Oral History Interview with James Bowell, February 17, 2005 Page: 2

                                
THIS IS KENNETH THOMPSON. TODAY IS FEBRUARY 17, 2005. I AM INTERVIEWING MR. JAMES P B
THIS INTERVIEW IS TAKING PLACE IN THE BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH AT 110 W. AUSTIN
FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS. THIS INTERVIEW IS IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PACIF
CENTER FOR WAR STUDIES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION RELATED TO WORLE
MR. BOWELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCES YO
UNDERWENT DURING WORLD WAR II.
COULD WE START OFF WITH WHERE AND WHEN YOU WERE BORN?
JAMES

LOWELL.
ST. IN
IC WAR
)WAR II
U

I WAS BORN IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA NOVEMBER 15, 1924.

KEN

WHAT WERE YOUR PARENTS NAMES?

JAMES

MY FATHER'S NAME WAS RALPH AND MY MOTHER'S NAME WAS LEON (SP???).

KEN

CAN YOU TELL ME WHEN YOU JOINED THE SERVICE?

JAMES

PEARL HARBOR WAS ON A SUNDAY AND MY BROTHER AND I WERE SQUIRREL HUNTING. WE WE
A GROCERY STORE AND WE HEARD WHAT HAPPENED. WE RAN HOME, TOLD BROTHERS AND FATHER
FORTH. THE NEXT DAY, MY FATHER AND FOUR SONS WENT DOWN TO THE FEDERAL BUILDING ONLY T(
LINE GOING ALL AROUND THE FEDERAL BUILDING. EVERYBODY WAS ENSLISTING. I WAS UNDERAGE
TIME AND THEY TOLD ME TO GET LOST.
KEN
HOW OLD WERE YOU?

NT INTO
AND SO
)FINDA
AT THE

JAMES

I WAS JUST TURNING--- I HAD JUST TURNED 17 BUT THE LIMIT AT THAT TIME WAS 18 BUT THEY
REDUCED IT TO 17 AND ALLOWED ME TO GET IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER.
KEN

WHAT BRANCH WERE YOU TRYING TO GET INTO?
2