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Interviewer: Mr. Farmer: Interviewer: Mr. Farmer:
You know the gray-looking oxen that they'd use to pull plows with or something? Yes, sure! We had some of that on base and I did not care for that at all! And I...I thought of a little thing there while I was on guard duty one night at the base in Ormoc that I did. If you want to hear it, I sure can tell it on myself but it's the truth. Okay, go ahead. I'm standing guard duty...on a block...it really wasn't a block...you couldn't hardly tell it, but it was a block...there was roads, no concrete and bar ditches...you know...bar... a regular old ditch for water. On the other side of this block was an old Navy chief, the old...the old heavy-weight champions of the whole U.S. Navy and died in the wool alcoholic. I mean an alcoholic...ole tattoos all over him, you know. But I'm standing on the other side of this block doing guard duty. This Army...I call it a recon...I don't know what...that's right or not...more or less a passenger-looking vehicle...Army. I don't know where it come from...I don't remember seeing many soldiers or any soldiers around there, but here come this Army truck
about 2 o'clock one morning. He pulled up right in front of me there on the road, "Stop!" He got out...got up on the fender and raised up the hood...now this is a pretty good size vehicle...this is terribly dumb...I shouldn't tell it but I will. (laughter) And naturally I'm lonely as hell...I walk out there twenty- five feet and say, "What's the matter, soldier?" "Oh, this thing...I think it's
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Nels Farmer. He was born in Wortham, Texas 24 December 1924 and enlisted in the Navy in 1943. Completing boot camp at San Diego, California, he was sent to Farragut, Idaho as assistant gunnery instructor. After nine months he was assigned to the USS Willard A. Holbrook (AP-44) working in various capacities. After arriving at Hollandia, New Guniea he was assigned as a machine gunner to USS PT-146 in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 12. He served on board for nine months and saw no action during that time. He returned to the United States and was discharged March 1945.
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