George Kohlwey was working at Grob, Inc. when he was drafted at age 21. He ultimately became part of the 33rd Division of the Illinois National Guard.

He trained in the states of Washington and California; then was sent to Hawaii. Duty there was to guard the islands of Hawaii and Kauai.

"My job was that of a runner, which meant I would deliver messages. I made $21 a month, but that later changed as we did different things. I remember they paid us an extra $4 a month just to get shot at. By the time I got out I was making $34 a month.

One day in Hawaii, I had to deliver a message about a quarter-mile away. I stumbled on a stone and knocked a chip off my elbow. When I got to the person I was to deliver the message to, he said, "You're dead!" because I ran up to him without taking cover.

I said, "Hell, I'm hurt. I need to get to the hospital!" That's where I ended up for seven weeks with some torn muscles. They did take care of us, I have to say that. We weren't just discharged the next day if we had been injured.

After Hawaii, we boarded ship and landed at New Guinea where we spent several months. I also met up with my brother, Benoit, who had been wounded at Antiape. I was able to hitch a ride on a truck and go spend several hours with him. He eventually recovered and went back to the States.

We were among the troops to land at Luzon in the Northern Philippines. The place was heavily fortified and I remember (the Japanese) were shooting down the road at us and had mined it in places. Our troops ended up taking a bulldozer and building a new road to get up to Baguio where we rode the tanks into the city. We thought that if they missed us the first time, it would give us a chance to get off.

We ended up at Camp John Hay, which had been a U.S. Army camp prior to World War II. There was a big parade ground next to it with about 50 dead Japanese in a row. We didn't go near them as the Japanese had a habit of booby-trapping bodies.

Again, when I was still a runner, I was carrying a bazooka or a flame thrower. We were at the front lines and some of the guys had gotten pinned down on a path below a curve in the road. They told me to drop what I was carrying and take a cot cover down to the men as one had been shot. I got down there and found one of my friends who said, "You take the guns and we'll take care of him."

I had two rifles slung over my right shoulder and was swinging one over my left when I was hit in my upper arm.

One of the first thing they tell us is not to run if you've been hit. But, I took off like a big bird. I had blood running down into my shoes when I got back to the road. They gave me a couple units of plasma, some wound pills (we never knew what was in them) and some morphine.

A hospital tent was air-dropped. I don't know if the doctors parachuted in as well, but they took me there to get operated on. Then, they took everything away from me but my shorts.

We were later moved over a path that had narrowed considerably as a result of bombing. It was barely two feet wide and Filipino women were carrying the cots. I looked over the edge and realized they could just go "whoops" and I'd be down below. I got up as a guard held onto my good arm and I walked across myself. We were eventually put into an ambulance and transferred to a Leyte hospital.

Later, I boarded a plane for the United States where I spent time recuperating at the Percy Jones Medical Center in Michigan.

I had my arm in an airplane splint for a long time. But, I would go home when I could.

One of my trips home was for my sister's wedding where I met Shirley who would later become my wife. We have been married for 55 years and live on a farm south of Saukville, Wisconsin.

I shared my experiences with 47 third grade students at Woodview Elementary School in Grafton, WI.

Since I have been out of the Army, I have been reunited with 125 of the men from Co. F, 130th Infantry.

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