Raymond Roy Kari
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Raymond Roy Kari was inducted into the Army July of 1942.
He served as a Private and Company medical aid man with the 43rd Infantry Division in the Pacific Theater.
"After conditioning in New Zealand and jungle training in New Caledonia, we spent a few days unloading ships on Guadalcanal. This was followed by a 75 mile trip in a small landing craft to the Russell Islands which we occupied over a month and watched many a dogfight between fighter planes based on the Canal and New Georgia.'
"From there, I embarked on the destroyer USS Mann which delivered my company into a bay on the far side of New Georgia Island. After midnight, we went over the side, down rope nets into landing craft which dropped us off in a channel between two islands. Our mission: to secure the islands and ensure safety of the landing force which came through two days later. Shortly, we followed them in and took our part on the front lines. The days were tough and the nights were out of this world'
"Eventually, the neighboring company was short a medic, so I volunteered and was in 'no man's land' treating a badly wounded scout when I was shot in the head. After I came to realize that I had two holes in my helmet about five inches apart, with disgust, I threw it into the jungle and walked back toward the rear. After several exciting incidents, I was flown from Guadalcanal to New Hebrides and via a hospital ship to Auckland, New Zealand,'
"I finally recovered after extensive surgery to remove infected bone from the wound area. Later, I actually met Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt at an affair for returning veterans. Following a long 'single ship' boat trip, I was back in 'Frisco' and from there to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Eventually, some experts from Washington, D.C., came down and I was sent to Atlanta where I received a tantalum plate in my head.'
"After recovery I was discharged in February 1944, and arrived home by train. I later received my Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal in the mail, and thereby ends this tale"
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 140.
