Interview with WWII Veteran Tom Connors at St. James Cathedral Church, Orlando, Florida, July 1st, 2010. Veteran Connors served in the Southwest Pacific during the war in extremely native areas such as New Guinea and Okinawa. He is the only living survivor from the original WWII Navy USS Subchaser 743. Hear his firsthand detailed account of landing in New Britain, delivering mail through New Guinea, listening to Tokyo Rose, seeing the Bob Hope Show in New Guinea and meeting Russian female soldiers on a train from Manchuria. Veteran Connors shares his memories of the crew and ships he experienced while serving his country.
They had a good captain and navigator, Bill Robinson, who went on to become managing editor of Yachting magazine. Having studied radio in New York at RCA radio school, Veteran Connors worked the radio shack on the ship and was the radio man receiving the message from President Truman: “We have dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima”. He discusses the Japanese suicide bombers, typhoons and mines at sea. He is thankful to God to be close to death and survive it. He says, “If you’re ever called on to serve this country, serve it. It will be an honor and you’ll be proud.”
LISTEN Part I (16:52)
LISTEN Part II (15:58)
LISTEN Part III (18:13)
Mr. Connors passed away on August 24, 2016. View his obituary.
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WWII Veteran Tom Connors Interview
Interview with WWII Veteran Tom Connors at St. James Cathedral Church, Orlando, FL, July 1st, 2010. Veteran Connors served in the Southwest Pacific...
Interview with WWII Veteran Tom Connors at St. James Cathedral Church, Orlando, FL, July 1st, 2010.
Veteran Connors served in the Southwest Pacific during the war in extremely native areas such as New Guinea and Okinawa. He is the only living survivor from the original WWII Navy USS Subchaser 743. Hear his firsthand detailed account of landing in New Britain, delivering mail through New Guinea, listening to Tokyo Rose, seeing the Bob Hope show in New Guinea and meeting Russian female soldiers on a train from Manchuria. Veteran Connors shares his memories of the crew and ships he experienced while serving his country. They had a good captain and navigator, Bill Robinson, who went on to become managing editor of Yachting magazine. Having studied radio in New York at RCA radio school, Veteran Connors worked the radio shack on the ship and was the radio man receiving the message from President Truman: "We have dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima".
He discusses the Japanese suicide bombers, typhoons and mines at sea. He is thankful to God to be close to death and survive it. He says, "If you're ever called on to serve this country, serve it. It will be an honor and you'll be proud."
WWII Veteran Tom Connors Interview Part II
Interview with WWII Veteran Tom Connors at St. James Cathedral Church, Orlando, FL, July 1st, 2010.
Veteran Connors served in the Southwest Pacific during the war in extremely native areas such as New Guinea and Okinawa. He is the only living survivor from the original WWII Navy USS Subchaser 743. Hear his firsthand detailed account of landing in New Britain, delivering mail through New Guinea, listening to Tokyo Rose, seeing the Bob Hope show in New Guinea and meeting Russian female soldiers on a train from Manchuria. Veteran Connors shares his memories of the crew and ships he experienced while serving his country. They had a good captain and navigator, Bill Robinson, who went on to become managing editor of Yachting magazine. Having studied radio in New York at RCA radio school, Veteran Connors worked the radio shack on the ship and was the radio man receiving the message from President Truman: "We have dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima".
He discusses the Japanese suicide bombers, typhoons and mines at sea. He is thankful to God to be close to death and survive it. He says, "If you're ever called on to serve this country, serve it. It will be an honor and you'll be proud."
WWII Veteran Tom Connors Interview Part III
Interview with WWII Veteran Tom Connors at St. James Cathedral Church, Orlando, FL, July 1st, 2010.
Veteran Connors served in the Southwest Pacific during the war in extremely native areas such as New Guinea and Okinawa. He is the only living survivor from the original WWII Navy USS Subchaser 743. Hear his firsthand detailed account of landing in New Britain, delivering mail through New Guinea, listening to Tokyo Rose, seeing the Bob Hope show in New Guinea and meeting Russian female soldiers on a train from Manchuria. Veteran Connors shares his memories of the crew and ships he experienced while serving his country. They had a good captain and navigator, Bill Robinson, who went on to become managing editor of Yachting magazine. Having studied radio in New York at RCA radio school, Veteran Connors worked the radio shack on the ship and was the radio man receiving the message from President Truman: "We have dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima".
He discusses the Japanese suicide bombers, typhoons and mines at sea. He is thankful to God to be close to death and survive it. He says, "If you're ever called on to serve this country, serve it. It will be an honor and you'll be proud."
