Randolph Daniel was born in Marshall County, Alabama in September 1926. He saw hard times in the Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States]. He was drafted in 1944 while he was going to school. His father was a farmer. There was no money. People had lost many of their things during that time. There were no jobs or work to be had. It was a hard life. Daniel’s family had their own farm with cows and pork so that was how they survived. He had four sisters and three brothers. He was the second child born into the family. As a result, he had a lot of responsibility. He managed and knew how to work on the farm. Power did not come to his home until after the TVA [Annotator’s Note: Tennessee Valley Authority] built a dam to provide electricity to customers. Everything was rough. Going to school was tough because there were no buses. Harsh weather could prevent students from attending class. He was selected randomly for the Navy after his physical. He had no inkling about joining the service before he was drafted.

Randolph Daniel went to boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois [Annotator’s Note: Naval Station Great Lakes near Waukegan, Illinois]. It was the coldest place in the world. He almost froze to death the first week. He just toughed it out. Most of the training was indoors, except for some drills and marching. Classes and the rifle range were indoors. He completed the training in six weeks. He had no preference about future assignments. He had leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] at home and then went to Port Hueneme, California. It probably was a subdivision of the SeaBees [Annotator's Note: members of US naval construction battalions]. He underwent heavy equipment training and learned to drive bulldozers, trucks, jeeps and other heavy equipment. He had prior experience driving a neighbor’s tractor at home. He learned quickly. He joined ACORN 57 [Annotator's Note: Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair – ACORN 57] which was affiliated with the SeaBees. California was good while he went to school. Weather was cold at night and hot during the day. He does not know why he was selected for Port Hueneme. Half the men from Great Lakes were assigned to a destroyer while the other half went to California. The war was still on at the time, so those assigned to a destroyer may have seen action. Daniel did not. He was deployed overseas on a modified cargo ship sailing to Wake Island. Virtually all his service pictures were destroyed. His trip from San Francisco [Annotator’s Note: San Francisco, California] was impressive because of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the first time he was on the ocean. Daniel never felt seasick. It took more than a week to get to Wake Island. The equipment was unloaded and set up. It was after the Marines had retaken the island in August or September [Annotator’s Note: 1945].

Randolph Daniel landed on Wake Island after the bombs dropped on Japan in August [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945]. There were no Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] on the island. They likely had been taken prisoner of war and removed from the island. Daniel [Annotator’s Note: as a heavy equipment operator in [Annotator's Note: Aviation, Construction, Ordnance, Repair-- ACORN 57] went to work on recreating the facilities including a metal airstrip using material with holes punched in it [Annotator’s Note: Marston Mat was steel planking strips used to quickly join together to form an airstrip]. The airstrip had been bombed heavily. The rest of the island was not too bad. A plane would have to reach Wake from an aircraft carrier because of its distance from land. The men cleaned up the area and unloaded ships. They had to keep things moving. He moved to different types of equipment from day to day. The south end of the island was fortified and armed heavily by the Japanese after 1941 [Annotator’s Note: Wake Island fell in December 1941]. The 2” and 3” guns were camouflaged. He was on the island for eight or nine months. From there, he returned to the United States and was discharged in Memphis, Tennessee in January 1946. He spent about 18 months in the service. The service made him appreciate the country and its freedom. The military protects that. It is a wonderful thing. Some people today are anti-American in this country. That upsets Daniel. Every American should look at the Washington, D.C. Memorial and the cemeteries where men who sacrificed for our country rest. We have men today who are still making the sacrifice. If the country enters a war, it should plan to win. Daniel lost friends and cousins in the war in Germany and Italy. Some were damaged severely in combat but never lost their spirit. Before arriving in Memphis, Daniel spent two days in San Francisco [Annotator’s Note: San Francisco, California] before transiting by military bus to be discharged. He traveled home after that [Annotator’s Note: home was Marshall County, Alabama].

Randolph Daniel headed back to the farm [Annotator’s Note: home was in Marshall County, Alabama] but could not find a job. He met his wife at a movie theater on a Saturday night. They have been married for almost 71 years. He left the farm and wanted to go to school, but a child came along. He worked at a steel mill as a common laborer. He moved to a storage company driving a truck, but did not like it. He trained to be a tool and die maker at the Alabama School of Trade from 1950 to 1954. He maintained his job at the steel mill while training. It was hard and frustrating, but with another child on the way, he could not give up. In April 1954, he obtained the tool and die making job and decided to go to Texas and find another job. His sister lived in Houston, Texas. After a three-week search, he found a job with Mission Manufacturing Company. The company supplied oilfield equipment. His wife joined him three weeks later. He then moved to Reynolds Metal Company still in Texas. He worked in the tooling department. He stayed in Texas until he retired in 1983 and returned to Alabama. His wife is still alive at 87. Daniel is 90 [Annotator’s Note: both ages given at the time of the interview].

Randolph Daniel feels a review of the past will help educate young people why things turn out the way they do. Everyone should serve two years in the military. It helps to get into a different environment than what you are used to. Today’s service is different because it is not segregated. Young generations should study and be part of what makes a country great. Let people know how you feel. Too many focus on themselves today. Daniel was not raised to look for hand-outs. He had responsibility taught to him. If he went to jail, he had to get himself out. He has no regrets and is thankful to be living in the United States. He hopes the freedoms we have continue. Everyone should be treated equally. Daniel has two educated children and is thinking about his grandson and what the world will be like for him during his lifetime. Daniel is in good shape and works all the time. He enjoys working on antique automobiles. [Annotator’s Note: discussion ensues on the automobiles that Daniel has restored] He loves old cars. He built a shop and a showroom for himself and his vehicles. Daniel enjoyed his trip to New Orleans and is anxious to see The Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana].