World War II Central Illinois Stories

Oral History Interview: Eugene Houser of Farmer City

 
                                    

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Transcript for file: eugenehouser12008-03-07.mp3

00:00:00

this is an interview with Eugene Houser on March 7th two
2008 we’re in the studio at will TV
baby in Campbell Hall Urbana Illinois Henry Radcliffe
Radcliffe is doing the video taping and my name is Nancy Russell
ok World War II
to where were you when it started

00:00:30

that’s just how I was doing
I’m still in highschool when she started yesterday was school we didn’t get involved in
1241 141 have bill worth it
University of Purdue when Pearl Harbor was bombed
respond to how did you find out about it
is it raining on KISS TV at a time
do you remember a reaction to it effective

00:01:05

who is going to have on Hall of Justice lot of talk on campus
Campus portal how did you get involved
I got to the Sun to get to the University
Bruce the end who was drafted at the end
ozone in the Sea of Monsters trailer
is handicap came out was looking to destruction
health notice in the draft board 2014 induction

00:01:40

induction and supply for deferments
I said look at that girl go what year was that
144 Nuran in the field where
informer city in on the farm in Farmer City
infinera to Brazil
to resent Camp Atterbury in Indiana
it wasn’t for the induction center Camp Atterbury remove tooth

00:02:15

2 Disney World going to get to Atlanta
will not charge this year going up to camp Croft in South Carolina
7th heaven basic training in camp Croft
soft train does an infantry scout
that’s what you’re supposed to do
girls intelligence in Whoville confront see what’s going on the report back
blackboard at the end of basic training

00:02:50

training Bluetooth impact of Henry Venn
shipped out from Newport News Virginia phone USA
USS America employee 5000 replacements
send them just replacements to fill in
vacancies in in the US from a combat remember the
the cruise Red Skelton the comedian
is an army person search

00:03:25

service time and chip is army duty
Holy Spirit rain boots
who’s working he was entertaining the troops the time we got to Naples
Naples he was exhausted what was his job on the ship
potatoes with his dick
feeling good by the ideas we came to the
do the trace of Gibraltar that night he said to take a shower

00:04:00

veins I get 5 million dollars worth of Prudential Insurance
Institute for dental insurance to total 55 million dollars
then turn the lights on on the rock so we went to court
across the warning lights on the go through dental
Rock of Gibraltar is a trademark in Prudential Insurance
then we went to the train in Newark
where to buy of Naples Ruby disembarked

00:04:35

who can get to the do dark glasses
babes full of something vessels 3 pet
Deadpool after one vessel to the gangplank down and walk from one person to another
do nothing to get to the shore and then
CNN Wilson semi trailers in Tulsa
Martin County FL news Dairy Farm Agent first dates in area
cancione have to be the son in law of

00:05:10

who’s that lady what removes clothes
prayer time azan dairy farms serve some time
is Night Garden protemp Mountain Division up in the mountains
Antrim dairy family moved into
Serta first Thursday January notes stationery
where is new this sheath headquarters Matson supreme hike
high command Nutrition Center

00:05:45

and then from there we moved up to Naples
before I was assigned a unit
spare time I went to the headquarters in health the truth
24 valve Sur with his duties
nfl.fantasy vacancy in headquarters for typos
Titleist Switzerland type
Tyga signed to form Friday Newport Beach CA

00:06:20

cut orders for incoming troops incentives
what’s the order send what to do the founder of their near Newton
where’s the replacements Randall Wilson farms riding unit
becoming the type of cigarette
resume Scout mos December Kirk type of sh t
Skyrim best position if your not
rose and going up to the front with a rifle

00:06:55

NFL Naples received troops coming in
is there support something move to the front and receive
received troops coming back from the front to end up points to visit discharge
charged are there ever been
transferred to the Civic Theatre
ship came in with troops we loaded up with people
people going back to the ships for victory ship

00:07:30

ships of Liberty ships in battleship severe cramps carriers
LensCrafters take it or 10 personal back to the States
how did you decide which which ones were going to go where to place
place the order Mr came in to the devil
so they needed a certain number of points to go home
and when they run your sending a minute replacements
how did you know which ones went where

00:08:05

go see if they have enough points they can tussin and we sent them home
sandwich stand up replacements for those people

points points for the course transferred to the
do the Pacific Theaters close to starving for replacement South air
Laird lead person on TV
evil Jima

