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Interviewer: Mr. Farmer: Interviewer: Mr. Farmer: Interviewer: Mr. Farmer:
flooding!" I said, "Hadn't you got a light...flash?" "No, you got one?" "No." But I says, "I got a match!" Now you tell me what in the world was I doing with a big old...you know, one of them big old kitchen matches? Right. What was I doing with a kitchen match in my pocket...because I didn't smoke?! "You want it?" "Yeah!" I handed him a match! Like a dummy...of course he was dumber than I was! He struck that match! That carburetor was flooding...what do you think happened?! Holy mackerel! That flames was up in the air...looked like to me at least 20 feet. He caught fire, jumped off of that fender and started running and man, I won Hatchum (spelling ?) County track years ago...I could run pretty good, and boy, I let loose grabbing after him...and he headed for the ditch and grass and head in that ditch and started rolling...and I was right there with him...I don't know whether I was on top of him...I don't think so, I don't remember that...to put that fire out...got it out! Did he get...burned bad? No...walked him over to First Aid. Well first...after fire got out...and I could
be a little off here...don't matter...I ran around the corner to that old chief, you know. "What (unintelligible)?" 'Cause I was excited, you know, I'd already said something. And I thought to myself, "God sakes, get out of here, he don't even know what the hell is going...any idea what's going...just leave." So I did. I went back around to the truck...no fire! Just what was
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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