Louis J. Iannalfo Corps of Engineers |
I was drafted in the fall of 1941 as soon as I had completed my 2nd year at UCLA. Since I was studying to become a civil engineer, I asked to be placed in the Corps of Engineers. I was told that in order to be placed with an Engineer Battalion I would have to be shipped to either the Philippine Islands, Hawaii, or Panama. I chose the Islands of Hawaii and as you know just a couple of months after arriving as a replacement in the 65th combat Engineers, we were attacked by the Japanese. That Sunday morning, at 0755, I was standing on the steps of the chapel on Wheeler Field, just across the street from my barracks just as I had done every Sunday morning. I looked up and saw over 150 planes coming across the sky. About 10 of them peeled off and in 5 minutes the field was a ball of fire. Only several of the fighter planes on our field were undamaged. My job as this time was as a jeep driver and when I reported back to my unit, I was assigned the job of driver for a Major Davis. He ordered me to drive to Hickam Field (across from Pearl Harbor). I witnessed all the bombing at the field and also the ships being bombed at Pearl Harbor. It was 2 hours of hell. Several months after that I was ordered back to the main lands to accept a commission as a 2nd Lt. My first assignment after graduation as a "90 day wonder" was as commanding officer of a special Engineer Company. Our mission was to build, maintain and defend bomber bases for B-17 and B24s. After training our men for just 6 months, we left for England. We worked our company day and night in 2-10 hour shifts. This was the build-up for bombing of the Nazis Air Force out of existence. I came out of the war and was sent home on December 3, 1945 more than four years after I started at the Islands of Hawaii. My final rank was Major C.E. Information provided by Louis J. Iannalfo |
