Encoded for the Experiencing War web site for the Veterans History Project.
The recording of the interview with Joseph Butler was digitized.
This transcription was encoded with minimal changes to the original text in an effort to preserve original content and idiosyncrasies of the person interviewed. Period language and terminology are also retained. Encoding is literal with regard to the transcriptionist's capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Spelling errors are indicated with [sic]; however, recurring errors in spelling within a single document have been marked the first time and not subsequently.
This is the interview of World War II veterans conducted by Harold Phillips for the Henry Library Archives and Winchester County/Frederick County Historical Society. It's tape number five, November the 15th, 2001. The veteran is Mr. Joe Butler of Winchester, Virginia.
My name is Joseph Harry Butler, commonly known as Joe. I was born September the 27th, 1921, which makes me 80 years old. I grew up -- I was born and raised in Winchester and went to -- through the Winchester schools starting in the fourth grade in Hanley School. Upon graduation of Hanley School, I enrolled at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. And I graduated Hanley in 1939 and graduated from Virginia Tech 1943. The graduation of Virginia Tech, I went into the United States Marine Corps and I spent three years in the Marine Corps. At first I was in -- I went to OCS and Parris Island, South Carolina, and I went to the officers' course at Quantico, Virginia, and then after that I went to New River, North Carolina, where I went into the artillery school and graduated from artillery school as a range officer.
What was your degree from Virginia Tech?
I was -- I got a degree from Virginia Tech in horticulture. The reason I did that was because my family was involved in the apple growing business in Winchester.
And did you get a commission to Virginia Tech? Were you in the ROTC there?
No, I wasn't. I went into the Marine Corps and went to OCS. And at that time, the war as on, of course. And I was taking flying lessons when I was at Tech and I had enough flying experience to know that I didn't want to be a fighter pilot in World War II. I would rather be in a foxhole serving time with the Marine Corps. So that was my occupation. After I graduated from Virginia Tech in horticulture, I came back to Winchester -- no, I went into the service directly then from Virginia Tech. That was in 1943. And I went into the service. I first went to, after graduating from artillery school, I went to San- -- to report to San Francisco and the transportation overseas. From San Francisco, I went on to Hawaii, Honolulu. And I was assigned then to go to Johnston(ph) Island, which was 900 miles southwest of -- southwest, yeah, southwest of Honolulu. I was assigned on -- as a range officer to sea close artillery battalion. I met Harry Berg, Junior, at the officers' club down there and he was in transit to Parris Island. That was the last time I saw him during World War II. At any rate, at Johnston(ph) Island, we came back to Kauai, which is in the Hawaiian Islands, and we spent nine months there training for the Okinawa operation. And after we transferred into an anti-aircraft artillery battalion then and we got aboard ship and joined the fleet going to Okinawa. I went on shore at Okinawa at D+30, at which time our battalion set up in defense of Kadena air strip and I spent time at Okinawa and defending the island there. And our battalion was actually involved in destroying Japanese aircraft. We were busy shooting down kamikaze planes that were trying to destroy our ships in the harbor. I was on Okinawa then when Japan surrendered, at which time I was there seven more months and I came back to San Diego, California, with the battalion as property officer and then had to sign the release of equipment with the quartermaster and then I was transported back to Washington, DC where I was discharged in -- what do you call it -- November, I guess. November of '46.
'45?
'45, yeah. November of '45.
What grade were you -- what rank were you in Okinawa?
I was a first lieutenant.
And your job was? Were you a battery commander or a --
I was a range officer.
On Okinawa you were a range officer?
Yeah. In other words, we had a battalion, an anti-aircraft battalion and I was in a company there and -- let's see. What did they call them? Battery. It wasn't a company. Called them a battery. And I was a range officer. And my duties were to -- we had four 90-millimeter anti-aircraft guns and we had two 60- -- let's see -- 40-millimeter automatic guns and also we had 20-mill- -- yeah, 20 millimeter, I guess, anti-aircraft guns and also 50-caliber guns.
Quad-50s?
Huh?
Were they the quad-50s?
No. That would be the 40-millimeter. That was Boford(ph) had the quad.
And did your battery get credit for any --
Yeah. We had very active -- I think, you know, it kept a log on what we called kills.
Yeah.
And then also assists and probables. In other words, they broke it down.
Yeah.
And I think, if I remember right, it's been a long time, but we had a very active time out there. And we shot down, I guess, I was thinking something like 12 planes and had assists on maybe that many. But it was like shooting clay pigeons shooting those kamikaze planes coming in over the water, see, and trying to hit the ships we had out there. Of course, some of them did get in low and crashed into the ships.
