Navy:
Aboard an LST

One year after the war had started Mr.  Morath was drafted to the Navy and by 1942 he was dispatched to Philippines. Mr. Morath was a baker and a gun pointer aboard an LST 1129.  A LST 1129 was a ship that transported tanks and soldiers from one island to the other.   Mr. Morath said that the LST 1129  mostly transported marines and their jeeps.

In the Philippines Mr. Morath was always in some kind of danger.  He says that a person's actions during a war are so automatic.   For example, in the time of battle  Mr.  Morath  was the person who shot and aimed a gun called a 20-20 off the side of their ship.  He said while unloading  troops, there was always Japanese airplanes flying over head firing at their ship trying to damage or kill the marines and their supplies..  During these moments, all he did was clench the trigger and fire. He says it all happens so fast and automatic it is hard to remember.  He does remember a time when his ship was under siege by Japanese airplanes.  While firing the 20-20, a Japanese bomb fell in his  ammunition tank and blew him  and his gun loader across the top of the ship. He and his partner made it "down below" with some cuts and bruises but they were still alive.

Since their ship had been hit, they had to leave battle and go to a safe place were their ship could be repaired. At this place they met up with a ship that looks like an oil tanker.  The LST 1129 would float into the rear of the tanker and would dock.  The tanker worked like a canal so it would drain the water out and the LST 1129 would get repaired.  When they finally fixed the LST 1129, the tanker would let water rush back in it so the LST 1129 could go back to warfare.

When they made it back to warfare they went by an island named Manilla.  Mr. Morath noticed that there were no buildings standing and all the bridges were gone, too.  The island was totally destroyed.  He said that all he could see was rubble from some old buildings.  From there they traveled to China where they were stationed for the rest of the war.   At China they stayed in Tina son where one can see the Great Wall of China.  Mr.  Morath was amazed by the Wall and wanted to go see its beauty, so Mr. Morath and some of the other sailors went to go catch a train.  Fortunately, they missed the train by about five minutes.  The next day they found out that the train they were about to get on was bombed and everyone on it was killed.

They stayed at Tina son until they heard word that the United States was going to drop the atom bomb on Japan.  Mr. Morath and the rest of his crew were happy that the war was coming to an end.  From the sea they could see the planes flying over going to drop the bomb.  A couple weeks later, Mr. Morath and the rest of the crew were able to go ashore and see the destruction.  He again said that there was nothing standing and there was no sign of any life.

Mr. Morath finally got to come home.  He said it was hard to come home after all of the fighting. While he was home, everyone kept on asking him where he was and what war was like, but it was too hard for him to talk about.  He said at times he would try but he would get too sad and would start to cry.  For the most part, Mr. Morath hid most of his feelings about the war.

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