[Annotator’s Note: Someone is coughing in the background throughout this segment.] Willie D. Knippers was born in Pike County, Mississippi in June 1923. The second oldest of seven children, Knippers spent much of his early life working on the family farm. Regarding the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States], Knippers hardly knew the difference as the family was poor, but always had food on the table. He was largely unaware of world events in the late 1930s and was unconcerned that the war would impact him, even after the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. When he realized the severity of the attack, he did not like it. Even though he was 18 years old, he did not think he would be going into service because he was involved in farming. He did not see much change around his community when war officially broke out. He was drafted into the Army in April 1943 and inducted in Hattiesburg [Annotator’s Note: Hattiesburg, Mississippi]. He had never been far from home, so he was not happy about leaving. Since Knippers managed the bulk of the farm duties, his family was concerned that the farm would not survive without him. He was given one week before he had to report for basic training at Camp Barkeley, Texas. His instructor said that he was to do whatever he was told to do. He did a lot of marches and classroom training. While there, he was chosen to be in the medical corps and began training for medical field work. He learned how to bandage people up and administer morphine.

After Willie D. Knippers completed his medical field training at Camp Barkeley, Texas, he was sent to California for one month before being shipped to Hawaii where he was assigned to a unit [Annotator’s Note: unit not specified]. He was stationed in Hawaii for over a year where he worked in a hospital treating patients with ulcers. He did small procedures and attended to his patients’ diets. During his time off, he walked to Pearl Harbor [Annotator’s Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii] and saw the destruction from the attack by the Japanese [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941].

After Willie D. Knippers spent a year in Hawaii, he was shipped to Guam [Annotator’s Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] where a new hospital was being built. He returned to Hawaii before his medical battalion was sent to Saipan [Annotator’s Note: Saipan, the Northern Mariana Islands] and attached to a Marine outfit. Knippers was a clerk who prepared paperwork for wounded men before they were sent to hospital ships. Knippers went ashore on Iwo Jima [Annotator’s Note: Iwo Jima, Japan] four days after the initial invasion [Annotator's Note: Battle of Iwo Jima; 19 February to 26 March 1945] and was attached to an infantry division. He treated troops to stabilize them before sending them to hospital ships. He also completed paperwork for each patient before transferring them to their next medical stop. Knippers was never really under any enemy fire. He remained on Iwo Jima until after the war was over. His aid station helped take care of things on the island and helped the locals. He received mail from his family throughout his deployment, which he enjoyed receiving. He was on Iwo Jima when he heard that President Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] had died. Bomber planes dropped leaflets over Hiroshima and Nagasaki to let people know that bombs were coming. He was glad that he did not have to go into Japan to fight. Knippers’ unit was given equipment to prepare for the invasion of Japan, but it never happened because of the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945]. He was sent to a separation station on Saipan where he was processed for return to the United States. He was discharged in California in January 1946 with the rank of sergeant. [Annotator’s Note: Someone interjects during the interview at 0:28:37.000.]

Willie D. Knippers did not have trouble to adjusting back to civilian life after he separated from the service. He used some of the G.I. Benefits [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 help run his family farm. In 1950, he left the farm and moved to Baton Rouge [Annotator’s Note: Baton Rouge, Louisiana]. Knippers’ most memorable experience of World War 2 was when he went to Iwo Jima [Annotator’s Note: Iwo Jima, Japan] because of the living conditions. He slept in a foxhole for two weeks until moving into a tent. He fought in World War 2 because he had to. He had no other choice. He does not know how the war changed him. His service means a lot to him today and he is glad that he participated. Knippers believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations because there will never be another war like World War 2. Countries have wars differently today.