Stanley Stewart was born in July 1924 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He lived in that model small town, where his father worked for the Hershey candy manufacturing company, which suffered none of the adverse effects of the Great Depression. One of five siblings, he went through the Derry Township School District, grades one through 12. He was a senior in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Stewart remembers that it was on a Sunday and the family was listening to the radio. The news was frightening for everyone because the country had never experienced anything like it before. After graduation in 1942, he began studies at Hershey Junior College, but found it rather dull, and "took more interest in Uncle Sam" who was pointing his finger and declaring, "I want you" from countless posters. He and four of his friends were determined to go to war, and in October 1942 they went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to enlist. Stewart chose the Marine Corps because he thought it was an "outstanding outfit." In early December he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be sworn in, and immediately left for Parris Island, South Carolina, stopping once on the way for USO [Annotator's Note: United Service Organizations] coffee and donuts. Stanley said it was the last handout he got. After 14 weeks of basic training, Stewart was sent to Jacksonville Air Station in Florida, to try out for pilot training.

Next, Stanley Stewart was sent to Jacksonville Air Station [Annotator's Note: Naval Air Station Jacksonville] in Florida, to undergo examinations for pilot training. He was disqualified because of his overbite, and was sent on to ordnance school, where he learned the history of the Marine Corps and was trained on the operation and maintenance .30 and .50 caliber machine guns [Annotator's Note: Browning ANM2 machine guns] that were mounted on aircraft. After 14 more weeks, he was sent to Lansing, Michigan, for advanced ordnance school. Upon graduation, he was sent to Chicago Pier [Annotator's Note: Chicago, Illinois], to await transportation to the west coast. While there, he took advantage of the city's points of interest and cultural attractions. In July 1943, Stewart traveled by train to the San Diego, California area for more training and to await overseas deployment. In September [Annotator's Note: September 1943] he sailed the Pacific for 24 days in a convoy, zig-zagging [Annotator's Note: a naval anti-submarine maneuver] the whole way on the Klipfontein to reach New Caledonia.

As soon as Stanley Stewart arrived in Noumea, New Caledonia, he was back in training. Assigned to the 1st Marine Air Wing, Headquarters Group 24, he was sent to the island of Bougainville. Every day, he patched up bullet holes and loaded ammunition onto the fighter planes that escorted the bombers. Stewart would watch the fearless young pilots take off, and he would hope to see them come back, but not all of them did. Sometimes the returning wounded had to be helped out of their aircraft. It was hot on the island, temperatures sometime reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and living conditions were rudimentary with five guys to a tent. There was a foxhole for every man because there were still Japanese troops in the mountains. Occasionally, the enemy would send a fire barrage onto the airfields, or break through the lines and attack. For withstanding these assaults, his unit got a Presidential Citation [Annotator's Note: Presidential Unit Citation]. Finally, the Allies brought in Admiral Kinkaid's [Annotator's Note: US Navy Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid] Third Fleet, and Stewart said they heard "big guns going over their heads for about a week and a half" as the heavy bombardment wiped out the enemy. But the scariest thing for Stewart was pulling guard duty out in the jungle and hearing noises and voices, and not knowing where they were coming from. There was a small force of Fiji islanders fighting alongside the Americans on Bougainville, who were very helpful in securing the island. Steward said they were a "Godsend," as were the American Seabees [Annotator's Note: members of US naval construction battalions] who did valuable repairs expeditiously.

Stanley Stewart said that, on the whole, he enjoyed his tour in the Pacific. He had been on Bougainville, Papua New Guinea for a year when he got word that he had enough points to go back to the United States. Stewart said he lost a lot of good friends when he left the island, many who were older and wiser and had taught him a lot. He sailed on a hospital ship, arriving at Treasure Island, outside of San Francisco, California on New Years Day, 1945. There was new technology to learn, and Stewart went back to Cherry Point, North Carolina for armament training in preparation for the invasion of Japan. He was grateful for the news of the atomic bomb blasts, and thankful that he didn’t have to go back to the Pacific. He was on leave in Washington D.C. when the war ended and enjoyed the celebrations there. With a buddy, he made a deal with a photographer who agreed to buy their breakfast in exchange for a photo opportunity. One of the photos ended up on the front page of “The Washington Post.” At the rank of sergeant, Stewart was discharged in December of 1945. He said that although he wouldn’t want to do it again, he is glad he joined the armed forces and did what he could for the war effort.