Roy Joseph Moss was born in March 1922 in West Point, Utah. His grandparents had crossed the plains in 1847 and settled in Utah. His parents, as well as Moss and his siblings, were raised on farms and had their set of chores to do daily. He had 11 siblings born over a large spread of years. He graduated from high school after his military service. His father was sick with pneumonia when Moss was 12 years of age. Moss left home at 18 years of age. He worked at several jobs before he was drafted on 21 December 1942. When Pearl Harbor was attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], he was working at an ammunition depot as a civilian. He worked 70 hours a week operating heavy equipment. He listened to more music than news when he went home after work. He was somewhat familiar with the location of the Japanese attack. He received his draft notice by mail at his mother's home. He was inducted at Fort Douglas in Ogden, Utah. After a brief furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] at home, he reported back on New Year's Eve [Annotator's Note: 31 December 1942].

Roy Joseph Moss took a long train ride to Little Rock, Arkansas [Annotator's Note: Camp Robinson] where he received his basic training. He had traveled on a train before while he was attending a technical college for welding in 1938. He hitchhiked on a freight train ride to get home. Other than that, he took limited extent trips, mainly to buy beer in nearby Wyoming. After three weeks in basic training, he had his appendix removed. He could not complete the six weeks training so he had to start over. The men he originally trained with were destined for the Pacific while Moss would deploy to Europe after his second six-week basic training stint. Basic included long marches and training with the Enfield bolt action rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1917 Enfield bolt-action rifle]. The weapon was sometimes difficult to use. After basic, he had a ten day furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] back home. While en route, he saw an escalator for the first time and enjoyed riding it multiple times. Civilian passengers had to defer to the military first boarding the trains. He had two brothers who served during the war but neither went overseas because of stateside injuries. Government messages back to the families lacked the details of the brothers' injuries. That created angst. When Roy was wounded in March 1945, he was listed as missing in action while he was actually en route to a hospital in England. Moss feels the home front population were heroes for their sacrifices including food, gasoline and tire rationing. After his basic training and subsequent furlough, Moss reported back to Camp Robinson in Little Rock. His outfit journeyed next to Pennsylvania and then departed the United States through Camp Shanks [Annotator's Note: Camp Shanks, Orangetown, New York]. Although later a radioman, Moss never received training in that discipline in the United States. After a 13 day voyage, he landed in Oran [Annotator's Note: Oran, Algeria] in Africa in early September 1943.

Roy Joseph Moss was taken out into the desert and lived in pup tents while patrolling the countryside [Annotator's Note: near Oran, Algeria in September 1943]. He found an expatriate American redheaded lady who loved living in Africa. Moss guarded Italian prisoners but never had combat in North Africa. He had invasion training near Bizerte [Annotator's Note: Bizerte, Tunisia] and was assigned to the 36th Infantry Division [Annotator's Note: Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division]. He did not land with the initial combat invasion elements in Italy but as a replacement. When Moss reached North Africa, he had been preceded by Patton [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.] and the 45th Infantry Division. They had strict uniform requirements and beat the 36th to the PX [Annotator's Note: post exchange] in Oran. The temperature was not bad. Training continued with forced marches and rifle range practice. At Bizerte, the amphibious landing training on LCVPs [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP] began. Those type boats were largely built in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] and resulted in the Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum] being built there. Moss landed near Salerno [Annotator's Note: Salerno, Italy] in October [Annotator's Note: October 1943].

Roy Joseph Moss landed in a DUKW [Annotator's Note: six-wheel-drive amphibious truck; also known as a Duck] or "Duck" which was an amphibious two and a half ton truck. He was designated as a replacement in the division [Annotator's Note: 36th Infantry Division]. While Moss was preparing for the unit to return, he was unloading rations. He observed that some of the beans had been canned in 1918. [Annotator's Note: Moss laughs.] The men ate 10-in-1's and C rations [Annotator's Note: both types of military rations]. At the point of Moss's arrival in Italy, there was little German opposition. During the initial assault waves, some men stepped off in ten feet of water loaded down with their gear. Moss still carried the Enfield [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1917 Enfield bolt action rifle] that he was first issued. He moved on to Naples [Annotator's Note: Naples, Italy] where he contracted a disease and spent Christmas in a hospital there. A German plane flew over and hit the British portion of the hospital. Moss was awaiting breakfast when most of the tending hospital personnel went to aid the injured at the Allied hospital. The damage to the hospital was limited. Training was continuous while he was in Italy up to Naples and his hospitalization. On Thanksgiving day, he was provided Thanksgiving dinner but it was raining and the food in the mess gear got sloppy. At the time, Moss was in Company G, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. They were former ROTC [Annotator's Note: Reserve Officer Training Corps] members from Brownsville, Texas. The original commander was given a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] home and was replaced.

