Diary Notes

I was drafted on December 15, 1942 at Camp Grant, Chicago, 111. I took my basic training at Ft. Lewis, Washington. From there I was sent to Camp Clipper in the Mojave Desert of California. We were to train for North Africa, but that campaign was coming too a close. So, we were sent to Kauai for guard duty on the big island for nine months. Then it was on to waif for amphibious training and landings. We were there for three months. From there we went to Finchhaven, New Guinea. One regiment was fighting in the swamps and hills, one regiment was on guard duty and camp detail, and one regiment had docks detail, unloading ships and supplies. That's what I was doing. We spent nine months there.

On December 19, 1944 we made the second landing on Mortai, in the Halma Herias on the equator. It was a horseshoe shaped island with Morotai set in the center of the opening, or the mouth. Other units had the island, but lost it. The 33rd retook it again. That was my first taste of combat. I saw my first Jap Zero shot down on Christmas Eve. They would bomb in the nighttime and we bomb them in the daytime. We spent one month on Morotai.

When the 33rd Division landed on Luzon on February 1, 1945, it was D + 2 day. We relieved the 43rd Division. We went on a lot of patrols. One time we were pinned down by Jap light machine gun fire. The tall grass was being clipped off. The seed heads were falling on my neck and down my back. One man got hit in the leg, and we managed to get out and back to our unit. We reported what we found.

We were pulled from one hot spot to another. Hill X was the next hot spot we were sent to. It was a rugged mountain to climb. I was the second scout of the lead unit. I was carrying a Thompson 45 Submachine Gun. The first scout got hit in the head. That left me to direct the firepower. We were losing men on both sides of me. A Jap threw a hand grenade at me. It landed about four or five feet away from me. While the dust was settling I readied a grenade of my own. I threw it into their spider hole. It landed on the edge and rolled into their hole. Two Japs slumped back into their hole.

A while later I got orders to pull back. The second squad was to take our place. I was so angry because we couldn't get the fighting power to continue up the hill. As we pulled back someone grabbed me by the arm. They said to slow down. I'd been hit. I had blood on my gun from my hand wound. Blood was on my ammo belt from my stomach wound, and my shirt was bloody from my arm wound.

Suddenly I calmed down. In my mind, I could see the Golden Gate. I didn't want to fight any more. I just wanted to go home. This all happened on April 12, 1945, the same day President Roosevelt died.

It took our patrol about two hours to walk back down to the first aid station. I was checked over and then flown by light plane, along with two stretcher cases, to a hospital that was set up on Luzon.

I was operated on at about 8:00 PM that night. I spent a couple of days on Luzon, and then I was flown to Lyate to a bigger hospital. In Lyate they operated on my hand again. I spent about six weeks on Lyate.

My platoon consisted of 42 men when we started up Hill X. When our unit finally got to Baguio, the summer capitol, there were only fifteen men left from the original platoon. The rest were either killed or wounded.

I received the Purple Heart. I also received the Silver Star Award for my actions on Hill X. Our unit received a unit citation.

I was sent back to my unit, the 33rd Division, on June 2nd 1945. When I arrived in Baguio, the 33rd was doing amphibious landing training in preparation to invade the Japanese homeland.

On September 15, 1945 we were loaded on the A.P.A. USS Sumpter. We were headed for Japan. We were on the high seas when the war ended. We landed at Kobe, Japan, a naval base where we took over a Japanese camp. I spent a month as part of the occupational force before I returned to the U.S.A. We landed in San Francisco on November 20, 1945. I was sent to Camp Grant in Chicago to be discharged. I got out of the Army on November 29, 1945.

We were not to keep any records of our movements while in the service. But, I kept a little black book with me at all times. I kept records of dates, ships, and where we were sent. A copy of those records is included in this biography.

Ralph Kapchinske's Diary of World War II

December 15, 1942 - Drafted
December 26, 1942 - Back to camp
December 29, 1942 - Left Camp Grant
January 1, 1943 - Fort Lewis, Washington
April 4, 1943 - Left Fort Lewis
April 7,1943 - In Camp Clipper CA.
June 15, 1943 - Left Camp Clipper CA.
June 16, 1943 - to Camp Stoneman
June 19, 1943 - got on a Ship
June 20, 1943 - Sailed-Left U.S.A.
June 27, 1943 - Landed in Hawaii
December 21, 1943 - Left Hawaii - Big Island
December 23,1943 - Landed in Kauai
April 21, 1944 - Left Kauai
April 22,1944 - in Oahu
April 23,1944 - Left Oahu
May 5,1944 - Landed in New Guinea
December 14, 1944 - Left New Guinea
December 19, 1944 - Landed on Morotai
January 23, 1945 - Left Morotai
February 3, 1945 -Sailed From Morotai
February 6, 1945 - Stopped in Lyate
February 10, 1945 - Landed on Luzon
April 12, 1945 - Got hit on Luzon
April 15, 1945 - Left Luzon by air to Lyate
May 26, 1945 - Left Lyate
May 30, 1945 - Landed Luzon
June 2, 1945 - Back to the 33rd Division
September 15, 1945 - Loaded on Ship
September 20, 1945 - Sailed From Luzon
September 25, 1945 - Landed in Japan
October 23, 1945 - Left the 33rd Division
November 6, 1945 - Left Japan on Ship
November 8, 1945 -Sailed for U.S.A.
November 13, 1945 - Crossed the I.D.L.
November 20,1945 - Landed in U.S.A.
November 24, 1945 - Left San Francisco
November 27, 1945 - in Chicago, Camp Grant
November 29, 1945 - Out of the Army

Troop Transport

U.S.S. Republic From U.S.A. to Hawaii
Liberty S.S. Jane Adams From Hawaii to Kauai
Liberty S.S. Dashing Wave From Kauai to Oahu
Troop Transport U.S.S. William N. Holbrocks-From Oahu to New Guinea Assault Transport H.M. Empire Spearhead From New Guinea to Morotai.
Assault Transport H.M. Manure. From Mortai to Luzon.
By air C-47 From Luzon to Lyate
A.P.A. U.S.S. Sumter From Luzon to Japan
Troop Transport U.S.S. General R.M. Blatchford From Japan to U.S.A.

Wakayama--Japan--Landed
Himeji--Japan--Near Camp
Houshu--Japan--Island
Kobe--Japan--Naval Base
Osaka--Japan--about 1/2 way
Tokyo--Japan--200 miles for Kobe

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