My brother was on the aircraft carrier Wasp and I think one of the last kamikazes hit the Wasp and it went back to port. You're right.
I always -- in talking about the war, I had a ringside seat at the big show. And I'm not sorry. I mean I'm very glad that I had the experience. And I had one active member that was in my battalion. He was the adjutant in our battalion and I roomed with him most of the time while we were out there. In other words, we lived in tents, but I mean -- but anyway, I still have the friendship going with him and he lives down in Arlington, Virginia, and the poor fella is on dialysis now and in -- but he gets around. He's been on that for several years, and he reports to the naval hospital and he's had -- but so far, I have nothing. Like I say, I've had a lot of good experiences in the Marine Corps.
Did your unit get any citations?
Citations? Well, yeah. I wasn't going to -- I wasn't going to become a career officer, and so consequently, I didn't sign up for medals and all that stuff.
Hmm.
Most of the -- most of the regular marines, there were some of them in our outfit, particularly the officers. In fact, the veteran battalion commanders, he was a regular Marine lieutenant colonel and he was a graduate of VMI. I really liked him. Most of the regular officers and, of course, some regular enlisted men, too, and, of course, all these fellas are putting themselves in for medals so that they could be on their record. So what --
What was it like coming home?
What do you mean?
Any trouble making the transition?
No. I came back and went to work in the family business, at which time, it was H.W. Butler and Brother apple growing and packing business.
Were you married or --
No, I wasn't married. I was -- I got home in, what, December, I guess. It was around in December and I met my wife, who had -- who had come to Winchester from Emporia, Virginia. She had just graduated from Longwood College and was teaching. I met her in December, I guess, and we got married in April.
Were you able to use any of the benefits they offered the veterans?
No, I haven't used any of them, but I haven't really needed them.
You went straight to work and all that?
I had a job. In fact, I -- my brother and I both came back about the same time after the war and we went into the company business. My father was still living at that time, but my brother -- I wasn't -- I looked after the fruit growing and the orchard operation and -- at which time I had over a thousand acres of apples that I looked after. My father took care of the farming. He liked to farm and so -- and then my brother took over the packing and selling the fruit.
Did you hold any political offices or positions after the war?
Here?
Here and --
Well, I was active in -- came back and joined the Kiwanis Club, and I served as the director -- financial -- let's see, treasurer, I believe, of the Apple Blossom Association. And then I was also president of the Frederick County Fruit Grower's Association. And, let's see, I was on the board of directors at Green Chemical Company. And I've been a member of the Braddock Street United Methodist Church for 80 years.
You mentioned that you were glad for the opportunity to serve.
Yes.
Other than that, what else did you get out of your military service?
Well --
Was it of value to you?
Well, I think -- I aged a little bit. In other words, I was 21 when I went in right out of college. In fact, the way it worked out, I was called to report the 28th of January, 1943. And I was supposed to graduate in March of 1943. And at that time, I needed nine quality credits, I think, to graduate from Tech. They passed a -- some kind of a deal. In other words, they sent me my diploma on graduation of OCS.
So they gave you your nine credits?
Gave me that nine credits for graduation, so, therefore, I got a diploma from Virginia Tech. There's a bachelor of science in horticulture. That's what I had planned on doing all of my life. In fact, the first 25 years after I got back from the service, I spent working with H.W. Butler and Brothers in the orchard business. And that was the time when I was, you know, I worked for -- in the fruit growers and active in that and went to Bahamas recruiting for labor to come for the fruit growers association and on the board there for years.
Is there anything else about your service in the military you'd like to pass on to people who listen to this in the future?
No.
Are you still a jyrine(sic) at heart? A marine?
Well, I don't know. I went to -- I've been going to, you know, the veterans' memorial services and I have not joined the Marine Corps -- they call it some -- they've got a group here and I haven't joined that. I don't know. I don't know. At my age, I'm not particularly -- not going to do much more work with an organization and I feel that I'm entitled to retire at 80 years old. But, in fact, I'm still involved in -- I spent 25 years in the apple business and then I spent another 25 years now in the home-building business. So I am a partner with my son in Butler Builders, which is a home-building business, and I'm still active in it. I work every day. I go out. Don't do much work, but I --
It keeps you busy.
Yeah.
Well, thank you very much for the interview.
All right. Maybe you can use part of it. You can -- you can audit it.