Mame: Walter J. Liska
Unit: 130th Infantry Regiment
Rank: Technician 4th Grade
Volunteer: No
Drafted: Yes
Induction: Camp Dodge, Iowa
Where: Camp Dodge, Iowa on March 02, 1943
Age: 22
Discharged: December 13, 1945
Overseas: June 20, 1943 arr Hilo June 27, 1943

Weapons

M-1, Carbine, - I don't remember all

Decorations

Good Conduct Medal Bronze Star for Meritorious Service,Bronze Star/Combat Infantrymans Badge

First Combat

February 1945 at Rosario, - San Fabian, La Union, Luzon, Philippines, We were bombarded with shelling from overhead by a weapon on a track, which would be returned into the mountain. We were also sleeping foxholes and were harrassed by small weapons fire.

Vivid Memory

The most vivd memory of my combat experience was the time we were at the junction of Bsusng and the road to Baguio when the enemy came down from San Fernando to reach the road to Baguio, we had a CP in a church at that intersection and as a battalion clerk did have access to a field phone from time to time. The enemy were quite numerous in the area and we were where our artillery was firing overhead and destroyers shelling from the coast and I guess P-51's were bombing from overhead. It was like all Hell broke loose.

Funniest Memory

We were housed in a form Japanese army regimental area in Hemej, Honshu. We were informed of a inspection by the regimental executive office on a Saturday morning. Because the Sergeant Major did not have his personnel in suntans, I, as regimental operations sergeant was selected go with the officer on the inspection. We inspected the various units and the motor pool area. Of course, everyone was interested in making a good impression to the point where the motor pool had used gas in some of the cleaning. For some unknown reason to me, a fire broke out at the motor pool about 4:00 PM and it was funny to see how the Japanese firefighters went about fighting the fire. If I remember correctly the damage was not extensive.

Worst Memory

Probably the worse part of service that I remember was at Vancouver Barracks after landing from Japan the first week of December 1945. We were delayed being shipped out to our discharge centers and a group of us were lazing around the barracks as it was raining and windy and not very pleasant outside. I was sitting on a bunk bed looking out the window and I saw this tall tree start to fall and I warned the others and it crashed where we had been gathered. We learned later that a catapillar driver was killed by another falling tree. And we weren't ! in combat.

Final Comments

The thought of the possibility of having to serve had been something on my mind even before graduating from high school. Having been aware of how my Mother felt when she had three brothers in World War I, I knew it was going to be harder with five of her children eventually serving. I, therefore, made it a point never to write home and complain about what I was experiencing. I made the best of everyday, and thanks to 1st Sergeant R.R. Watkins understanding, it wasn't all that difficult.