Frank H. Kubiak was born in West Allis, Wisconsin in November 1924. His father emigrated from Prussia but was of Polish heritage. Kubiak did not know much about his father because his parent worked hard and long hours during the Depression. His father initially was a machinist and then became a skilled tool and die maker. Kubiak's father also boxed professionally. The family moved around a lot. Kubiak was an amateur boxer but was never as good as his father. His dad never lost a professional fight. Kubiak was proud of his father. He taught his son to box so that he could protect himself. His father was tough on his son during the training to box. The Kubiak family kept up with events transpiring in Europe. Neither of his parents wanted Kubiak to go into the Marine Corps. His mother wanted him to go into the Navy instead of the Marines. That was what he did, and it probably saved his life. On 8 December [Annotator's Note: 8 December 1941], which was one day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, Kubiak and his friend went to the naval recruiter and signed up. Kubiak's parents did not cosign the application. His friend never saw any action. That would have killed Kubiak because he wanted to fight.

Frank Kubiak failed his assessment examination at the Navy boot camp. He fell asleep because he had guard duty the previous night. It was fortunate because that allowed him to go to sea on the Tillman [Annotator's Note: USS Tillman (DD-641)]. That was best for him. He had little training in boot camp. He learned seamanship from a friend named Hardgraves [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling]. That friend and Kubiak almost fought despite a large disparity in their relative sizes. Because Hardgraves was so impressed that the diminutive Kubiak would challenge him, he decided to make a seaman out of him and took him under his wing. Kubiak would eventually work on the captain's gig. The gig was a small boat for the skipper's sole use. Despite waking his Captain, Kubiak was promoted because of his efforts. The Tillman sailed to Guantánamo, Cuba for target practice. The ship also chased submarines and dropped depth charges. Tillman subsequently went in for alterations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Sea trials were held off Charleston. Target practice was held off the stern of the ship and Kubiak excelled at hitting the flying skeet targets. He was made a 20mm Oerlikon antiaircraft gunner as a result. He was in heaven. When he shot at rafts later, he was the pointer who adjusted the vertical range on the gun. Another man adjusted the horizontal aim of the weapon. Without the hydraulics on the gun, Kubiak had difficultly moving the five inch gun. He was shifted from the 20mm to the five inch gun. That broke his heart. Kubiak feared that he would endanger the ship if he could not properly aim the five inch gun because of his small stature. He reviewed the situation with the gunnery officer and was placed back on the 20mm. Kubiak was in heaven again.

Frank Kubiak went to North Africa with his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Tillman (DD-641)]. They were on the receiving end of firepower from the French fleet. As they approached the French vessels, they were warned not to engage unless they were fired upon. The French fired and the Americans returned fire. Many were wounded on the French corvette. A boarding party was sent over to assist the wounded. Another French ship fired on them and was blown up as a result. Kubiak's hero, Patton [Annotator's Note: US Army Leiutenant General George S. Patton], was put ashore. He had guts. The French were firing on the American troops. The American ships fired on and silenced the opposition. While at general quarters, submarines were observed lying below them. They surfaced and fired on several troop ships that had already disembarked their men. Some destroyers screened the outbound troopships while other destroyers went on to hunt the submarines. The Tillman hit 60 foot seas en route to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Kubiak was so seasick that he vomited blood. He was ashamed of that. While underway, Kubiak had to be relieved at the ship's wheel so he could go to the side and vomit. When he noticed the Captain doing the same thing, he was no longer ashamed of his vulnerability. Kubiak was exhilarated by combat. It felt wonderful. Big shells flying over his head sounded like express trains. It did not bother him a bit. He was a crazy kid and felt invulnerable. The turbines screamed like banshees. The French could not believe the ship could sail so fast.

Frank Kubiak admired the ship's skipper, Commander McCorkle [Annotator's Note: US Navy Lieutenant Commander Francis Douglas McCorkle commanded the USS Tillman (DD-641) where Kubiak served]. The skipper treated Kubiak like a son. He had guts. He allowed the men to fire at oncoming aircraft without permission from the bridge. An enemy plane was fair game without asking permission. Tillman's sister ship had to get permission from the bridge before firing. By that time, it was too late. The Tillman was attacked multiple times and protected itself. The gunners saw aircraft and shot them down. Unfortunately, that even included some friendly planes that came from the wrong direction and appeared to be enemy planes. Some of the friendly planes even included transport aircraft carrying American paratroopers. Friendly fire is part of war and happens all the time. The crew was never chastised for their actions. They had previously been bombed by German dive bombers and American ships were sunk as a result. The transport aircraft appeared at the wrong time after that bombing. When new guns were installed onboard the Tillman, armor tubs were replaced with sheetmetal. Little protection was afforded by those new lighter tubs.

Frank Kubiak reveals incidents that occurred with his shipmates. Some instances involved risky activities that could have endangered the ship and crew. His liberty in the United States was limited but what little he had allowed him to chase girls. His North Atlantic convoy duty fought off German submarines. Kubiak was involved in pursuing the enemy vessels to destroy them. His ship [Annotator's Note: USS Tillman (DD-641)] also traversed the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. Working with friends to ease the voyage was part of the lighter side of the duty. Rescuing survivors from ship sinking was also part of the job. Despite offers to change his rating, Kubiak remained happy to man one of the ship's guns.

Frank Kubiak and his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Tillman (DD-641)] were attacked in Bizerte by dive bombers. There were nine casualties. Kubiak narrowly missed being wounded while manning his gun. He did not receive the Purple Heart but his friend did for a head injury incurred during the raid. He was hit by a can of beans he had taken earlier from the galley. The beans were hidden in the fire room compartment overhead. An explosion caused the ship to roll 40 degrees and the beans fell on the man's head and made a large cut. Kubiak witnessed a German 111E Heinkel bomber with a wired guided bomb. The ship fired on the bomber and hit it. The glider bomb was hit but an explosion caused the ship to take on the 40 degree list. Next, another series of bombers attacked. The ship was hit again. The action lasted about 30 minutes. The ship picked up survivors after that. The men looked scared, but the nurses they saved looked great. One of the rescued nurses provided Kubiak an uncomfortable instance while he was in the head. They were impressed with his rating even though he was such a young man. The ship next participated in the invasion of Sicily.

Frank Kubiak requested a change to heavier weaponry on his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Tillman (DD-641)]. It resulted in his transfer to the USS Vicksburg (CL-86). He went through a disagreeable training program that was like being in boot camp once again. When he went aboard his new ship, he was happy with his position as 40mm gun director. He did not like the ship being so much larger than his previous ship. There were too many people aboard. Kubiak prided himself on doing his job and maintaining disciple. He even challenged those with a higher rank than him. Kubiak was given a new rating of permanent Master of Arms which changed his battle station. He was given charge of a mid-ship damage control party which fought fires on the ship. He began to dislike the ship as a result. When the ship bombed Iwo Jima, he observed the Pensacola [Annotator's Note: USS Pensacola (CA-24)] firing into a cave. He saw when Pensacola was hit several times in the same relative location that Kubiak manned. The injured ship pulled away and was replaced by the Vicksburg. Kubiak's ship then went after the enemy gun. The Vicksburg hit the enemy rail gun and silenced it. After the war and while he was in the Coast Guard, Kubiak met a survivor of the Pensacola. The survivor revealed that the ship's hatches and doors had to be secured after the ship was hit at Iwo Jima. There was a concern that the ship would sink. Men who were trapped behind those closures lost their lives. When Pensacola entered Pearl Harbor for repairs, it was met by a band to recognize its valor. The wind blew the smell of the dead toward the pier where the reception gathering stood. Kubiak talked with a veteran who had been on Iwo Jima. That man actually saw the large rail gun in the cave that had been destroyed by the Vicksburg. The Vicksburg fired on the island to support troops and also had to defend itself against Japanese air attacks. Kubiak witnessed both flag raisings on the Iwo Jima mountain [Annotator's Note: Mount Suribachi]. Next was Okinawa where the ship had to defend itself against kamikaze aircraft. Kubiak admired Admiral Bull Halsey, Patton and McCorkle [Annotator’s Note: US Navy Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.; US Army Lieutenant General George S. Patton; and US Navy Commander Francis Douglas McCorkle who was the skipper of Kubiak's first ship, the USS Tillman (DD-641)]. Vicksburg would go on to attack the Japanese home island of Kyushu.

Frank Kubiak and his ship [Annotator's Note: USS Vicksburg (CL-86)] went to the Philippines because it was stricken with widespread dysentery. Kubiak had to stay in the hospital. He was told by a visiting friend that the war was over. Some big bombs had been dropped. Kubiak was sick but he took part in the celebration. Kubiak just wished he had done more during the war. He always wanted a Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart. With his 57 points, Kubiak was sent back to the United States as a passenger on the transport. He reached the United States but felt it was anti-climatic. He took a train home to people who hardly talked to him. Kubiak loves the people in Mississippi. [Annotator's Note: Kubiak becomes noticeably emotional.] The losses of family members had a heavy impact on Kubiak. His father's patriotism and his love of this country were particularly impressive to Kubiak. [Annotator's Note: He becomes emotional.] Kubiak's adjustment to civilian life was miserable. He grew up in the service and missed the discipline and comradeship. He loved to hunt and fish but now he does neither. Kubiak used the G.I. Bill to obtain a private pilot's license. Kubiak went into the Coast Guard after the Navy because the Navy would not give him his previous rating. He advanced in rate in the Coast Guard and was sent to Ethiopia as an instructor. Returning to the United States, Kubiak was intertwined in a controversy between a ship commander and his executive officer. Rather than risk losing his rank, he decided to retire. He attended school and sailed for awhile. He then obtained a job as a marine surveyor in Singapore. He met his wife there.

Frank Kubiak went to Vietnam while serving in the Merchant Marine. He did so because there is a warrior in him. He sailed ammunition ships during Vietnam. His most memorable experience of the Second World War was sailing convoy duty. He served because it was his duty and honor to do so. He had to go. His service means everything in the world to him. He is proud of it and wishes that he had done more. World War 2 means everything to America today. Places like The National WWII Museum are important. He does not go there because it could alter his memory of his experiences. Consequently, he cannot force himself to go there despite urgings by relatives. Future generations need to be taught about World War 2 because they will learn how wonderful this country is. Kubiak had to threaten suicide for his father to sign his enlistment papers.