Stories of A Lifetime
Life lessons from the older generations
This Veterans day 2022 I want to share a few stories from some of the veterans I’ve interviewed. Many of the senior citizens I have interviewed were veterans, mainly in World War Two, some also in the Korean War and Vietnam War. There are two stories in particular that stand out to me that highlight the spirit of Veterans day that I want to share today. The first story comes from a WWII veteran sharing details of the Magic Carpet Operation that took place at the end of the war, and the second is a story by a Korean war veteran sharing his story of enlistment.
The Magic Carpet Operation
This story was told to me by a WWII veteran John A. He was born in 1925 and enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at 17 years old, right after the attack on Pearl Harbor. John had many stories to share about his time in the Navy but this one he was especially proud of. Operation Magic Carpet began in September of 1945, immediately after the end of WWII. The goal of the operation was to bring home all of the American troops that were overseas, of which there were over 3 million.
Being in the Navy, John had a big role in this operation. John was aboard an aircraft carrier and they welded 4,100 bunk beds on the hanger deck of the ship. The ship John was on first started their journey by transporting a load of Italian prisoners of War back to Naples Italy. After arriving in Naples they picked up about 5,500 US soldiers and brought them home to Newport News Virginia. But they weren’t done yet, after returning the soldiers back to the states they set out to South Hampton England to pick up another group of troops. In England they picked up a group of over 6,000 US soldiers and brought them home to New York. That is why they called it the Magic Carpet Operation, fleets of US ships transporting millions of American soldiers back home.
Hitch Hiking to the Recruiting Station
Another memorable interview I had was with John S. John was an Air Force veteran who served in the Korean War. He grew up in a small town in New Jersey, and I mean a very small town, of about 6 families. His father was a fisherman and his mother a homemaker. John was an only child, but said he and a few friends would occasionally go clamming or duck hunting around town. Other than that it was pretty boring, and John was ready to see the world. At 17 years old, and before finishing high school, John left home determined to join the Air Force. His parents didn’t approve so he ended up hitch hiking over 40 miles to the nearest recruiting station. He joined the Air Force and served until the end of the Korean War. During his enlistment John was stationed in Japan for nearly two years, he said that was one of his favorite memories from serving. John said he loved Japanese culture and felt like he finally had the chance to travel and see the world.
I feel lucky everyday that people like this have come before us, their sacrifices do not go unappreciated. Thank you to all of our veterans.