00:08:40

New Guinea lead solder New Guinea
give me those fighting hand to hand forge 3638
days without letting me play sims Wii console replacement circle into Europe
New York internal in New York became
was liberated did we sent replacement after
do the Pacific Theater ijobs
what time is it type of just wasn’t made our shift

00:09:15

very very lenient interspar timing at Naples me
on the weekends we go.to Pompeii
turn her know about pump air climb Mount Vesuvius
yeah love acrostic poem
banks of Mount Vesuvius to climb up there
look inside to the steam screen out
are we taking another weekend we could take PT boat trader

00:09:50

dial Capri
Anna
Larry Weaver drugs with Z Mussolini
who’s going to have a World’s Fair to have non fancy buildings auditorium scene
FanDuel is read use those
removed up to
Florence

00:10:25

21 Stillwell River Naples when are every 3 months
thank you go up to room for a week Anna frozen
before going to roll I went to the

encyclopedias what was in Roman
forces that occur in all the ruins
so we went to Rome first thing I did was went to Saint Peters

00:11:00

Cathedral Panda Sony Swiss Guard
cards that says Teresa sin sisters are sweet
Swiss flight ticket on myself to go into the Swiss canton
teen how’s the new uniform
canteen with Swiss Guard restaurant had coffee and so forth
viscous anyone could speak English and then
referred me to this Smith Oya Oya

00:11:35

and then we supposed to throw a couple of hours Mr Z
tomorrow’s my day off if you come back I’ll take you to her room
so we still on Rome by his own foot
what’s a Swiss Guards in guide Hotels unique

I’m from Naples to be moved up to Florence for two months
do the same thing processing troops

00:12:10

weekends with going to Florence get a haircut
2003 2007
coupon of vacuole covergirl liquid with Florence
the city of Florence bluetooth
Marina di Pisa nearest station on the farm
Foreman second floor in the bathroom
bar where we slept we can look out the window lyrics Stephen Lynch

00:12:45

Google I need tower escorts on the weekends we doing
woodland pizza Heather place of lemon zest
circular stair way trip to the top of the tower
Anderson huge Bells after the third ring
sowe Under Armour the bill
I get the same swing in the news swingers floor and we swing by
going back and forth on a big be down

00:13:20

the latest in life after love
paisans like that goes I use the bells for emergency
virgin sees a reptile ring the bells that wasn’t
protocol later on
ring the bells theater is the Sun
Foundation or wasn’t good for the stability of the tower
send me 40 years later this from hip did anybody from climbing the tower

00:13:55

until I found out how to stabilize it
how did you keep track of what was going on in the different theatres of war
4 arcanems to Z
who had the Stars and Stripes tonight then daily
the daily paper
wake up tracklist Progressive Era
serving in the Pacific incarcerated bill Mullins

00:14:30

cartoons of William Joad 34 book
four books in his library from former
remove remove down into leg horn Ellwood City
shih tzus come in there be reprocessed roots again p******
Barnard we had one or North winter
when to switch Atlanta what you’re really fun week 2
and if we had Swissvale is a blood relative we could stay with him

00:15:05

it was the blood relatives still staying with the tour
distant cousin of mine became a grandfather
and so it has able to stay with him and he took it from Disney World
ancestors Google up and went to school
Google what’s a church watching Bergen every cuss word
Pittsburgh sentiment that couple younger cousins ever
going to Polytechnic in Zurich sunny flea market

00:15:40

Arkansas doctors degrees and we became fast
friends and he came over here after the war simple times and seasons
Sousa Susanville to Stanford Research Institute
2200 nearest food stamps for Easter
search Institute think I 20 in our sins
Switzerland how did how did the Swiss feel about the Americans
live neutral

00:16:15

thanks Satan have any opinion on the war
live near me
making progress Garden
grandfather in the car producing the garage converted to km
the conversion of blocks Lincoln Drive Edina
war so I took a train every place

00:16:50

what year
what year was this by this point machines in 45 and 46
NFC 45
frozen foods valid ID for Lowes on route to Italy
fanciful 4506
panda what was the reaction to that
will he be he became one of us then you just a person a body

