Russell Glenn Woolever

(born July 22, 1919)

Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, when I was in my senior year at Drake University. After graduation in June, 1942, I enlisted in the Navy in August, 1942 -just one month after my 23rd birthday. I then was sent to Columbia University in New York as an Ensign, on December 2, 1942, and received orders to proceed to the San Francisco Naval Command (stopping at home in Nichols, Iowa, on the way). Had a good time in San Francisco for one week, except for the need to purchase new uniforms. My original uniforms never left the Chicago Railroad station. They were still there when I retrieved them three and a half years later when I was released from duty in Chicago.

My orders were to travel to Pearl Harbor and report to the Commander, Hawaiian Sea Frontier. There I was assigned to the USS Girosal for Patrol Duty off Pearl on December 21, 1942. I celebrated New Year's Eve at sea. It was a good party, and no Japanese subs interfered.

On January 27, 1943, I was transferred as a Watch officer (shore) at the Joint Operations Center in Pearl Harbor. This was a large cave in the mountains back of Pearl. This was the Communications Command and Control Center for all ships daily. This duty lasted until March, 1944, during which time I lived in Naval housing in Pearl Harbor. Our duty hours were twelve hours a day for four days a week. I enjoyed many off duty hours on the Island of Oahu. One of the most significant things I did while there was to purchase an engagement ring for Miriam which I sent to her through the mail.

My orders in March of 1944 were to return to the U.S., reporting to the Commander of the Submarine Chaser Training School in Miami, Florida, for three weeks. I then received orders to report to the Commanding Officer - Recognition School - Ohio University. The purpose of this was to enable one to recognize an enemy plane in flight in 1/12th of a second. I passed.

From Ohio, my orders were to report on May, 1944, to New York, to the Commander of the Runnels. During this period I was promoted Lieutenant Junior Grade.

It was during my leave time from Ohio University to New York that I met Miriam (who was now in service) in Cincinnati, Ohio. She had been assigned orders for overseas duty. It so happened that we both had leave at the same time, so we had a few days together in Cincinnati while visiting her family.

My primary duty on the Runnels (Destroyer) at this time was Assistant First Lt., responsible for ship maintenance, except for Engineering functions. Of course, each officer had deck duty assignments (running the ship while at sea).

We received orders to return to Yonkers, New York, in January, 1945. Here the ship was converted to an APD. We now had four landing crafts built on the ship-the purpose being to carry so-called Frog Men (we had 50 on board) whose duty was to go ashore using the landing crafts, and destroy enemy shore facilities in preparation for a military landing. We assumed this was in preparation for the invasion of Japanese-held territory, or Japan itself. The conversion took months, and I stayed in a New York City hotel during this time.

When the conversion was complete in February, 1945, our route was through the Panama Canal to San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. From Pearl we were ordered to Manila, and on the way, we practiced shore landings with our new landing crafts and the Frog Men. We did have one submarine contact during this time, and received a 50% credit for a possible hit. It got away. While in Manila, we were attacked by Japanese planes at night. We were not hit, but a nearby carrier was hit. During this period-in August, 1945 -I was made a full Lieutenant.

After a brief stay in Manila, we were assigned duty with the US Pacific Third Fleet for patrol duty. This lasted only for a short period, as the war came to an end. We then reported for duty in October, 1945, to the Port Director in Tokyo Bay, as the Navy had taken control of the harbor. Frog Men were ordered elsewhere.

Our assignment then involved operational duties necessary for the evacuation of prisoners of war. During this period we experienced the severity of a typhoon. As an APD is not too seaworthy, we were permitted to cease escorting, and seek the leeward side of a nearby island until the typhoon passed.

We were assigned escort orders for several days in the Inland Sea. This enabled us to go ashore a few times. It was during this Inland Sea duty that we anchored at Nagasaki, where the second atomic bomb was dropped. The captain and ship's doctor were permitted to go ashore to take pictures.

I was released to inactive duty on December 25, 1945, and reported to the Port Director, who turned out to be Bill Samp-my roommate in Midshipman Training at Columbia U. in 1942-a real coincidence.

I left Japan on December 31, 1945, for transportation via ship to San Diego, and from there was ordered to the US Naval Separation Center, at Great Lakes, Illinois, on January 26, 1946. 1 was given 40 days leave, and on March 13th became released from all active duty. I had completed three and one-half years of service, and was 26 years old.