The Howard Hansen Story of WW2

It was a short casual conversation with Howard - David and Jackie's home,

August 2, 1997, when it occurred to me to ask him if anyone had recorded

his World War II stories. He said, no, no one had taped, written or filmed

anything. I asked if he'd like to make a record for his family - grandchildren -

of his part in that terrible time in history that is so rapidly being revised and

rewritten by our present day generation ... and he said, "Yes!" When I called

to make the arrangements, I sensed some hesitation and so I asked him if

it made him uncomfortable talking about it. He said, yes, it did. Since he is

such a great story teller and I've known him to relate some of these stories

before, I was somewhat surprised. I told him that I wouldn't ask for any

details that he didn't want to talk about - there would be no body count -

only just whatever he felt comfortable with. We hung up then and he

thought about it for a few hours and called me back and said, "Let's do it."

He wasn't sure he could remember much or in sequence - it was 55 years

ago; but I believe what follows is a remarkable account of what that young

man experienced typically sprinkled with humor and some boasting even,

gliding lightly over the first two campaigns, not going into too much

detail of what it meant to "secure an island". But by the third campaign,

the real horror of fighting a war with the Japanese who "honorably" could

not surrender, begins to be told in graphic detail. A war that his government

asked to him to fight - a war that, as he said, the Japanese government

forced him to fight. Heroes everyone, these men who served in that

dreadful war. I feel it is important that we record and remember. We owe

them that!

As this story progressed, I became aware that Howard's personal experiences

and viewpoint do not fully describe the scope of what was happening all

around him, nor the impact of what those islands and their air fields meant

to the United States (as well as Japan) in their efforts to win the war. I happen

to own a set of books, "The Complete History of World War II" published by

the Publishers Guide in 1945. They not only have helped me to spell more

correctly, but also confirm information that Howard relates. From these I have

made a short summary of each island as relates to statistics and other very

brief comments. I believe this broader view gives even more power and

importance to Howard's intimate record.

Here then, is his story:

M: Let's start with December 7, 1941 - everybody seems to remember that day. What were you doing?

H: I don't know what I was doing on that day, but I know that I was pretty mad

cause they did it.

M: You don't remember December 7?

H: I remember what happened, but I don't remember what I was doing. I know

one thing, I was thinking about going down to enlist on the 12th, and I did, and

was 5 days after the Japs hit Pearl Harbor.

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M: You were 18 years in 1941?

H: No, I was 21.