Roy Joseph Moss was involved in many patrols while the American tanks were mired down in the mud [Annotator's Note: Moss was a replacement assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division in Italy]. Forward movement was stalled for both sides. Moss and his foxhole buddy made certain that their foxhole had water drainage to the bottom. He became impressed with the fragility of life. Moss spent time lugging supplies while he was in reserve. The pack train of mules had been shot up by the enemy. There was no enemy interference during his time carrying supplies. Afterward, he was tasked with pulling wounded off the line. It was hilly terrain. Platoons were rotated performing the duty. His reserve position was just forward of the artillery. Although not yet in any firefights, he could tell the Germans were close by. They may have been watching him but he was yet to be involved in the fighting. While in regimental reserve, he did not have much to do but the living conditions had improved with showers. He joined his unit around the 1 February [Annotator's Note: 1 February 1944].

Roy Joseph Moss transitioned to the front when he joined his unit [Annotator's Note: Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division]. It was far more difficult than his prior existence as an unassigned replacement. He became more involved in the shooting. His squad was involved in an envelopment action surrounding the Germans but were caught in a machine gun crossfire. The squad sergeant calmed his men and told them to aim where the enemy tracers were coming from. The Germans left shortly afterward. Since it was at night, it was not possible to see the opposing forces. It was over in about five minutes. No casualties were sustained. Moss and his squad dug foxholes and waited since movement was limited. They did cross the valley and entered Rome [Annotator's Note: Rome, Italy]. At Anzio [Annotator's Note: Anzio, Italy], they encountered a German R&R [Annotator's Note: rest and rehabilitation]. They took the enemy by surprise and captured about 35 enemy prisoners. Turning the POWs [Annotator's Note: prisoners of war] over to another unit, they mounted trucks and entered Rome just prior to the 6 June 1944 Allied entry into France [Annotator's Note: D-Day; the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944]. Looking to the sky, he observed a P-38 [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft] and B-17s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber] circling overhead. They were returning to base after their mission. After he reached Rome, his outfit was pulled back to Salerno [Annotator's Note: Salerno, Italy] for landing training. The boats are great if you are not the first to reach the rendezvous location. The boats rock as they await the beach assault. Shortly after landing, the troops made contact with Patton [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.]. The initially planned landing beach was too well protected so the assault wave was redirected to a different beachhead. The ship carrying the gasoline supplies for the 36th was hit by German fire so those fuel supplies were destroyed. The troops rode tanks for awhile but had to begin walking. Moss observed civilians fleeing the Germans in a steam operated automobile. With France cut in half, the 36th was designated to head toward Spain. En route, they easily captured a German horse drawn artillery outfit. The German officer led his men to prison with a few Americans overseeing them. The horses had been used to pull the guns so a Frenchman happily inherited the animals. One of the enemy officers fired his Luger [Annotator's Note: German P08 Luger 9mm semi-automatic pistol] at one of the Americans but missed. A man from Louisiana who could not read or write was a buddy of a professor. The professor friend then told the Louisianan to shoot the German. The officer was wounded and taken to prison. Searching a German vehicle, Moss found a swastika flag. A friend found German payroll money. The man who discovered the cash paid his buddies to send portions of the money to his mother. Military intelligence eventually discovered the money scheme and questioned the other men about it. They simply said the thief was lucky at poker. [Annotator's Note: Moss laughs.]

