Introduction:

My grandfather, Lester Macktez, is an eighty-two year old World War II veteran. He currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida. My other grandfather, Herbert Kurinsky, was also in the war. In fact, he was a prisoner of war for 1 1/2 years. Sadly, Herbert died just over 2 years ago and I was not able to interview him for this project. Through this project I have learned about the ups and the downs of World War II. I have realized that there is the proud sense of accomplishment, as well as the unpleasant memories.

I would like to dedicate this project to my grandfather, Lester Macktez, and his wife, my grandmother, Helaine Macktez.

What did he do?

Lester Macktez was in the war from 1942-1945. When he entered the war he was only 21 years old. The first location he was at was Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he trained as a pilot. Lester couldn't exactly "choose what he wanted to do," but he did "want to fly." He was there for about half a year. Then he was relocated to Oklahoma City for just a short period of time, and then he was moved across the globe to India. In India, he was put on the outskirts of Calcutta. Again Lester was moved to another location; this time Kun Ming, China. While in all these places he served as a pilot of a B-24 liberator bomber. These bombers traveled in a squadron of about 400. Lastly, and most importantly, Lester was moved to Okinawa to take part in the Battle of Okinawa which was being fought against the Japanese. He fought there until the end of the war in 1945. While in the war, Lester won an air medal for combat as well as about a dozen campaign ribbons. He was able to keep in touch with his family since he could receive and send mail during the war.

Reflections on the War...

Lester thinks that the biggest contribution he made to the war was "just being in it because everyone else did it." He served "just like anyone else," and there was nothing he wished he had done better. There are no specific memories that pop into his head while he is thinking of the war. He doesn't stay in touch with his friends from the war, but he does remember them. All in all, he feels as though he got a "sense of accomplishment" from being in the war.

Awards:

While in the war, Lester was recognized for his achievements by being awarded an air medal and campaign ribbons. He still has these items at his home in Florida.

1. (This is a picture of an air medal which was one of the medals that Lester received for being in the war.)

Air Medal:

The air medal was instituted in 1942, and was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 11 of that year. The air medal is awarded to anyone who distinguishes themselves by outstanding achievement while serving in aerial flight. Lester received his air medal "for serving 100 combat hours." The air medal itself is a blue and gold ribbon attached to a bronze compass rose that pictures an eagle carrying two lighting flashes in its talons. Lester is extremely proud of his air medal as it marks a "high level of achievement."

2. (This is a picture is an Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon like the one that Lester received for serving in the Pacific in World War II.)

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon:

The campaign ribbon was instituted in 1942 and was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was given to any war personnel who served in the Asiatic-Pacific part of the war under certain circumstances. For example, the ribbon was given to anyone who was on a permanent assignment, on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days, in active combat against the enemy, etc. Lester got his Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbon for being on temporary duty for 60 days. The ribbon itself is yellow, white, red, and black. Lester has quite the collection of campaign ribbons since he served in many other areas of the war.

B-24 Liberator Bombers:

3. (The above photograph is of a B-24 liberator. Lester piloted a B-24 liberator in combat against the enemy.)

Lester's job in the war was to fly the B-24 liberators. The B-24 was a plane that carried bombs that originated in the early 1930's. It was a big, "ugly" plane with long flexible wings. Although it wasn't one of the "fastest planes in the war," it could travel up to 300 MPH. In one mission, which "lasted about 10 hours," the B-24 could carry up to 8000 pounds of bombs. It was one of the most commonly used planes during World War II. The advantages to the B-24 plane was the "great range and large bomb capacity." In total, the B-24 liberators dropped 635,000 tons of bombs on Europe and Asia. In the Pacific, the B-24 liberators shot down 4,189 enemy aircrafts. Even though the B-24 wasn't the prettiest aircraft, it was very useful and efficient.

The Battle of Okinawa:

4. ( The above map is of the island of Okinawa (center) and the other islands surrounding it.)

Lester was moved to Okinawa at the very end of the war in 1945. Okinawa was an island of Japan that the Americans invaded. It was very important that the Americans captured Okinawa because they needed to capture the island before they could bomb Japan. Also, Okinawa's main contribution to the war effort lay in the production of sugarcane, which had the ability to be turned into alcohol that was then used for torpedoes and engines. The island also served as a home to several air bases. On April 1, 1945, 60,000 American troops landed at Okinawa. The invasion began and ended with a larger concentration of naval gunfire than ever expected. In the first 24 hours, 3,800 tons of shells were fire at Okinawa. After the initial attack, the battle consisted mainly of four phases:

1. The Advance to the Eastern Coast - April 1-4

2. The Clearing of the Northern Part of the Island - April 5-18

3. The Occupation of the Outlying Islands - April 10-June 18

4. The Main Battle Against the Dug - April 6-June 21

The first three phases were relatively easy tasks, however the final phases was difficult because the Japanese were well defended. During the war, two important pieces of news were given to the American forces. The first one was that their president, Franklin Roosevelt, had died on April 12. Then on May 8 they were notified of the surrender of Germany. The news consisted of both the bad and the good. Even though the war in Europe had come to an end, Japan continued to resist American advancement.

Conditions at Okinawa:

The Battle of Okinawa is often compared to the battles of World War I. On the ground, men were covered in mud. Wounded bodies were dispersed along the ground among the countless dead. Japanese soldiers chose to end their lives by putting bombs to their stomachs so that the Americans wouldn't be able to get to them. Civilians jumped to their deaths and committed suicide. An estimated 107,000 Japanese died in the Battle of Okinawa. An estimated 12,000 Americans were killed as well, and 36,000 Americans were injured. Lester's job in the Battle of Okinawa was "to fly over the island and drop bombs." While in the air he was shot at many times, but never hit badly enough that his plane went down. He feels that his most important accomplishment from the war was "fighting in the Battle of Okinawa because it was a major battle of the war."

All in all...

My grandfather Lester played an important role in World War II. It took a lot of courage and bravery for him to accomplish what he did. Lester is now 82 years old and perfectly healthy, however his memory has started to fade a bit. He couldn't remember all the details from the war, but he did do a very good job of telling me what he did know. I am very proud to have him as my grandfather and to be able to look up to him as a role model in my life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"Air Medal." 2001.

http://www.usarotc.com/awards.htm

(5 Dec, 2002)

"Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal."

http://foxfall.com/csm-common-apcm.htm

(5 Dec, 2002)

"Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal."

http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/awardsAsp/default.htm

(5 Dec, 2002)

"Battle of Okinawa." 2001.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/okinawa-battle.htm

 (4 Dec, 2002)

Macktez, Lester. Interview. 12/11/02

"The Internet B-24 Veterans Group."

http://www.b24.mach3ww.com/

(4 Dec, 2002)

Tzeng, Megan. "The Battle of Okinawa, 1945: Final Turning Point in the Pacific." 2000.

http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ht/34.1/tzeng.htm

(4 Dec, 2002)

Pictures:

1. "Murphy's Medals & Militaria." 2000

http://www.murphysmedals.com/usa_medals.html

(11 Dec, 2002)

2. "Murphy's Medals & Militaria." 2000

http://www.murphysmedals.com/usa_medals.html

(11 Dec, 2002)

3. "The Internet B-24 Veterans Group."

http://www.b24.mach3ww.com/

(11 Dec, 2002)

4. "Orientation Maps." 2003.

http://www.virtualginza.com/okinawa.htm?http://www.virtualginza.com/japan3.htm

 (11 Jan, 2003)