Brittini Dudley, Michael Macalalad, Kylie Gahre, Brandon Spooner

Brittini Dudley, Michael Macalalad, Kylie Gahre, Brandon Spooner

Corona

U.S. History Per. 5

May 4, 2005

ESLR# 1, 2, 5

C.S. 11.8

Harold Wondolleck

Over the years, Americans have studied the many important events in history including: World War I, Vietnam, Korea, and the Declaration of Independence. Many of our books portray an image of conquest and celebration, but does it explain the gruesome deaths and battles? The only way young Americans have a chance to know the truth is to interview a veteran.

When given the opportunity to interview an actual veteran, we were excited but nervous. This would give us a chance to connect with history and to learn more than what our history books teach. After meeting our veteran, we started to research the war and try to find more information on World War II. This helped our group to understand many naval terms and ships used during the war. After researching our veteran, the day came when we were going to meet him face to face.

Harold Wondolleck, U.S. Coast Guard, was born in August 1921 into a sea faring family. In his family, there was two ship captains: his father and grandfather. Both served in WWI, on as a Chief Engineer, and the other as a Third Mate. In the fifth grade, he announced his desire to go to the Maritime Academy, but his parents disapproved. Hal had always wanted his chance to fight for his country. During his junior year in high school, the draft for WWII began and Wondolleck urged to join, but his parents still thought otherwise. After years of convincing and pleading, Hal’s parents agreed to his decision to fight for his country. Once Hal stopped attending, after only one year at San Francisco University, and enlisted onto the U.S.C.G. He decided to do this because he had heard that two of his sailing friends had joined the U.S. Coast Guard, and that he knew that he could qualify operating the landing craft on the beaches of Guadalcanal, Tulogi, and Gouganville. His parents agreed with him and approved of it. Wondolleck’s ships supplied the First Marine Division with gas and diesel fuel, and Marine fighter pilots with aviation gas and bombs, and the Motor Torpedo Boats with gas, ammunition, and torpedoes.

While serving in the military, Hal joined the U.S. Coast Guard where he became a Second Class Signalman. This job consisted of sending messages to various ships using the flashing light codes. These codes would translate into words, which was very useful when radio communication was slim to none. Hal discussed the joy that came with his job, and enjoyed watching the ships enter and exit the bay.

Wondolleck and his shipmates also traveled throughout the world including Pearl Harbor, Midway, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Guadalcanal, Russel, Tugali, Bouganville, Eniwetok, Kwajalein, Caroline Islands, Leyette Gulf, Mindanor, Subic Bay inland to San Fernando, Corregidor, and Manus Island. These are a few of the many areas that he traveled to throughout his time in the Pacific Ocean. There were many battles especially in Subic Bay where they unloaded their beer, liquor, and the two lower holds of cement for the new Officer’s Club. They also serviced the Motor Torpedo Boats with gas, ammunition, and torpedoes as they were attaching Manila Bay, Leyete Gulf, and the Philippine Sea. According to Mr. Wondolleck, the day after they left Subic Bay, they were attacked by the Japanese in the Leyette Gulf and had to be towed out by four Navy tugs. The tow took 58 days to go 6000 miles.

Although there was a large amount of war and destruction, there was also fun and excitement. During their days off, Wondolleck said that he and his crew enjoyed playing baseball against other ships that were in the bay. He described to us the excitement of their small ship beating the big ships and leaving each bay undefeated. They also enjoyed listening to the radio while on board the ship. The crew on the ship listened to many different stations including both Japanese and American stations. The ship mainly depended on Arm Force Radio, which supplied them with the main source of Big Band Music. A couple times, the shortwave Radio Station from Japan would report that Wondolleck’s ship had been sunk at Guadalcanal, and another time in Bouganville. They enjoyed the propaganda effort and just laughed at it.

While in the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. Wondolleck lost many of his closest friends and companions. He provided us with a list of things that relate to us and said, “War does damage to a young man’s life.” Mr. Wondolleck suffered many great losses; including some people that he had attended school with.

Now, many years after his discharge in December of 1945, Mr. Wondolleck serves his duty as a husband and a father of eight children. He has seventeen grandchildren and one great grandson. Two of his sons served in the Vietnam War. His oldest son was a medic, and another of his sons was in the Air Force. He has been married for fifty-eight years, and now works as an insurance broker. After leaving the Coast Guard, he began to sail with his yacht club, and has been doing so for seventy-five years. He has been sailing since 1930, and had even built his own in 1935. After the interview, we learned to always keep our head up in times of grief and agony, and that war is not the answer. Hal Wondolleck wanted for his grandchildren and the children of future generations to know that it is up to us to put a stop to the loss of life and awful destruction that a war causes.