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BERNARD "BUDDY" COLMES
By Aaron Peckham
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Beginning of Maritime Service
| After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, soldiers who had signed up
for a year’s stint, like Buddy, were required to extend their services
and move where they were most needed. So, soon after his marriage,
Buddy and his company were transferred to Melbourne, Australia, passing
through the Panama Canal. About a month later, Buddy was moved to
Ballaret Australia for approximately three weeks. Then, he and his
company were moved from Melbourne to New Caledonia, which is a former
French penal colony. It was in 1942, Noumea, New Caledonia that Buddy
was promoted from his position as a machine gunner to a medical
officer. |
 Buddy posing outside of his medical unit in Guadalcanal |
The Pacific Theater was crucial to the success of the Allies in World War II. In August of 1942, the Marines set sail to Guadalcanal, which is in the southern Solomon Islands. This island was strategically important for both sides of the war because of its location and the partially constructed landing strip called Henderson airfield. The US troops needed to prevent the Japanese from using the island as a base from which to attack the US. The United States would also be able to protect Australia from Japanese invasion, and also protect many of the Allied-controlled cities in Australia that would enable the Americans to eventually lead a major assault on the Japanese. (Trueman) When the Americans first landed on Guadalcanal, they encountered literally no Japanese for the first twenty-four hours, because the US forces surprised them. Because the island was strategically important to both sides, the Marines and the Air Force engaged in many brutal battles to overtake the Japanese. The Japanese were outnumbered, but continued to attempt to control the island and its airfield.
In October, Buddy and his company, as well as other Allied forces sailed to Guadalcanal to relieve the Marines and set up bases throughout the island. The troops were able to capture the few remaining Japanese hiding on the island.
At around this time, Buddy was a medical lieutenant and he was not engaged in combat. He coordinated the hospital to serve all of the wounded that came from many battles: three major land battles, five naval battles, and continuous aerial combat with the Japanese. He managed all of the sick and walking wounded that needed medical attention and referred all of them to the appropriate doctors within the hospital. When needed, Buddy would also physically assist surgeons in their procedures. More than once, Buddy was required to hold down an arm or a leg that needed to be amputated.
Buddy’s duties also included managing the planes that would come in and transport the wounded off of the island to superior medical facilities. Every day, the Americans would use the abandoned Japanese vehicles to level off the runway so that planes could come in bearing supplies, and fly off bearing sick or wounded soldiers. One time, Buddy’s friend became ill, and wanted to get off of the island right away. He asked Buddy if he could manage to send him on the first flight the very next morning. Buddy agreed, and made the arrangements for his friend to fly out with the others. He found out later that the plane carrying his friend was the only plane that the Guadalcanal Company ever lost. Although this sort of thing happened many times throughout the war, this was the only flight that went missing from his Company and Buddy felt personally responsible for his friend’s death.
Buddy's Return Home
| That November, the Allied troops defeated the last Japanese, thwarting their attempts to bring enough troops onto the island to take back Henderson Field. In December, Buddy became extremely ill with jaundice, hepatitis and malaria all at the same time. He needed to be transferred to Fiji to receive more advanced medical attention. Buddy was disoriented by his fever and he can’t recall how he got off the island or how he arrived at Fiji. After Buddy was transferred, the Japanese officially ceased their efforts to take Guadalcanal. In January of 1943, Buddy was shipped to San Francisco, CA where his wife Dorothy came to be with him. He was so seriously ill he had to be moved several more times. He was moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, and on to Indiana, then finally Camp Butner in North Carolina, where he made a full recovery. The very next month, all remaining troops left Guadalcanal, and Buddy returned home. |  Buddy writing home from his barracks |
After Buddy’s campaign in the Army, he went on to become a father and a successful businessman in the jewelry industry. He also managed several other businesses in different cities. He used different names depending on the business where he was employed. If he was at a store called Rogers and Co. his employees would call him Mr. Rogers, and if he was at a business called George K. Cooke they would call him Mr. Cooke. He says, “I didn’t care what they called me, as long as there was money in the till!” So he went from business to business, managing some while liquidating others. He decided between these two options based on the state of the business. If the business was already successful, he would buy and manage it, but if the business was just getting started, or winding down, he would liquidate it for cash. He did this because he “didn’t like to see starting costs.” He liked to see a business already rolling and see if he could make something out of it.
Bernard ‘Buddy’ Colmes is now 93 years old and lives in North Hill retirement community in Needham, Massachusetts. He enjoys playing bridge and visiting with his friends and family.
Where has Buddy Been?
Travels within the United States
Travels in the Pacific Theater
Works Cited
Colmes, Bernard. Personal interview. 15 Jan. 2011.
“Find by Map or Name.” Ramada Worldwide. Ramada Worldwide Inc., 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.
Trueman, Chris. “The Battle of Guadalcanal.” The Battle of Guadalcanal. History Learning, 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2011.
US Map Collection for All 50 states. geology.com, 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.