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dropped us off. That scared the beejeebers out of me. I knew that I should learn how to swim but I avoided it with a deep passion. Mr. Misenhimer On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Do you recall hearing about that? Mr. Finley Oh do I ever, you bet I do. I was on the parade ground with the ROTC when that came out. They announced it over the PA system. Boy there was a silence and a lot of people started to cry. Oh yes I recall when they announced that you bet your life I do. Mr. Misenhimer How did you think this would affect you? Mr. Finley I knew that it was going to get me into the service. That's why I went over to the draft board and talked it over with them. They said, "You don't have to be worried because we'll take everybody else before we have to take you." So I was all set but I got to feeling guilty about all those guys being over there and that's why I volunteered. One reason I volunteered for the Marines was because they got more honor, they got more glory and hullabaloo about them and they had that beautiful uniform, the dress blues. That was beautiful. Speaking of dress blues, I never bought one, I never got one. I always
remember and sometimes I've been asked "What was the best duty town that you were in?" I always say Chicago and the reason I say Chicago is because whenever we went on leave from radar tech school the people, you would go to buy a drink and there would be five guys trying to buy your drink for you. If you went into a place to eat they would say, "Hey, let us buy your dinner. You can have it on us." Always, always very generous
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Albert Finley. Finley joined the Marine Corps around December of 1943. He provides vivid details of his boot camp experiences. He served with Headquarters Company, 4th Marines, as a radar mechanic on Corsairs, repairing radio and radar gear. Beginning in September of 1944 they traveled to Guam, Kwajalein, Pearl Harbor and Majuro in the Marshall Islands. Finley shares a number of anecdotal stories, including working with POWs. He was discharged in the fall of 1946.
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