Page 102 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2025 - Online Magazine

navy | wwii

states, so I rode back with a load crash into us, and we had a red-
of patients on a ship. We couldn't headed chief gunner's mate that had
get leave during the war, but the a 20-millimeter (gun). Just before the
commanding officer gave us twelve kamikaze went into us, he blew him
days delay-in reporting. In other to pieces. He got a commendation for
words, it was the same as leave, so I saving the ship.
caught a train and went back to Post.
“During the Korean War (1950-53),
“I was in a drugstore in Post, and we spent a year carrying troops. Why
a girl (Pauline Baker) came in. I we did it, I don't know, but all we did
thought she was so pretty! We went was ride around for a year, out in the
out quite a few times while I was on Mediterranean--Italy, France, Greece,
that twelve-day leave. When I got Algeria. I had a high, ol' time. We
back to Pearl Harbor, I called her one never did land them troops.” After
night and asked her if she would Rockland, Jim was stationed at Key
marry me. She acted surprised, so I West, Columbus, OH, and San Diego.
sent her a ring.” His last assignment was in D.C. at
the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
After three years at Pearl Harbor, Jim “I went into what they called the
in the ambulance on the floor, four got rotated back to the states, and Fleet Reserve as a chief petty officer.
or five at once. (After the attack was stationed in Rockland, ME. “I finally At the end of thirty years, I retired as
over, a few days later, they started got a leave, so I went home and got a medical service warrant officer.”
looking for that stretcher, and I just married and brought Pauline back
kept my mouth shut.) up to Maine, but then I was sent “I wanted to get back to Texas as fast
back out. I was at the first landings as I could,” Jim always said. Their
“I was thinking what a dirty trick it on Leyte and Luzon, Philippine two children were in elementary
was—no war declared or nothing, Islands.” (Ed. note: The Battle of Leyte school, so the Masons settled in
just come in and attack you….” Gulf (23-26 October 1944) was the Southland for a while. Jim sent
Reflecting about people’s reactions, largest naval battle of World War II and Pauline and his daughter Mickey to
“I guess everybody acted heroic. marked the final blow to Japan’s fleet. Texas Tech at the same time. (They
What needed to be done, they did it. The (land) Battle of Luzon, 09 January were to graduate together in May
I didn't feel scared, but I felt like if I to 15 August 1945, was the longest and 1970, but the infamous Lubbock
kept going down to the dock, I was most decisive battle of the Pacific War.) tornado prevented the ceremony.)
probably not going to make it.
Jim’s last combat service was at the The Masons moved to Slaton soon
“For several days everybody just battle of Okinawa (1 April 1945 until after, where both mother and
worked, and maybe sometimes 22 June 1945). “I was at the first daughter taught school for many
they'd lay down somewhere and take landings at Okinawa, too.” years.
a nap and then get up and go back to “I was on a LSV—a Landing Ship It is said that when an elderly
work again. It took us a long time to Vehicle. We was too big to go in to person passes away, it is like a
get everything under control.”
the beach. We had this thing called library burning down. Jim Mason
After his initial duty as ambulance a "Duck" [DUKW] that had a screw passed away in 2007 soon after
driver, Jim “just went back to work as [propeller] and wheels, and they'd his lifelong sweetheart Pauline
a hospital corpsman—as mate-of-the- go down that ramp at the water, died, but he left behind a wealth
day—taking the calls, dispatching the carrying troops or whatever. of firsthand information and
ambulance, and admitting patients. eyewitness testimony of some of the
“Okinawa was the worst of any of most significant events in American
“A while after December 7, they the landings for kamikazes. One history.
started sending patients back to the time, one of them was coming in to

102 Lubbock Senior Link