William Craffey and Brynn Craffey

00:04 Yo, my name my name is Bill William. Crappy BuildCraft. I am 93 years old the day does June 16th 2013 location San Diego, California my relationship to the partner is on his dad and my name is Brynn craffey. I'm 61 years old. It's June 16th 2013 in San Diego and I'm talking to my dad and Happy Father's Day. Thank you. I think it's cool that we get a chance to talk on Father's Day and reminisce about your life and particularly World War II as there's not that many veterans left. I don't think from that war.

01:00 Considering how long ago it is. So if we want to just start there, how did you hear that war had broken out? I guess it was.

01:13 Well, actually I had a little military experience in high school. We we had compulsory what they called compulsory military training in high school and that that that usually was a 1-1 session a week of the military. We used to get together and drill and goes we had fake rifles and whatever and and the high schools which compete KY schools in the Boston area, which compete at the end of the year. We have a parade public parade and out with the would compete for real for real formation military formation. And basically we didn't do anything other than we didn't have any loaded rifle or whether they are fake rifles, but it was Melissa formation walking in the end and doing the things in the military form. So I had to had an end. Of course I ended up in the National.

02:13 God when I was say a junior in high school, that's kind of a funny story. Too cuz you guys were looking you're watching a polo match right with a will actually yeah, we were over in Cambridge Mass to cross the channel 11. Charles River and they had an Armory there and I don't know what we were doing that nice just kind of omen around about three or four of us and we saw some action in this building. It was the arms race so we decided what was going to see what's going on and we went in and it was just a little after nine and apparently they had it was a it was a hundred 1st field artillery Armory. They had what they call French 70 are they at 75 millimeter cannons in there? And they at that stage there about the end of the Houston Police cannons with with horses. They pull the Carolinas amazing 1917.

03:13 No, wait, sorry you were born 1928 1936-37 the they will do it. They finish their Grill, I guess and that it was having a little fun on these done you so they weren't certainly wouldn't polo pony but they were playing a game that resembles a Kobo. So we're sitting there watching them up in the bleachers. And if so, I was in uniform and what are you guys doing? Yak? Yak. We start talking and who to be honest about it. I have no idea how we ended up here by the end of the conversation though not by the end of the conversation because we had to I think I think he gave us some kind of an application of something and I was supposed to have

04:13 My parents sign it because I was only moments while I was 16 at that to the stage. So apparently I don't need it. Don't remember the details, but I'm sure one of my buddies signed it my dad and mom would never have considered my joining the National Guard it while I was in high school, but I like to make a long story short. We ended up in the National Guard and 1st field artillery. It was a famous sound of the first Regiment, of course that distinguish themselves in the in the in the world. So we are I wish I was in and out in the yard and we used to have to go to a one night a week and then once a year we had two weeks in some camp.

04:59 Hey, I know at one of the three years you'd have to do it out of state. So we ended up the third year in Plattsburgh New York doing are you know what I just ate and it's like war games right part and you were doing like war games like practice we had war games. We are actually fighting Patton General Patton's unit and supposedly according to one of my buddies and I'm not too sure we wait I was in what they call a detail the detail in the field artillery that you're you're sitting up usually in a high spot and you got the officers that do the calculation and whatever and then I was setting up we were sitting up and Buddy was my buddy and he he would I was on the phone and he

05:59 To help calculate and 4 artillery. We have to calculate the the direction to whatever they can into look going and what elevation that you know, they had it and we really that information down to the people below ending with the Cannons and they would set these these the canons, of course to to whatever whatever we gave the information we getting. So anyways, so that's that that's what they were doing. And then what he he went there were there was some movement down down below one of the officers Soto body to grab a detail and go down and see what was going on. So we went

06:43 We went down or not what you do, but they went down and

06:52 Supposedly came upon these two. So I laid around and trying to say is that goes goofing off and so they walked up to them and you know, what are you guys doing? Yak? Yak. And if so happened that this resembled a surrender on their part because they hit one of the referees was standing by and I guess according to my buddy and I'm not too sure of the details, but he he claimed that that and who is a captain at that time. Got really a probation and you know, I'd go wherever and the referee said no, sir, New York captions on dais get teenagers captured Patton Captain Patton when he gives you a pretty good description.

07:52 She knows what my three years in the National Guard where it's how did how did your parents react when they found out that you were in the national anthem of the Russian to excited about it? My dad didn't say heck of a lot. I think my brothers and sisters and what kind of surprised about it, but there was no big problem or question. You know, we were making a vodka and that help it that time because I was still during the Depression the Great Depression in high school jobs available. So either way and what year did you graduate high school? 1938 the from Boston English was one of the oldest high schools in the country at that time.

08:35 And your parents were both immigrants from Ireland Ireland and they met in Boston where they they met at the dance. Right and they were from different counties involved in in Ireland. Yeah. Yeah, but they did get married and then how many brothers and sisters. Did you have brothers and sisters?

08:55 And how many of your brothers ended up in the military during World War II view of the four then three of you three including yourself. It was three Larry it was in the the, Massachusetts, Massachusetts.

09:22 It was some kind of a deal and I don't know how to show it was Netflix before the war actually, but he was required to sew one year above a duty basically like a National Guard unit, but it wasn't call National Guard. So he he was in he was in fast 8 was actually in the war when it when they declared war. He was in the military and the military are stationed over in the South Pacific and he cut my Larry or over there and finally after about three years. They discharged him get him a military discharge.

10:12 Maria eat he ended up for the end of the war over in the South Pacific to but he only had about I think six months of active duty.

10:23 And out of all the siblings now, you're the you were the youngest and sadly. You're the only one that's the only girl here. Yeah, and you're like considering how old your parents were your your mom was 49 when she had you so that means she was born in the 1860s 1860s. So your life time spans from the 1860's till the 2013 and still going which is pretty amazing.

10:53 Well, it is amazing. Very fortunate. I am my health has been fine. They don't get around and get up a golf course a little bit once in awhile been so I don't live alone and you still drive and if I drive, I don't know who tried to call my neighbors back off when they see me coming down or I would I would say let them know but the so you weren't you were in the National Guard when Japan, you know Pearl Harbor House to get out of National Guard in 39, and then I join the Coast Guard in 40

11:36 Dissembler. Okay, and I know it was that mainly because there were no jobs or basically well actually end in ight I always had that was a I thought I wanted I wanted a fly in the service and I and I know that the Coast Guard had what they call a peas at Aviation pilots and are they were enlisted pilots and I guess the only thing I take the Navy and in the end of Maurice probably had them too cuz I ran into some babies later.

12:07 And that that that I figured out boy if I can get into service AP maybe I'll have a chance to fly because up until then I didn't have enough College. I had an almost two years. I went to don't even know I went to a mighty mighty call Lola Lynch to to it's part of MIT and I went I went to a nice school but I didn't have enough enough enough units of units to qualify in a quick short time after I get in the Coast Guard or why they changed that law when I could have probably affect I gave me actually gave me an opportunity to get out in and apply and I probably could have gotten any flying program and get Commission in whatever but I said no I'm in now. So I stayed in and if so, where where were you exactly when you heard about Pearl Harbor?

13:02 We're stationary station in the radio radio station down in in

13:08 In Miami, okay. And what was the reaction like, where were you and your fellow and well, I was I was actually when Pearl Harbor happened I was it was a Sunday evening and I I was having lunch at a restaurant in Aquos the news came over and and everybody we need to say was excited and then concerned and whatever so I didn't you feel.