Roy Joseph Moss kept advancing toward Leon [Annotator's Note: Léon, France] where the Germans were strongly positioned [Annotator's Note: Moss was a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division]. They were headed toward other Allied forces. They set up in a base camp and had to have their uniforms in proper order even for patrol during the day. They were trying to entice the Germans to attack them. They next went into the Haguenau Forest [Annotator's Note: Forest of Haguenau, or Forêt de Haguenau, in France] where he was assigned as a platoon runner and eventually a radioman. He was taught about the equipment at battalion. It weighed about ten pounds and had to be carried along with his full field pack. That was the end of Moss having to go on patrols. He stayed at company headquarters and even had a helper to assist him. He stayed on one radio channel and was not interrupted by anyone else. The Germans could not hear him call out for artillery support. After exiting the Haguenau Forest, the weather became very cold and the men were issued mattress covers to insulate them from the climate. Entering a town through the snow, the outfit set up its defensive positions. The company commander told Moss and his helper to go up into the loft of a barn and remain there. From that vantage point, Moss watched his company surrender. If he had been captured, the Germans would have tried anything to pry information from him. He felt fortunate his commander had issued him the order to go to the loft. All of Company G was captured except for the two of them. They managed to reach American lines and had to explain what happened. The Germans had been just below the two men hiding in the barn. The same situation happened to another unit in the town. Moss had been assigned to another unit when he was wounded at the Maginot Line [Annotator's Note: a series of defensive fortifications roughly paralleling the Franco-German border built by France in the 1930s]. As a radioman, he kept his head down to transmit his information until a concussion grenade shrapnel hit him. He was sent to a MASH [Annotator's Note: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital] unit and then back to England for rehabilitation. He managed to pull back when ordered despite being wounded. Prior to the wound, he requested the fourth squad in the company, the heavy weapons squad, fire mortar rounds at the enemy. The rounds had to land close to the friendly forces to drive the enemy away. That was when he was wounded in March [Annotator's Note: March 1945].

Roy Joseph Moss spent time in a rehabilitation hospital [Annotator's Note: after being wounded in March 1945]. He was assigned the letter "E" which was the worst a person could get. He never reached the "A" for ship out because the hospital was closed. He was then sent to a heavy automotive repair unit. The officer receiving them was astonished with the new men. Moss was offered a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] even though he had not been paid for months. He and a buddy with a few dollars went to Ireland on the train. The next day they returned. Moss had three stripes [Annotator's Note: he was a sergeant or E5] at the time. He was on the coast of England at the end of the war with Germany. He did make a trip to London [Annotator's Note: London, England] but the town was very beaten up with dirty streets. He moved to a racetrack and was billeted [Annotator's Note: billet is a place where soldiers are lodged temporarily] in the stables with five other men. Barriers were put up on the track to prevent vehicles from traveling over them. With his 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], he was sent back to the United States. He arrived in New York [Annotator's Note: New York, New York] and saw the Statue of Liberty as he listened to Doris Day [Annotator's Note: born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff; American singer and entertainer] sing "Sentimental Journey". [Annotator's Note: Moss chokes up.] From Camp Shanks [Annotator's Note: in Orangetown, New York], Moss took a crowded troop train where he had to sleep on the floor. He arrived in Salt Lake City [Annotator's Note: Salt Lake City, Utah] and went home. He walked three miles with his barracks bag to get home. There were "big doings" when he arrived. He went back the next day and was discharged and received his two Purple Hearts [Annotator's Note: a 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]. He had gotten scratched by shrapnel when landing in France [Annotator's Note: Operation Dragoon, Provence, France, 15 August to 14 September 1944]. He was nicked and returned to his unit [Annotator's Note: Company G, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division]. He went back to school after discharge but his entry in X-Ray training was not to be. He assisted in building a grade school for Ogden City [Annotator's Note: Ogden City, Utah] while studying there. He ultimately went into electrical work which was much more satisfying for him. He used the G.I. Bill for education and a home. Moss has refused to discuss his wartime experiences even after being requested by his pastor. He does not like to remember the time or tell others of it. [Annotator's Note: Moss has a D-Day badge showing he visited The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana prior to it being designated by Congress as The National WWII Museum in 2003.]