying, 'where in the world is pearl harbor?' I'd never heard of it before." War was declared on Dec. 14, 1941 and in the next few months Dowden and the rest of the soldiers in his outfit would board a train and head for the west coast, becoming a part of the Western Defense Command. "About July our orders came through to ship out to the south Pacific. On Sept. 23 we left. We would go to Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines," Dowden continued. Dowden was a maintenance man, responsible for ensuring that 40mm and .50 caliber machine guns were in perfect operating order. "It was my responsibility tokeep them firing. We would get a call that a gun broke out in the woods and I would go out there and fix it," Dowden said with pride. After the invasion of the Phillipines was near completion, Dowden and his outfit were waiting to invade Japan. We listened to the news about the first atomic bomb. Then second. I have never heard of such a thing in my life. We were sitting around drinking cokes. I can remember clear as a bell the conversation sort of stopped. I said I don't know how you all feel, but here's the way I feel: "I did not start this mess and I'm ready to stop it. If they've got another one I'll go help them drop it." They had been listening to the radio while Dowden told everyone what he thought should happen when they announced the dropping of the second bomb. "Japan would have been the next step for us. The guy on the radio was explaining that Truman and all the dignitaries were in discussions about whether or not to invade Japan and when Truman asked how many casualties there would be someone told him there would be an estimated one million. He said 'Drop the bomb.'" Dowden told of how happy they were that they would not be going to Japan. Soon after that he was told that he would be going home. Upon arriving home he resumed classes at Northwestern State University and would ultimately finish his degree in Agricultural Science at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette. Dowden then taught at Zwolle and Mansfield High Schools whilehe earned his masters in education. After a three year courting, he married Pauline Polk and they had two daughters. Dowden attended Seminary at Fort Worth then became a licensed, ordained minister. Brother Roy Dowden, as he is known to his friends, has been teaching God's word for more than 50 years. He is retired now and living in Hornbeck with his wife of 56 years.