These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
November 3, 2024
In recognition of Veteran’s Day this week, I’m going to read a story about two brothers from
Pohlitz Township that were part of World War II. The story was in a family file in the Research
Area at the Roseau Museum, and was written by my sister, Tallie Habstritt, after she and our
dad interviewed Melvin Johnson at his home in 1997.
By 1941, the threat of war loomed before the people of the United States, causing increasing
numbers of men to be drafted into military service. Melvin Johnson and his brother Orville were
aware of the changes taking place and discussed enlisting. They wanted to be able to serve
together in the military and had been told that volunteers would be able to receive training in the
area of their choice. When it appeared likely that they would indeed be drafted, they enlisted in
the United States Army and requested training to become engineers. They were told that what
the Army needed was more infantrymen and that was the type of training they were both
assigned to receive. Their induction took place on April 22, 1941.
After being inducted, Melvin and Orville were sent together to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana.
There, however, they were assigned to different outfits even though they were still in the same
camp.
Camp Claiborne was a newly established camp that had been built in an area with very clay-y
soil. When it rained, the area became a sea of slippery mud. To alleviate this problem all the
men were put to work sodding the area. In no time they sodded approximately two quarters of
land. This greatly improved camp conditions.
During their time at Camp Claiborne, troops received training on how to operate various types of
equipment and also participated in physical training. The physical training involved jumping and
crawling over walls, swimming in rivers and doing <quote> anything that was
miserable<unquote>. With the hot, humid conditions there also were other things to make a
trainee miserable, such as the numerous snakes that resided in the area and the prickly heat a
man would get after carrying a heavy pack during training.
Something that made up for some of the unpleasant features of the camp was the fact that a
regular cooking staff provided hot meals to the men. Melvin didn’t mind when it was his turn to
help with KP duties – there was always plenty to eat when you were on KP!
While at Camp Claiborne, Melvin attempted to complete paperwork that would make it possible
for him to transfer to Orville’s outfit. Before the paperwork was completed their square division
was divided into two triangular divisions and Orville was sent to Guadalcanal. Melvin was
destined for service in Europe and North Africa.
Melvin’s journey to Europe began with a trip from Louisiana to New York by truck convoy. The
convoy traveled nearly non-stop with the foremost vehicles driving at speeds of about 30-35
miles per hour. The convoy stretched for miles and with it being so long, the trucks further to the
rear moved in an accordion-like way, sometimes having to drive 70-80 miles an hour to keep up.
Though the stops were few, Melvin remembers that even a five-minute stop seemed to be
enough time for the drivers to organize a time of shaking dice together.
Once the convoy arrived in New York, all of the trucks, tanks, jeeps and ammunition as well as
12,000 troops were taken by barges to the ship that would be used to transport them overseas.
The ship was of British origin and 900 feet long. It was the second largest ship in the world at
that time. It had already been torpedoed once and repaired before it left the United States with
Melvin and the other troops on April 30, 1942. The last thing Melvin saw as he left the New York
harbor was the Statue of Liberty.
Records show that Melvin arrived in the European Theatre on May 13, 1942. Their first stop was
Ireland. Upon leaving Ireland, they detoured for unknown reasons to England and spent at least
two months there. While in England, all of their cargo remained on the ship but the men stayed
in old houses within the area towns. There wasn’t much for the troops to do while they waited in
England. Melvin noticed that many of the modern conveniences that they were used to in the
United States were not common in the part of England that they saw. One of the features that
seemed unusual to the U. S. Troops were the outdoor toilets along the British streets. Unlike
totally enclosed U. S. outhouses, these were open both on the top and the bottom and only
enclosed around the central section.
When it was finally time to leave England, the troops were transported back to the same ship
they had originally been on, and then sailed for Tunisia in Northern Africa. During this voyage
they were frequently served fish at meal times. That might not have been so bad, but the fish
may have been on the ship for too long of a time and it often seemed to be spoiled.
In Tunisia the menu changed. Here their main source of meat was mutton. The chow line often
stretched for nearly a quarter of a mile and when the first troops saw that mutton was again on
the menu, they would turn to the guy behind them and make a baaing noise. This baaing would
continue down the line until even the last guy in line knew that mutton was being served again.
Sometimes when the last guy in line got to the front of the line, it seemed like there was still just
as much mutton remaining, everyone was tired of it. If they couldn’t stand any more mutton
there were always K-rations to eat.
Next week I’ll continue reading about Melvin’s military experiences in Africa during World War II.
Thanks to all our veterans in Roseau County. Come to the Roseau County Museum and see all
their names in an exhibit there.
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.