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Munka, John_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Transcript.pdf

John A. Munka was born in Akron, Ohio, July 16th, 1919. He was one of seven children. After high school, John spent a year and a half in the Civilian Conservation Corps, a government funded program at that time, with the Depression going full blast. John was drafted October 16th 1941. The war broke out while John was in basic training at Camp Wallace in Texas, and at that time, in the 27th infantry division. Basic training was basic rifle training and infantry work and a lot of hiking and physical set up. The war outbreak made the program accelerated and they were sent to Fort Ord, California. The 27th infantry division was the first division sent overseas after the war started and were sent to the Hawaiian Islands as a parameter defense. The ships they sailed on to get to Hawaii were luxury ships, fine Pacific tourist ships that had just been converted for the military use. John was on the SS Lurline, which had linen tablecloths and waiters. The other ship was the Aquitaine, larger but not as luxurious. While on Hawaii, they spent time building beach defenses and watching for invasions. After the battle of Midway, when the chance of invasion in the Hawaiian Islands had diminished, they started training for combat and from there started out through the Pacific. The ships that they were aboard going to the Pacific were the new Kaiser ships, which were hot and crowded with bunks stacked six high. John’s division went to Eniwetok, on the Marshall Islands, the first outfit to hit the beach. They had many casualties and had to wait to be picked up, they had to live in holes eat C and D rations. Finally they got back to Hawaii again, got replacements, went into intensive training again. John was made a corporal for a brief time, until he overstayed a 12 hour pass on Hawaii and was made a private again. They headed for Saipan in 1944, June the 6th, when the D-Day invasion happened. John’s first impression was that Saipan was a desolate place after being shelled by the Navy, there wasn’t much standing other than the stack at the sugar mill. They got inland a little bit, went up through the island towards Aslito Air Field up into the mountains and on the far side of Tapochau and got to the entrance of Death Valley. The colonel at that time noticed their objective for the following day was a couple of miles out into open countryside and the enemy had the hills on both sides they would be walking out through an open field and he radioed in that this was militarily unattainable. The Marine general ordered that they follow their orders. John was with the 3rd Battalion, 106th infantry and I Company and K Company were ordered to move out into the valley with L Company in reserve and the M Company, were the heavy weapons. On the evening of the 23rd a Japanese tank came roaring down road and set an ammunition dump on fire. A good friend of John’s was killed by the flying shrapnel. The next day they moved into the valley and moved into open terrain. John’s colonel, Colonel Hy Mazone and the one captain were almost the first ones killed. The only protection was a little cropping of rock. John recalls another buddy, Earl Mills, was badly wounded, shrapnel had torn his shoulder, he was bleeding, and he asked John to get him out of there. John grabbed him and ran out and made it out alive. Very few made it out of Death Valley alive. All of John’s friends who came with him from Ohio were killed. John later received the Silver Star for saving his friend. After getting Earl to the medics, John collapsed and woke up in the base hospital with battle fatigue. He stayed for a short while and then asked to be released to rejoin the battle. John rejoined his division and they went through the hills and flushed the Japanese out one at a time. They had a lot of casualties until they got near the end of the island. The divisions on the side were congested in there and they were in the middle so they were stopped and brought back. On July 6th and 7th, the Japanese forces that were still left, attacked through the left side down above Tanapag Harbor and the 105th regimen was there and took an awful beating that night, but it sort of decimated the Japs, virtually wiped them all out. They had to get the Japs who were hiding in the caves and cliffs, so they had to flush the enemy from the hill and went down through sort of sugar cane and brush. John recalls telling a private to take half of the squad and go down through the top. This private was killed that day. John still has nightmares about making that decision. John’s Company was put us on a transport ship and taken to New Hibrides islands and to Espirtu Santo island to regroup and get our replacements. By this time, most of them had been overseas for almost three years and after a battle operation, they were told they were going to get furloughs. They then changed their mind and said only three people would be given furloughs in the Company. John’s name was the first drawn out of the hat. John took his furlough and then went back to Adderbury to go back overseas again. The war in Europe was winding down; the government instigated the point system for discharge at 85 points. And so they said, well, any veterans who were scheduled to go overseas, they were going to count the points. John came home having 97 points. John was glad to be discharged because the division from Espirtu Santo went to the invasion of Okinawa and a lot of the 50 something that were still left were killed. After being discharged, John went home and in August, the war ended. He went to college on the GI Bill, got married, and raised a family, two girls and a boy. He currently has 17 grandchildren. John still sees his friend, Earl Mills from time to time in Westerville, Ohio. The 60th was John’s first time back. He toured the island and found most if it unrecognizable. The nightmares still bother him.

U.S. National Park Service, War in the Pacific National Historical Park

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War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Code: WAPA

Guam , Guam
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008

ICMS (Interior Collection Managment System) : WAPA-00246
NPS Museum Number Catalog : WAPA 4170

War in the Pacific Oral Histories

2025/03/07

T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, Collections room, Safe and Shelf SLF D-01

Public Can View

Rose Manibusan, Jennifer Craig

Organization: American Memorial Park
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov

Saturday, April 5, 2025 12:03:33 AM

Saturday, April 5, 2025 12:03:33 AM

Munka, John_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Transcript.pdf

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