00:17:25

best 2013 winner but who’s on replay
replace him does it better
president for 4 terms


do you think that it was a reaction
reaction to who is replacement was

00:18:00

don’t you know much about it too much about Truman
next to you talking about the reactions is
the Swiss people Switzerland was neutral
we weren’t allowed to fly over Switzerland
airplanes Obama’s dead fly over
their craft through radio adapter and Fire Dedham
any send to your flying over switch territory

00:18:35

Riverside fire on you the did the new says
is Europe’s algebra 21900
flying at 24000 we know it
huh
how big was the office that you can you keep saying
saying we move from here to there how big was the office you were in how many people
Hooters San Francisco 45556

00:19:10

ender we could metal plates put your information on it
when I came into into a
Depilex uniform
put your name and address
f*** all the dog tags in the name of the religion
any blood type Tony’s place in Northeast PA
which place we get there name and put them on a wooden dresser

00:19:45

machine cut long to move on org
open orders and then the next day with God
coolest names and put them on the trucks
Leghorn everything everything
every evening I check the incoming troops for a baby
from DeWitt County Road Farmer City
what happened to find Wonder was the Kenneth West ray from

00:20:20

Beaver County head in the diva County Sheriff
when he was in the EMTs in the army silhouette
YouTube reviews dirt demon

dictionary and he said well this is first time in my 4 years
service that I knew what was going to happen to me next day
what he was in service is wife of the sheriff of DeWitt County

00:20:55

instant acts like that way
Pompeii Bastille
only person you ever met only one form Illinois to or were there other logos
your lovin from Illinois in all of the states of decay
the queen with all the forts because we would send them to Fort Dix from Fort Myers
Fort Monmouth or older vehicle became of the quick results names
and Pharrell noise when sending to Fort Sheridan or

00:21:30

Great Lakes how did how did
does anybody keep track of how many points somebody have to know this
service overseas
the battles I think Bella Donaldson County number 2
children that you had best home
sleazydream Council many points in remember then
the high points with a words on the hype

00:22:05

reporter’s name from you do shin do the tenderloins
I just wondered where the records were kept because you don’t have a computer
which would tell you it was all down on paper
who founded in Phila teach soldier Little Richard

Dr Leghorn the gamer
James coupe cloue remember the same

00:22:40

the same D 442nd Infantry Regiment the news
Lucy’s Japanese Americans who were imprisoned
Prison in Idaho
roaches in bed together and form the 442nd Infantry Regiment
new ship in Italy Hansel the worst
downloads dirtiest 173 pussies net
Macy’s in Nashville TN

00:23:15

movies with the most successful battles Randstad
no standing service
servings is in the depo he worked at the motor pool
Samsung Note 2 to the government was selling surplus
vehicles surplus Jeeps
NS 450 is good if your sergeant
hire you can buy a jeep and it would be sent home inspector

00:23:50

baggage Gym kicked out of real nice G for me
wonderful dinner in service on the front bumper
still have the the post never end up together
led windshield for the hook on soon
the driving Jeep down the road and the Germans in heaven
Denver Water stretched from tree to tree in the crossroad
this bar with cassette moving behind the drivers

00:24:25

Jeep personnel Fuji Pigott still have this bar on it
who knew revisited been in service library
Rose Hulman uses for round round
driving lights not working and some field work porn Pullman Road freehold sofa
forced format 10 years until a worn out
what rank were you that you were able to get one of those
sergeant text now

00:25:00

the tech sergeant NAVV a good gym
supercilious come get on the same shift
should I came home on Monday - 3 to 12 - 2
things to do that
picked up the Jeep came on home to me doctor
Dr Fuhrman and not married to Jim
who is the former Purdue student what year was that

00:25:35

2046 she always playing tonight
porn heard from Indiana to Illinois to improve the blood
bloodlines
uno
did you find it hard to come back and adjust to being on the phone
number for Kmart back in the harvest time
Microprose handicapped fathers day for 2 years

00:26:10

put up with whoever is available to help with farm work
I thought that do not believe in him but
I couldn’t I couldn’t not serve
are there a lot of people you knew from Farmer City who had gone
we’re already in the service when you friends
factor doctor
12 years ago there was a

00:26:45

Kyocera the Main Street Farmer City
nearest tenth next to the library in soul silver
talking about their world war 2 experiences
ender John Dawson John Overton there
dog. There’s no results another story zombie video
down 44 history
Ustream John Dawson John Overton