13:44 I don't know why I can't remember how I really felt an effect. I had to get back to the base which which I did and I'd had you been following the news of the war like worried because after

14:02 At least before that I had I had done some Duty and we will we will read the Coast Guard with doing it was doing doing a lot of Patrol Duty and escort Duty in the North Atlantic and and we had to we had pretty much agreed at that time. We had a lot of a Navy vessel mostly destroys Inn in Dry Dock and I think we donate a lot of them to the sooner the Brits at that time and we were doing at school activities and I'm sure for some of the cargo that was going probably the Germans didn't appreciate that. I don't think in the North Atlantic but so I did I did some Duty up there and of course.

14:48 Which lot of people have didn't realize the Germans had a very very good efficient submarine Force and and and a lot of the lot of the year they did. They did a lot of damage to the commercial shipping and I know we got involved in some of it becoming a size too much but they were very very efficient. It did a lot of damage. That was those actually before we even got in the war and you were a Radioman right? I graduated from Real Radio school and Baltimore went to radio school right out of a boot. In fact, I didn't even do boot camp. They needed people to go to whatever they saw me you're going to radio school and that was it. I didn't even go to bootcamp. That sounds nice, but I think they figured I had enough experience probably in the end. It'll be in 3 years and it goes got to Nashville gun assume. That's what it was and they

15:47 They needed to fill a class. So we needed some vacancies. So right I went to it was a very good school a very good radio School coach got that good good system at that time. Cuz we used to man a lot of the primary radio stations the country and this was the beginning of radar right? This was during World War II when I got the when I got out of radio School.

16:17 Aya I got to stripe it was third class Radioman and we will establish station down in Florida and all of a sudden I was texting one of my buddies wants in a Nordic came through and they wanted me to go to Capital Radio engineering school in Washington DC so he and I went out and and I was showing him the artist and I said what the picture you know, the oldest word that I was going to be studying the radar and we didn't know what race right. I was just becoming the breath of Richard unloader. In fact, they they pretty much developer 8 or so anyway, so that's where I ended up in Washington DC at radar School. Tell me where one of the first

17:17 People to use radar in in the United States than to be trained in it. Well that I think the Navy had a program probably that was more advanced than us. But all the way I trained with Navy in radio in the capital radio, but it was it was just a short course. So I did you end up doing radar when you were staying so you didn't know it was a hard course. In fact, I I didn't do too well in the course. It was it was pretty technical the detective detective detective goes in which I wasn't real well versed in so I don't think I did very very well in the course quite frankly, but I did graduate and then I ended up back in that in the Boston first Naval district, and that's that's when

18:12 Then that's when we started I ended up headed towards Greenland what that went went to the Navy took over the Coast Guard when they got as soon as the war was declared see you until then the Coast Guard was Treasury Department. And so after that happened that was when you got posted up to Greenland. Yeah, but I was still coach Cartwright. Okay. Yeah still coach good. So that was a really unusual experience though to be you were posted on this tiny little island up there. Right? Can you can you I remember you told me that they just started dropped you off. Well, actually they dropped us off there was six of us. It was true radium in there with two machinist and they were two seamen and they dropped us off in the mainland, of course, and then they put us on a little pickup boat and took us out to this little Island.

19:07 It. It was in the Southwest Southwest part of Greenland almost in the ocean. Basically, it wasn't too close to the mainland and they had a radio Beacon station there and they dropped us off and they didn't have any facilities is at this at this place. But so where you at, we finally the six of us had no idea what we wish they had bills but the facilities were very vague. We didn't have when they drop their self was a quonset hut and of course they had the radio bacon station that was all build and we ended up in the end. Of course it out. Of course we had that we didn't have a good facility as far as that the water if we had a little pain behind us.

20:07 That's where we go. We had an outhouse and then we we didn't have a good stove. So don't let no electricity or was no Mana generate a generator date. We had a diesel generator and a generator Clash. We needed generator basically never right for the radio. Ya.

20:28 Nnn, we just but they eventually I got us a stove and get us something wicked. This Fortune is weather was okay. So they got us a lot of the army had a big installation on the mainland because James of course still on Greenland, but they cry light mine in the mail and I'll cry like we found out what's a chemical to use the extractor or from the aluminum in the process of sealing aluminum in a question was a big demand for aluminum during the war and I was only to my knowledge there was only one other cry like mine well and known at the time in the in the world, it was sells America someplace Crye-Leike was in demand and so the the an army of the u.s. Post about and if they had about ten thousand.

