Patrick Aki oral history interview, part 2 of 5, February 25, 2011

Aki talks about getting to Wake Island, going on a boat and arriving to a small island, where there was nothing but Marines, some Navy and Pan-American Airlines. He would end up working in the mess hall, while the construction workers would help to build a landing strip, all the while wasting more food per day than most families would eat in a year. After this, he would be offered another job working at the docks, cleaning the boats and relaxing most of the day, even getting to take vacations to the Philippines and Guam. Next, he talks about hearing about the attacks on Pearl Harbor, not believing that it was real until he saw the Marines running around on the island. Wake Island would end up getting bombed heavily, and he talks about seeing the planes aflame, and seeing the destruction of the barracks. He talks about the constant bombings of the island, not even fearing death, but knowing an invasion was imminent. Soon after, he would hear missiles in the middle of the night and see the chaos and death of war, getting taken as a prisoner of war.

video/m4v

0:58:42

2011OH1032_02_Aki

http://www.goforbroke.org/oral_histories/mp4/1032-Aki-Patrick-2.m4v

1924 Feb 20

Yes