00:27:20

Putin and Fred Graff storage plus in stores
when they need another accomplice to murder in them
anterograde years to get books
stories for a book
news about 1995 or so before the fuel filter start talking about them
experiences similar to horrible to talk about
no this isn’t syncing baby interested in

00:27:55

movie going to come from dirt to tell their stories like for this 10 lyrics
record those name of the people who are those stores
I got something to say
sexiest but Dick Smith lose
Farm South Parnell for 50 years you just a farmer
armor and then I met him in the car clinic
in the waiting room and his grandson in this life for with him

00:28:30

I said I clear in the World War 2
record your story
who is interested I said you have me told your wife with her what you did
is a dick you C should do that
I don’t know where you were what you should write a story about two weeks
two weeks later he gave a story to John Dawson
Reverso later he said I miss you more than I can add to that that story

00:29:05

it was interesting facts what we learn from him
cliphunter VLC
Nelson submarine infer
couple days it was the doctrine of Naples
emisora triangle regular Eagle Pass
onOne Trussell icing
sliggoo commission does capping definition of fire the last torpedo

00:29:40

mn Dr trestle out from underneath a train
as far as we know that was you when a submarine has ever
credit Service Inc in the train NFL
submarine was out in later on this town in the ocean
and then compass went out of commission
winter celebration cloudy night
navigator couldn’t find out where it was from the stars

00:30:15

salute to the captain inspire sign over 5 miles north on the Burma Road
the road what’s your book called
books called the rules the rules Remembered
are well here’s the rules of storage does a
reflected 650 dames
and then we could find out but moves down
movie 400 M hat stores by Xmas

00:30:50

4 Richard Dr Richard license aura
bill Howard new Howard
the game back and become a principal when will the suburbs
what is the pilot on a b17 who was shot down
shutdown his soul State Route explained to a soldier
oldest crew bailout and
then he bailed wrote the song every one of those parachuting out

00:31:25

who’s killed before before they hit the ground
and we go down to the ground
used Wilson leathers nude ladies with c** after
search for whatever the head 22 kill them
because their houses
how much does a blunder cities detective
is the chance to get back at him so he said he would he

00:32:00

teaching history modern history in school
who came to world war. This couldn’t talk about
whats the center of a lot of the men that you got to right
right but they hadn’t talked about it before
who do snuff taught think it’s easier to write about it then talk about it
monopoly the summer than just gave you the
Bayview the written thing and didn’t talk about it

00:32:35

Air Force veteran SD
Dean Holleman plane shot down
when is Hughes floating down from his place
who is playing before I got to render German butterfly
plane testing times when I dream things to come back in the
shooters better shooters with this one thing back and wave to Dean
Dean said what

00:33:10

gorgeous he went back to his
who he lived Facebook shot in the leg in the field
WWE Champion Heather lose one leg
thinking health help them to talk about it
do you think it helped them to talk about it as soon as you get it all get together at the end of the book
Blue Book tell another mother 10:40
because by that time in 8 years men in the test on

00:33:45

send message to reason with 10
10 12 years ago we went to get the stories now because they’re dying
veterans died in the 2000s
free free free calling anyway you see in the newspaper
newspapers obituaries of the flag with a bitch worries
designer 6 obituaries with flags on it
Tucson AZ recorded before they were lost

00:34:20

more facts of my life
my life insurance company owns Prada do record deals
looking back at it all what what which
which how do you feel about ww2 and being fingered of it all
I had to in the country
everybody in the countries involved with it
in civilians Erin munitions Oregon

00:34:55

send me GPS to making tanks stories
winters brothers that were in
wartime in fridge
Buckner station 1 phone 4 receive paid war victory ship Tampa
dubstepping
how to plant north of North Henry name of it
delayed Kaiser made the reception center

00:35:30

d Hilton Illinois River into the Mississippi do ships
food historian book
did your dad know you were riding it who who died
how does he feel when you decide what they say to you when you got home
welcome home son yeah
how would you tapped out
keep track of what was happening at home weaves

00:36:05

send Victor letters Lee DeWyze litter new new would be Michael filmed
instant home and aid Rico
reconstituted victory the microfilm into a victory letter N
Cincinnati back to the family photo wizard owners in Switzerland
Google timer cold
413 dollars you can make a phone call back to the States
Susanna mid range sporting head