21:25 Do your eyes on the main man just to protect that because they're afraid that they're afraid the Germans might try to come back and either in a blow it up or take it over or whatever. So they they had an installation there. And that's the that's one reason. I guess the island that's one reason. We had the radio Beacon station basic. You tell me this story once about when you were going from the station in Greenland, and there is a big storm at sea and you were in a convoy cuz basically they took over commercial fishermen's ships, right? Well the Navy the other Coast Guard did they Coast Guard?

22:07 When I

22:11 Well, actually I found out more about it when I applied for real flight school. But the Coast Guard in in a blushing area. We had we had a captain actually Captain Von Paulson. He was an old tough German and he was one of the first step quote God pilots and then we had a plan and Malaika ice Admirals. I like you used to call him Iceberg Smith because they tore up he loved Chipotle love the duties up in the North Atlantic so they got to know a little bit about that after I got involved in in flight school, but they what about that story where you guys there were I think three three boats are three ships and you got caught in a storm and ice storm and that got the captain of your ship was a fisherman from that area, right and he had you guys out there. She actually

23:11 Official Eminem and and Iceberg I guess they used to frighten eyes that he and he and he had about who I don't know three or four fishing vessels out of the out of the Boston area. And did The Story Goes that Iceberg and the other day. I talked to the guy and I think it was pretty pretty much pretty much a solid as far as this comes. He Iceberg I guess we wanted him to volunteer with his with his ships. No fuss. All we had was fishing, but they were mostly trial is probably a hundred and twenty-five hundred fifty foot. But can you tell that story that when you guys were out I'll get to that story fishing trawler Pittsburgh told him, you know, he's going to take you take your fishing vessels of information them in the Coast Guard.

24:10 You know, you've been enjoying being claimed it was cuz I talk to him later on.

24:18 Naso a sale actually, he ended up ended up as a skipper on one of these one of these fishing vessels, but there were three of them coming back from Grammy and at this time and up and you were on my. But I was on one of them you I was on his end and the

24:38 The day they ran into a real bad storm and one of the problems that to that the storm in that area is your iced out real fast and a few lights up too much by a kosher. Can I saw the rigging on the shipyards already getting price? I was going to get in top-heavy and just let us know that happened to that happened. Coming back and I guess he was the, they call the Commodore of the three ships. He was supposed to be going to run on the show and he tried to warn these people cuz he had experience. Of course in the other two ships at the Skippers in the other two ships didn't Sammi you were on you are lucky you were on the one with what was his name again captain?

25:28 Well kept it when I don't know what his name. Okay that you he would force you guys out into the freezing rain and Ice to chip ice off of all the rigging right straight in the tax. People are really complaining because in the morning the other two ships were missing right they were gone. So just the luck of the draw.

26:02 Anyway, so that's good. That was kind of a bummer.

26:07 What else you want to know where you want to what you were did you take part in the rescue operation when that transport ship went down to the Dorchester went down fairly close to where we were probably in that area. And I know that was your sister was supposed to be the biggest single a casualty of the war. It would have fell over 9. I think it was roughly nine hundred troops at the that could hit the ship that they torpedoed and most of most of the rescued it's a risk you work on that and he said the surprising thing about that and it was also another rough shift that they lost which was a store that starts as a small Coast Guard vessel.

27:07 Vector Victor Mature, it was understood receipt, and I did a shot up on the under storage but the stars but you got here to I bet it was that they were about the lower on 225 casualties. I think it was it small but the thing that and I won't go into details anymore on that, but if he was surprised that it must have casualties I had from New York from the stores and I think the Dorchester what's the weather fight survivors with people that went down below end in their bunk and taking all that heavy gear and of course when the ship hit they didn't have any chance to do other than the fact grab something and probably life jacket and get over there. You know it over the side and over the side.

