Russell Ingram
Kyle Ingram interviewing Russell Ingram
What did you do in the war?
Seaman on the USS Suffolk, crew of landing craft that took invasion troops into Okinawa and Philippines .
What were some battles that you fought in and what did you do in them?
Okinawa , I was part of a crew that drove the landing craft onshore so invading troops could get on land and try to take over the territory in the Pacific.
How did the first few battles the navy won in the Pacific boost the troops moral and the moral of those on the home front?
Differences in wartime- young men were completely patriotic - wanting to get into service to fight Japanese. Any sea battles won at all were considered big victories because we were so depleted before World War II, it helped the overall moral of all of us and it made winning the war seem more like a possibility and reality then.
How did these victories turn the tide of the war?
Sure some little fellow is beating on your head and it is always nice to get him off and give him a couple of smacks too.
How do you think the navy helped in winning the Pacific War?
No. not a chance, so many lives were lost and the Navy was the only way that the United States was going to win the war. The Navy had to come forward and be successful or else there was no way that the US could have won the war.
What strategic things did the navy do to win battles?
These invasions (of islands) were p lanned many miles away and the plan of action consisted of hundreds of manpower and ships to haul invasion items in. usually the navy big battle wagons would soften up the islands with heavy bombardments and artillery, (the Navy) also had carrier that dropped bombs on islands and would take care of a big part of the resistance. They would then send in men by invasion craft and they would then have to fight hand-to-hand battles to secure the whole island.
Do you have any other comments on the war?
The only time that I was in any danger was when I was in a convoy of ships. That is ships going as just as far as you could see in formation. There was a Japanese air attack and a Japanese plane flew into the ship next to us and we had to assist in the recovery of the ship and its seaman and then tow it to a safe location.
1 of many ships that went into China and the US was trying to assist nationalist china by being overrun by Chinese communists
Were you stationed in the pacific before the start of the war?
No, I was 14 years old and then entered the war when I was 17. I stayed in the war for just shy of 2 years. 22 months to be exact.
What was the reaction to the atom bomb?
Everybody was very excited when news of the atom bomb came to us. We knew the war was going to be over at this point. We had no idea of the destruction that it would cause because the government had kept it a big secret from all of us. It was a great thing for America but it was also very horrible.