Albert Hatala was born in 1923 in Czechoslovakia. When he was about six months old his father moved to the United States to look for work. It took him seven years to save enough money to bring over his wife and two kids. His father found a job working in a factory in Michigan. The family moved to Detroit [Annotator's Note: Detroit, Michigan] and Hatala began attending classes at a parochial school with a large Slovakian population and quickly learned to speak English. He loved to play marbles after school. He recalled being at home and listening to the radio when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. At the time, Hatala was working as a draftsman and illustrator at the tank automotive factory at the Fisher Body Plant. Hatala's job working on the design plans for a new heavy tank kept him from being drafted. By 1943, however, nearly all Hatala's friends were off serving in the military. His older brother had entered service some time earlier and was serving with the 10th Armored Division. Hatala asked the Army captain who oversaw his project to release him so he could join the Army. The officer tried to talk him out of it but Hatala was insistent. He was released from his job at Fisher Body and enlisted in the Army.

Albert Hatala was inducted at Camp Custer, Michigan and was then sent to Camp Swift, Texas for basic training. He then trained as a combat engineer. He was trained to build pontoon bridges and clear mines. At times, finding mines was very difficult because the metal detector would pick up all the shrapnel that was lying on the ground. After three months, he completed the combat engineer course, and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 235th Engineer Combat Battalion. He was sent by train to Boston, Massachusetts where his battalion boarded a transport ship and steamed for Oran, North Africa. They trained in survival skills, like digging foxholes. He was also trained to use a bazooka. After a month in North Africa they shipped out for Italy. Hatala recalls assembling Bailey brides as his unit worked through Italy. His primary role was as a communications specialist.

Albert Hatala and his family left Czechoslovakia when he was young and does not recall if they kept in touch with their relatives who remained there during the war. He and his wife returned to Czechoslovakia for a four month visit sometime after World War 2. When his unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 235th Engineer Combat Battalion] arrived in Naples [Annotator's Note: Naples, Italy], the Germans were still bombing the city. Hatala was invited to go along to dinner at an Italian's house because a guy in his unit had family near Cassino [Annotator's Note: Cassino, Italy]. Most of the combat Hatala experienced was during the fighting around Cassino. He was present at Cassino when the monastery atop Monte Cassino was leveled by American bombers. Hatala's primary role was as a communications specialist. Since radio communications were unreliable, his unit depended primarily on telephones. Hatala would lay the communication wire and would have to repair it if it was damaged by German artillery fire. There were several times when Hatala had to go out during enemy artillery barrages to repair broken phone lines. In addition to repairing phone lines, Hatala was also responsible for his company's bazooka. In the event of a German attack or counterattack, Hatala was to use the bazooka to knock the tracks off any German tanks. Hatala shares anecdotal stories of some of the enlisted men and officers he served with during his time in Europe. He also says that he never had a moment of fear while being in combat but felt elated after surviving moments in combat.

Albert Hatala primarily built Bailey bridges while he was serving in Italy. He also ran communication wire so headquarters could communicate with the rest of the unit [Annotator's Note: Hatala was a member of Headquarters Company, 235th Engineer Combat Battalion]. Some units used pigeons to communicate messages. After the Battle of Cassino [Annotator's Note: Cassino, Italy], Hatala took part in the liberation of Rome [Annotator's Note: Rome, Italy]. The civilians were applauding as the Americans entered the city and they would trade just about anything for soap. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer pauses the interview to change tapes at 0:54:50:000.] Hatala cannot remember specifically what happen after the Allies liberated Rome. He remembers seeing some of the sights in Rome and was impressed with the ruins and going to the Vatican [Annotator's Note: Vatican City, Italy] to see Pope Pius XII [Annotator's Note: Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli].

At the beginning of 1945, the United States military broke through into the Po Valley, and Alberta Hatala and his unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 235th Engineer Combat Battalion] set up communications wire through the area and would have to repair it if it were damaged by German artillery fire. His main concern was stepping on mines as he worked on the roads and off road terrain. In addition to repairing phone lines, Hatala was also responsible for his company's bazooka. In the event of a German attack or counterattack, Hatala was to use the bazooka to knock the tracks off any German tanks.

Not long after the Germans surrendered, Albert Hatala's battalion [Annotator's Note: Hatala was a member of Headquarters Company, 235th Engineer Combat Battalion] was loaded onto a transport ship for redeployment to the Pacific theater. The transport carrying them was just passing the Hawaiian Islands when they got word that the Japanese had surrendered. Hatala remembers when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and he was relieved war was over. The ship continued to the Philippines where Hatala's battalion stayed for three months waiting to return to the United States. He does not recall having any duties or assignments, but just waiting to get their orders to go home. He returned to the United States and was discharged in November 1945 at Fort Riley, Kansas as a corporal. Hatala bummed around for six months before finding a job. He decided not to take advantage his G.I. Bill benefits, but instead, went back to work as a draftsman. Hatala went to work for General Motors where he had a successful 32 year career. He is now retired.

Albert Hatala was glad to be part of World War 2. One of his most memorable experiences is when he got shrapnel in his eye while serving in Italy. He stayed in the hospital for a couple of months. He never received a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] because the records list his wound as a disease of the eye. He is adamant about having the error corrected. Hatala fought in World War 2 because he wanted to, and he was glad he did it. He felt he did something right. He believes its important to have institutions like The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] to recognize his generation.