27:56 And they were they were really surprisingly according to him most of the survivors with people that had done this. A lot of people French they're on deck but all the heavy gear and whatever they are. They are. They didn't make it I didn't because she said it's probably because the people that do know that we're in the water and and they they did a lot of a lot of move their body a lot more than if you're in the water when you got heavy hair on you so that that was his theory anyways, so I thought it was kind of interesting.

28:29 So you also served in the South Pacific. So, how did can you explain that in flight school? And then they put me in a probe that you went from Greenland to flight school and back in the States right foot me up ended up putting on a FS, which is Freight Supply in and they were down in mostly down in the US South Pacific or the year. We were in the Philippines.

29:04 So you went from the Arctic to to the tropics the southeast part of that we had wind was a big factor and temperature course, but you know, we didn't have to do too much on the outside. We could always put gear on. So the weather wasn't real bad. We didn't have any snow in the South United probably Greatland even in the winter in the winter.

29:40 So if the

29:44 Friday's far as extreme weather which most people relate would you know, when to start timing my pain that we didn't we didn't have that much of a problem weather-wise.

29:54 So when they when they when you washed out of flight school and they and they sent you to the South Pacific. Did you know anybody when you were posted to the ship or was it all new people don't know people, you know, you go to receiving station and then one nauticom sin, they need a radio man.

30:14 A Radioman whatever it was, I they are and you won't go over there. That's where you end up. So I ended up I had applied for us as candidate school and I'm around a little bit and then of course when I get when I got the orders to go to the GFS down in about six months after I got down there six straight months. I guess the artist came through the flight school, but I was in the South Pacific we were hitting all the small and not us out this week in the Philippines and we already know the small islands and it was he was gonna need to tea and that's how I just said that you're probably mention that little Clarence my monthly what city was buddy. I just bought six at night we tied up and everything and then of course all the people local people come down and a lot of them want to trade this or trade. It came out in boats little boats are they actually came down to the dock?

31:14 Tied up at the dock and I am not show up. I was just standing there watching some in and this is one lady girl or whatever. She had a little little monkey and he was just just just like this around her clinging to her and I just clean and so I don't know why I don't know why I just had a can of tomatoes to something that I think I left a can of tomatoes for the for the monkey and sure enough. I ain't it with with Clarence and Gladys was quite a character was a little baby and when we got him on he just hit you just grab it grab you around just too scared to death pool thing.

31:57 So anyways, he could get used to us finally and he he was he was a missed you and I almost got in a couple of fistfights trying to protect why aren't you guys should get in the lock or grocery in an end, especially around food into did grab it and start throwing it around and everybody wanted them to actually a couple of guys.

32:21 Funny thing when I eat when I got ready to go when I got my orders to come back to the States couple guys, and I said, why do when waiting in a weird kind of like him so I don't know how many people mention that and I said, well tell you what I'll do I'm going to ever happen to pull a little Clarence, but at least I think he had a couple of buddies on the ship when I left.

32:51 So, where were you when you heard that the war the end? I was on my way back to the States. I was on the way back to the stage to go to ashes candidate school and about halfway back on the East Coast or West Coast out of the Philippines. So you were actually in the states when the war ended or well it was on our way back. Okay Estates. Yeah, I was on a transport and how did like, how did you hear? How did you hear the news that the war had ended?

33:26 Did the captain and out of traffic look like look like the you know, when I left there a way it looks like not the South Pacific on took that keep saying it was pretty much going to go that way. Anyways, and of course so we had dropped a coupler Biggie's on on the chapter. So what what did people on your on your ship think about the atomic bombs when they heard I can't remember you. Do you remember what you thought about it? And we just relieved that

34:12 Oh, yeah, I didn't you know, I didn't I don't think I gave it a lot of thought at that time. I thought a lot of it afterwards but at that time I thought I don't think I thought too much about it. How do you feel like in retrospect thinking back to it now?

