Oral History: Donald Dencker 8-Oct-14, 20141008.

Format:

Book

Language:

English

Genre:

Internet videos.

Nonfiction films.

Physical Description:

online resource (video file 1:12:07) : Sound, Colour

Place of Publication:

8-Oct-14,

Summary:

Sgt Donald Dencker was born November 25, 1924 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was on a street car in Minneapolis when a man boarded and yelled the "Japs have attacked Pearl Harbor". He enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned the 96th Infantry Division, 382nd Infantry Regiment, Company L. He volunteered for and was chosen to serve in a 60 mm mortar section. He was the second ammo bearer, responsible for carrying a 55 pound ammo bag. The 96th was part of the invasion force which landed on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. Company L landed on Blue Beach 1 and Dencker remembers the maps of the beach were terrible. The Japanese were ready and constructed anti-tank ditches, laid barbed wire, and dug logs with points into the landing area. Company L suffered 21 casualties that day. Dencker remembers an old Filipino man coming out waving an American flag and singing God Bless America. Dencker was with Company L when the 96th landed on Okinawa April 1, 1945 and was amazed they landed unopposed; however, that soon changed after a few days when the artillery and mortar fire from the Japanese became very intense. The Japanese on Okinawa were better trained and equipped then they had been on Leyte. After the war Dencker returned to Chicago, Illinois.

Notes:

Description based on online resource (viewed on 12 June, 2019).

Archive Reference: OH.3363.