World War II Veteran
John Twohig
1918 - 2014
Interviewed by:
Ben Czuchra and Ben Ering
John when he enlisted
John during interview
"You had to be on your guard at all times."
~ John Twohig
Name:
John T. Twohig
Date of Birth / Death:
August 13, 1918 -
December 21, 2014
Branch of Service:
Boatswain (BM-1C)
Dates of Service: ?
Location of Military Service:
South Pacific
Residence at Time of Interview:
Brewster, MA
John Twohig's Story:
John Twohig fought in World War II, which was one of the most gruesome battles in world history. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 13, 1918. At first, John was a hard working American man who fixed highways and other roads in Boston for the state. Then, when the United States joined World War II, John was eager to enlist and join his American brethren. When John enlisted for duty, he was assigned to the United States Coast Guard as a Boatswain First Class. John was stationed mainly in the South Pacific, near the Philippines. For day in and day out, John had to clean and maintain the General H.L. Scott, his ship during the war. This behemoth was the size of a small town, and took a full day to clean. John himself never experienced the fear of being in battle, but everyday he had to witness other troops being launched off ships into a barrage of bullets. When John retired from the service, he returned to a normal life working as a highway worker. He currently is living in Brewster, Massachusetts. A few years after he left the Coast Guard, he started to lose his eye sight. Since John enlisted in the army, and risked his life for his country, he is a true hero to America.