34:31 You know, I'm not too sure that they had to do what they did. I think that I think you did tonight tonight by the way of thinking I think the Japanese were pretty much beat. We had we defeated them in the South Pacific and

34:50 We defeated them in the South Pacific and I think their Navy was shot. Their Air Force was shot and I'm not too sure that dropping the bomb on them while she was the right thing to do. But you know, that's the way I feel.

35:06 So did they still fly you back to that? They didn't fly you back to officer training? Okay, and then they ended up in San Francisco in the Bay Area that up in the Bay area and we don't need any more offices. So I had to I had to sweat it out. How many more years did you how was the year? I did two three years three years total six years and that's where you were trying and the way I remember the story you are trying you got to leave right up to it 2 weeks. Was it Liberty? And you were trying to get back to Boston, but there were no the passports cuz everybody was getting demobilize to all the planes and they gave me two weeks not including the new didn't have any travel time, right? So I figured if I had thought you would like you to get something back it take 3 days and then this is how about six days of traveling time?

36:04 And I thought I couldn't get anything. So I have hiked up to up to Reno Reno and up and you met mom that he was working and she was working in a motel and I and I am at her and pushed eventually we got married. He got married within the week right here. Very very short run by the end of Liberty. You were married. I think I am so so in retrospect you think that cuz I mean, I know that by the time I was a teenager, your marriage was not not very happy and I've always thought that the way it happened so quickly.

36:47 And they're in a well. I think I think that was part of it you like I don't have to be honest with you. I don't think either one of us gave it enough time to think about it before we did it and I'm not too sure it was the right thing to do, but he said mom was mommy been married before and you told me a story that when you were coming back from Reno to the Bay Area and this is right after you got married right like when your Liberty was ending and she you said something about getting married in the church cuz you've gotten married civilly up in Reno and she was like, oh you really serious about this is that that's how I remember you telling me the story she kind of turned to you on the bus was it and instead you're really serious about this like she almost had thought that it was real.

37:34 No, I don't know actually what I thought it would it would actually happen. I think is the is a on the way back we talked about and then she and for whatever reason what we talkin about it whatever the detail she actually said. Well, you know, we could we get the and get it annulled if you want. I said no, I think that's a good we did it and I was the one that probably made that decision though. I'm not so sure how she felt about it. But but she did mention the possibility of having it annulled.

38:05 And there's so much more. I noticed a lot of stuff is just looking to do if he texts you at the lake store. So I talked about that Tech little bun on Paulsen.

38:19 How do you spell Smith the Mohawk the Dorchester Plattsburgh? Yeah, I don't know what the ending because it's Father's Day. I just wanted to say that you've always stood by me and and you know, I am transgender. So, you know, I was born your daughter and roughly 20 years ago. I started Living as a man and you know for a Catholic boy from Boston, you know, I've always

38:51 I've always been really moved by the fact that you know, you stood by me through so much, you know.

38:59 Well, basically as far as I'm concerned you're transgender, but you're you're a good person. And that's what it comes to me. I've never had any hard feelings about gays lesbians whatever I think and and I definitely feel that way too. And as far as I'm concerned that you character is there you you were honest you you try to do what's right. You're you're good for Humanity and you have a lot of feelings about those things. And and and I think that's good. I respect you for that. And I think that's what you've given to me to is that all of those things, you know, like a respect for Humanity and commitment to do what's right and

39:46 But I think and I think my experience in in when I was a kid. I think my mom and dad had a rough time. We went through a rough times and I've always said, you know, a lot of people that criticize the some of the people that are you going around doing these things and I always said to have that feeling. Hey, if you haven't been there don't criticize it's you're going to feel different about some of these things. So at that's always been my feeling. Well, I'm really grateful to have you as my dad. And I love you very much. I love you very much to you. Have a great and you have a terrific terrific daughter and that we love her and we can hope we can see it one of these days. She lives in Paris.

40:30 Okay.