00:36:40

Janet Linton Indiana doctor to my folks live
and I said I be calling this certain hour
413 point of 43 minutes to December
otherwise it was just died
mail Tustin after
afterward did you keep in touch with any of the special friends that use meth for years
particular

00:37:15

when was Jim Kobbe Sunni Patterson Hall timers in
special about 2 years ago
2 letter typist Kevin this is in Colorado
Colorado he came home
as a sergeant baby kaely
Rebecca Miller in and after serving
working as a veterinarian in the state C relisted

00:37:50

Santa Rosa officer in the veterinary veterinary Corps
how many states there is force 20 or 30 years
do yourself a gun how many is return with that was another buddy
buddy did you all get together
who is this to determine illness what are twice Digita
did you talk about what happened then you just talked about our families
not until the book

00:38:25

John Doss ocean mansion John Dawson he was he was a member
Aziz first special service forces
Special Service Force Ones with one of his youth using the first Monday
they were trained to do anything to train for mountain skiing
scuba diving infantryman
spirit center Lucien delusional
Channel Islands early invader didn’t I found out the Japanese

00:39:00

is Hardees a band and the island
is there ship to Norway for the sky
the screen in the white do what uniforms and everything
Friskies CNN news down in Italy
battle in Seattle
battle NJ
NJ Lee something real name

00:39:35

diferencia control
belt control the main highway from Naples to Rome
when the Germans her situation top that mountain to
American divisions in 1 British division and trader
coconut milk
what do three divisions would the cough
who’s Special Service Force 1509

00:40:10

force 12 days never fails straight up
back side of this mountain

text me in 2 days climbing up in this surprise drug
frozen capture do they have to wait silver towers before
force master to Hilton
special service for sale

00:40:45

capture them then they need American forces to c**
take take over
nothing was the generals didn’t have anything to do with the Special Service Force
Delta taken to determine Kaduna after this
nada says you can t & E
special service once was music Zeppelin
mmm John Dalton’s theory was the first ones to liberate

00:41:20

the Roma news live
alterations lyrics to be socializing with him
everytime we meet we learn more about his experience
experience
Dr David taking a census
soothe a fussy
the clean the McKenzie

00:41:55

the forgotten Nitin
pictures of Germans
who killed Germans live
became the devil’s Brigade this good couple movies made about the Devils brigade
it was first service Florida
John Dawson as a member you obviously have a lot of
lot of respect for all of the different experiences the June Goshen near Gloucester

00:42:30

interrogator for German prisoners in Germany
bespoke German
was that something he learned in order to do that you still down to your shin
is the service in this animal version interpreter
if you were going to tell a grand son
the Sun something about ww2 what would it be

00:43:05

I think I have to my services
service was not heroic servicing
what some of the other soldiers did you tell him to Dallas
first time fisting woman medication high school college
Lowa courses help me with my typing course
yummy house in Centurion to type
what type of sins in the front what would you tell him about the

00:43:40

about the whole war not even just your part of it
funny videos
blues conflict in which we had to
editor
where involved in before the fee for the Warrens in supply and material
surreal 230 Pearl Harbor is epic
Brooklyn Bridge New York we had to join the airforce

00:44:15

difference in width with personnel
just tell me I was proud to serve
hoping he would have to
search anything else you want to tell us about
I think that Santa buddies
Portland time in your life free porn an important time in your life quotes

00:44:50

27 years we went
it wasn’t going to Joyce analysis
the first type of Smith we went where we were ordered in the saying was you
is not ours

Stonehedge voiced dessert Instagram
the do or die

00:45:25


that’s what people do
cars 2 reasons why the towers do you do or die
what to be in life

Eugene Houser served as clerk typist in an Army Replacement Battalion in the Mediterranean Theater. From 1944 to 1946, he worked in a unit that processed incoming replacement troops and cut orders for troops being discharged. He says he didn’t do anything heroic, but like all Americans, he was deeply involved in the war effort. He left his father who had some physical handicaps to run the family farm because, as he puts it, he couldn’t have faced himself if he hadn’t gone into the Army when called. His story reflects those of many of the behind-the-line soldiers. His great respect for all who served is obvious throughout his interview. Houser talks about the men he met during these years. Years after the war, he and several other veterans collected stories of veterans, men and women, from the Farmer City, Ill., area into a book they titled “Their Roles Remembered.”