Lowell Rodrigue was born in June 1924 in Edgard, Louisiana, but was raised in St. Rose, Louisiana. His father worked for an oil company and the family lived in the community set up by the company. His mother raised him and his two younger sisters. When the Great Depression hit America, his family was affected greatly. His father's wage decreased and getting things was hard. He attended Destrehan High School [Annotator's Note: Destrehan, Louisiana] and played a lot of sports. Rodrigue had just returned to LSU [Annotator's Note: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana] when he heard the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He was patriotic but stayed in school until he was 18 then enlisted in the Navy in January 1943 in the New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] with the objective of avoiding the Army. He was put on a train and sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] for boot camp. Boot camp was tough and very physical, but he enjoyed it. He was given liberty [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] after three weeks of boot camp and got a tattoo. After the completion of boot camp he was sent to San Francisco [Annotator's Note: San Francisco, California] and was assigned to the USS Zeilin (APA-3) and left the next morning. Rodrigue headed north to Kiska in the Aleutian Islands [Annotator's Note: Kiska, Alaska].

Lowell Rodrigue [Annotator's Note: after joining the crew of the USS Zeilin (APA-3)] headed north to Kiska in the Aleutian Islands [Annotator's Note: Kiska, Alaska]. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer pauses the interview from 0:13:16.000 to 0:13:45.000]. On his way up there, they got caught in a bad storm in the Bering Sea. They almost collided into the USS Pennsylvania (BB-38). The USS Zeilin participated in the battle on Attu [Annotator's Note: Attu Island, Alaska] on 11 May 1943 by releasing the troops onto the Higgins Boats or LCVPs [Annotator's Note: Landing, Craft, Vehicle, Personnel]. Rodrigue recalled assisting with the cranes and other mechanical operators to deboard equipment and troops to invade the island. After the invasion, he recalled seeing seals on their return to California which a sight for him. One of his other duties was to keep watch on one of the guns. Rodrigue's ship participated in filming for the movie "Guadalcanal Diary" [Annotator's Note: 1943 film based on the book of the same name by Richard Tregaskis] in which they unloaded Marines on an imitation island for days. Then the USS Zeilin (APA-3) went up and down the West Coast stopping in various ports. The troops were given liberty [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] at the ports every other night. The USS Zeilin head out again for the Invasion of Kiska, then returned to California again to resupply.

Lowell Rodrigue and his crew [Annotator's Note: aboard the USS Zeilin (APA-3)] picked up some Marine troops and brought them to Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]. There, they picked up some people and sailed to Espiritu Santo [Annotator's Note: Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu], then headed to Wellington, New Zealand and stayed there for a few weeks. They then picked up some troops and headed to Tarawa [Annotator's Note: Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati]. Rodrigue recalled lowering the Marine troops and equipment so they could invade the island. He also remembered the Japanese fired heavy rounds towards the USS Zeilin (APA-3), but luckily, the ship did not receive any major damage. Rodrigue recalled the wounded Marines headed back to the ships, and some did not make it back. The USS Zeilin (APA-3) buried many Marines at sea after the invasion. The ship returned to Pearl Harbor after the Marines secured Tarawa, and Rodrigue was selected to go on a 30 day leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. He arrived in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] on Christmas night 1943 where his family greeted him. [Annotator's Note: Rodrigue gets emotional and asked to take a break at 0:37:11.000.] On his return, his friend had snuck a dog on base.

Lowell Rodrigue received more training and was assigned to a unit that was on a Merchant Marine ship. They went to Hawaii and attended the wedding of a Hawaiian acquaintance. He was eventually ordered to go to Peleliu [Annotator's Note: Peleliu, Palau Islands]. He recalled the experience as horrible and worse than the invasion of Tarawa [Annotator's Note: Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati]. Three days after the start of the invasion, Rodrigue arrived on the beach to bring in equipment and all he saw was dead bodies everywhere. At night there were tons of mosquitoes and crabs that would bother him. He was wounded while going through some trashed equipment and shrapnel blew all over his stomach and legs. He stayed in a hospital tent for a week and then was returned to his unit.

Lowell Rodrigue was assigned to a special unit and sent to Peleliu [Annotator's Note: Peleliu, Palau Islands], but the unit was dissolved after the Americans had secured the island. Rodrigue than reported to the new naval base on the island where he worked on various duties, but mostly hung around. He acquired a pet monkey for a while but eventually gave it to a Marine. He was at the movies when he heard that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. After the war ended, getting home was a terrible experience because he was stuck on the island and had no transportation. He had to get on three different ships before arriving in the United States. He was discharged in March 1946. He worked in various jobs after the war but settled with American Greeting Cards, Inc. for 29 years.

Lowell Rodrigue had many dreams about World War 2 and cannot watch movies related to the war. He has been clinically diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. Rodrigue fought in World War 2 because he was patriotic, and he did not want to be drafted. The war made him mature and after the war he was ready to work and marry. He is gracious that Americans are appreciated for their service.