[Annotator’s Note: Constant noise in background throughout this segment.] Leander Bubrig was born in Boothville, Louisiana in June 1926. He grew up with two brothers and one sister. During the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States], his father, a farmer and fisherman, worked for the WPA [Annotator's Note: The Works Progress Administration was a federally sponsored program that put unemployed Americans to work during the Great Depression] building levees along the lower Mississippi River. During Prohibition, his father and uncles had boats that they would trawl out in the bay and get loads of liquor from Canadian ships, then bring it to New Orleans [Annotator’s Note: New Orleans, Louisiana]. The federal authorities caught his father in the act of bootlegging, so they arrested him, took his boat and fined him. By the late 1930s, the fear of German U-boats [Annotator's Note: German submarines] sailing up the Mississippi River were felt by all in his community. While he was in high school, a U.S. Army infantry outfit was stationed on the levee outside of his home to watch for U-boats. The explosions from U-boat attacks just outside of the mouth of the river could easily be heard from his family home. Ambulances from New Orleans would arrive after these attacks to take survivors to the hospital. Though he was aware of the ongoing war in Asia, he was surprised by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Because he was in a remote area, nothing changed too much after the war broke out. His family continued to live of their farm and gardens. Bubrig was antsy to join the service, especially the Marine Corps. Upon turning 18, Bubrig went to New Orleans and attempted to enlist in the Marine Corps and the Navy, but was turned away because of his color-blindness. The Army accepted him, and 10 days later he was inducted into service.

In 1944, Leander Bubrig enlisted in the Army and was sent to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana for induction. His hair was cut off, and he received uniforms. He was asked what he wanted to do in the Army. After a month, he was sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training. While there, he learned to work on and maintain telephone and radio systems. Bubrig enjoyed being in California and thought the base was set in a beautiful landscape. He was in basic training for about six weeks, until he joined the 749th Field Artillery Battalion at Camp Hood [Annotator’s Note: Fort Hood, Texas] and was placed in a wire squad. His commanders showed them propaganda movies of the Japanese and Germans. After a month at Camp Hood, he boarded a train to Seattle [Annotator’s Note: Seattle, Washington]. While waiting for orders, he was given the duty to guard German POWs [Annotator's Note: prisoners of war]. Bubrig boarded a troop ship out of Seattle on Christmas 1944 and was sent to Hawaii for amphibious training. There were bad weather conditions on their way to the Pacific. A shaft on the ship broke and it took several days for them to repair it while out at sea. He was scared because of the likelihood of being attacked by an enemy submarine. Almost all the troops were seasick during the journey and the sleeping quarters were so crowded that Bubrig and his friend slept on the deck. While in Hawaii, they did amphibious training, which included swimming in their gear, and going up and down a ladder. He enjoyed his free time in Hawaii and sightseeing. He also had a date with a Hawaiian girl.

[Annotator’s Note: Speaking is audible in the background through this segment.] In February 1945, Leander Bubrig [Annotator’s Note: serving with the 749th Field Artillery Battalion] boarded a troop ship heading to the Pacific Theater. His ship stopped at several islands, including Leyte [Annotator’s Note: Leyte, the Philippines], picking up more equipment and ships to add to the convoy. He arrived off the coast of Okinawa several days before the invasion [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg; 1 April to 22 June 1945; Okinawa, Japan] and was locked in the ship’s hold as he listened to anti-aircraft fire and Japanese kamikaze attacks. This was the most frightening experience of his Army career. He was able to get on deck to see some of the bombardment around him and the island of Okinawa. Planes were flying everywhere. He does not believe his ship was a target for a kamikaze attack. His ship received a report that there was no opposition on the island, so Bubrig and his artillery unit landed on the beach in the afternoon on D-Day [Annotator's Note: the day on which an operation or invasion takes effect, 1 April 1945 for the Battle of Okinawa]. He dug in a foxhole for the first night on Okinawa. His artillery gun arrived the next day. The Japanese waited a few days before attacking his unit. His unit had moved towards the south of the island and about five days in, the Japanese began putting up heavy resistance. Bubrig’s unit had set up their artillery guns and was able to remain in one location for several days. He worked communications with the OP [Annotator’s Note: observation post]. He described his work of rigging telephone wire under heavy enemy artillery fire and describes the difficulty in dealing with Japanese soldiers infiltrating their lines disguised as Okinawan civilians. After the initial adrenaline rush of being in combat wore off, he had had enough of war. He was the squad leader and became friends with the switchboard operator. He got to ride in an observation plane one time. There was one instance where a guard accidentally shot his own man because he got up to pee at night. [Annotator’s Note: Video becomes blurry at 0:38:35.000 and again at 0:39:04.000.] The weather conditions made life miserable. It rained almost every day making it hard to move their vehicles through the terrain. With the island secured, his wire squad acted as infantry and helped to mop up any remaining resistance. His commander, Buckner [Annotator’s Note: Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.] was killed towards the end of the battle.

[Annotator’s Note: Talking and other noises are audible in the background of this segment.] After the Americans secured the island of Okinawa [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg; 1 April to 22 June 1945; Okinawa, Japan], Leander Bubrig [Annotator’s Note: serving with the 749th Field Artillery Battalion] began preparing for the invasion of Japan. When the war ended, his outfit assumed duty as a provisional MP [Annotator’s Note: Military Police] force and were sent to the island of Cheju [Annotator’s Note: Cheju, also spelled Jeju, South Korea] to disarm and escort thousands of Japanese soldiers to Japan. Bubrig was able to associate with many of the prisoners and learned they were just like us, and were mostly friendly. Any hatred he held towards them in war was forgiven. He had a chance to visit Sasebo, Japan and set up artillery in various areas. He was relieved when the United States dropped the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945] and believes that he would not be here today if he had had to invade Japan. On VJ-Day [Annotator's Note: Victory Over Japan Day, 15 August 1945], his outfit had a big celebration with beer drinking. His outfit was then transferred to Busan, South Korea to assume occupation duties. While there, Bubrig served as the clerk of a military prison. Commanders came in and interrogated some of the Korean prisoners about communism. Overall, he enjoyed his experience in Korea. He returned to the United States after receiving enough points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] and landing in San Francisco [Annotator’s Note: San Francisco, California]. While on the ship, he was so happy to be sleeping on a bed and eating good food. Bubrig was discharged as a sergeant in 1946. He was surprised that his mother had kept all his pay while he was away. He then went to work in the oil fields. He adjusted to civilian life easily after the war. He married a girl who had boarded with his parents during the war. He used the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] to buy his first home.

[Annotator’s Note: Talking and other noises are audible in the background through this segment.] Leander Bubrig’s most memorable experience of World War 2 was sitting in a ship waiting to land in Okinawa [Annotator’s Note: Okinawa, Japan]. He fought in World War 2 because he felt it was his duty. His military training changed his life because he became a professional electrician, starting his own company and employing hundreds of people. He is proud of his service. He thinks many Americans have forgotten about World War 2. Bubrig believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations.