Back from Oblivion and into Reality

By Rudy DePaola

This is my second book. It is a sequel to my first book, Wings of the Bullet. It is called Back from Oblivion and into Reality. It is a continuation of the ongoing true story of Ralph (now I am using Rudy, my real nickname). Throughout history, teenagers like me have helped to bear the brunt of war. Many were killed. Others were wounded, some horribly. All, however, often came home to an unforgiving nation.
In past wars, the young veterans came home from war and tried to blend into their new situations as best they could. Little lasting admiration or glory was theirs to help them through these difficult times of adjustment.
Not until the end of WWII did our nation realize the dedication and sacrifice of its returning veterans. The people opened their hearts in appreciation.
The Veterans Administration (VA) and many local and state agencies passed important legislations for the returning vets. Our Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights, which educated an entire generation and made our country the great nation it is today . . .
In my second book, my sequel, I continue the ongoing true story.

Changes of Fate

During my lifetime, I have had experiences that had suddenly changed the direction of my life. I call them changes of fate.
An example of this is in my first book, Wings of the Bullet. When I was seventeen, my friend and I and another boy, who wanted to come along with us, went to enlist in the navy; but without any intention to do so, we enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Years later, when I was in college, a bottle of beer changed me from being an accountant into being a teacher. When you read this book, you will learn how this happened.
Think about your own life. Have you ever experienced a change of fate? If so, take note and think about other changes of fate you may have experienced. I began to identify more and more incidents that seemed to change the direction of my life. As you read my books, try doing the same. You may even want to make a list of them as I have started to do.
I began to wonder, are these really real experiences or just a change of luck? Or are they a matter of coincidence or maybe your imagination, or could they be an act of divine providence? What do you think?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469175348

Rudy DePaola

Rudolph (Rudy) Depaola, born Baltimore, Maryland, July 26, 1925. Enlisted U.S. Army Air Corps from high school 19 July, 1943. Basic training, Kessler Field, Biloxi, MS. Gunnery School, Harlingen, TX. Crew training, March Field, Riverside, CA, Assigned as tail gunner to Robert E. Grey crew. Picked up B-24 at Fairfield Souson, CA. Here he became gravely ill and was left behind. Finally caught up with crew several weeks later in Nabzab, New Guinea. After combat training missions assigned to 72nd Bomb Sqdn., 5th Bomb Group, 13th Air Force in November, 1944. Flew 25 missions from Moratai (in Halmaharas) against Philippines, Borneo, and other islands. After war, went to college on G.I. Bill. Became a teacher and later a principal in public, Catholic, and private schools. Retired July, 1983. Now spends summer in Baltimore and winters in Florida. Still a duffer in golf but loves it.

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Copyright © 2012 by Rudy DePaola.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012903674

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-7533-1

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-7532-4

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-7534-8

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A FEW WORDS ABOUT

THE AUTHOR

This is my second book. It is the sequel of my continuing true story. I am now working on my third book, which will be the trilogy of my continuing true story. I accomplished this very difficult task in my first two books. Now, I am working on my third book, My Forty Years of Adventure In and Out of the Classroom. I have agonized over my two-finger typing, making hundreds of typing errors and winding up shredding a whole ream of paper, and I’m not done yet.

I typed it all myself because I enjoy reliving my past as I went along. However, I had some help along the way. My friend and neighbor, Mike Zhu, a computer expert who works for the federal government, has helped me. He has helped me to develop a very efficient up-to-date computer system with two printers. It works fine, and thanks to him, I know how to use it. Thank you, Mike.

The other important sources of help are as follows: David Shelden of Hollywood Writers Studio helped and advised me—his studio wrote the screenplay for my first book; Melody Jackson of Smart Girls Inc. also helped and advised me; and Barry Farbel, who hosts a radio show in New York City, was very helpful too. I am grateful for their help.

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

I just want to say that I hope my readers will enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them.

I am now eight-six years old and in reasonably good health. I have a wonderful family. My son, Louis, is a professor of dentistry, a writer, and a lecturer about dentistry all over the country and in many different parts or the world. My daughter, Ann Marie, is a teaching and supervising nurse in Florida. I have four grandsons and a great-grandson. I have a very nice lady friend, Hildy, and a little doggie named Heidy, a Boston terrier. Life is good. In spite of all the past hardships, I am living life to the fullest and am thankful for God’s blessings

MY ADVENTURES IN AND

OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

As a teacher and a storyteller, in addition to my regular schoolwork, I told my students stories about interesting topics, current events, and experiences as a tail gunner in a B-24 heavy bomber in the South Pacific. They liked them, especially the ones about the war, and urged me to write a book. However, at the time, I was too busy.

A teacher’s job is very demanding, and we were poorly paid. I started at $2,600 a year—I said a year! In order to survive, I had had to have many part-time jobs at night, on weekends, and especially during the summer layoff (no pay for two months). I had a small pension from my war injuries, and my wife worked until we started a family. It was really tough. In this sequel, I shall tell you about my many interesting adventures in and out of the classroom.

I was rather lucky. It took a while for me to recover from my war injuries, but as you will see in reading my story, I made a difficult recovery. However, I still must be ever vigilant of my condition, which was carefully monitored by the VA and still is.

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Rudolph Rudy V. DePaola

Contents

Chapter 1 Coming Home From War 

Chapter 2 Home At Last 

Chapter 3 Difficulties In Getting A High School Diploma 

Chapter 4 The Vfw National Convention In Boston—1945 

Chapter 5 College Days 

Chapter 6 Love And Marriage 

Chapter 7 The Story Of My German And Italian Families And Why They Were Forced To Come To America 

Chapter 8 Actions With The Boy Scouts Of America 

Chapter 9 My Political Experiences 

Chapter 10 My Experiences Other Than Teaching 

Chapter 11 Night School And Other Experiences 

Chapter 12 My Sequel And Trilogy 

List Of Schools And Other Information 

Epilogue 

CHAPTER 1

COMING HOME FROM WAR

 

It was the summer of 1945. The war in Europe was coming to a close. The forces of the United States and its allies were closing in on the Third Reich from the west and the Russians from the east. In the Pacific, the allies were preparing for the invasion of the home islands of Japan. All saw a million or more casualties. Some sixty million people had perished already.

The forces of the Third Reich, with its terror tactics and brutal treatment of innocent people—the Jews, the Poles, the Russians, and many other people—was about to come to an end. However, the greatest horrors were about to be exposed to the world—the death camps where millions of its victims were brutally murdered.

Such cruelty was hard to believe even to the eyewitnesses. Can man’s inhumanity to man be this bad? Can it ever happen again?

In the Pacific, the Japanese too treated their prisoners and captured innocents to terrible atrocities. They captured large numbers of military personnel and civilians. They too were brutally treated, especially the Americans in the Philippines who had fought so gallantly against them.

During this time, I was on my way home. I was being held in a closed ward in a Dutch freighter converted to a hospital ship. I was confined like a prisoner at the bottom of the ship. The ship was packed and overcrowded with casualties of the Pacific war. Crossing the Pacific Ocean was very dangerous because of Japanese submarines.

My condition had improved a little, but I was still in a semiconscious state. I would sleep a lot. However, at times, I would walk around in a daze. At other times, I would be awake.

I was watched very closely by the medical staff. On occasions, I was taken to the upper deck to get some fresh air. Otherwise, the voyage was uneventful.

When we got to San Francisco, I was taken to a military hospital and, again, put into a closed ward and closely watched.

After a couple of days, I was put on a hospital train headed east carrying wounded service members to military hospitals closest to their homes. On the way, little of importance happened. However, one incident caught our attention.

Among the wounded soldiers, one was whimpering and sobbing. He kept whimpering and sobbing very loudly again and again. Why did this have to happen to me? I am not a coward! he kept repeating.

What happened to him? we all asked.

Does anyone know?

I know, said one of the other soldiers.

Being curious, we all crowded around him.

He doesn’t want anyone to know.

That made us even more curious, and we yelled, Oh! Come on, tell us.

"All right. He was on patrol in the Philippines. It was getting late when they came upon a village and decided to stop for the night. As they quietly approached it, they saw that it was deserted. They could smell the awful stench of village life.

"The straw huts were beaten and battered, and each was several feet off of the ground. They were so tired that they decided to stay for the night. They did not bother to eat. Each of them picked a place to sleep, rolled out his sleeping gear, and went to sleep.

"However, the young soldier picked the wrong place to sleep. There was a hole in the floor just where he was lying with his rear end directly over it. He too went to sleep. In every hut, there is a place for people to relieve themselves. They do it standing up, as is the custom in Asian countries.

"During the night, a Japanese patrol came to the village. They noticed the American presence. Luckily, they were too tired to bother with them.

"As they left the village, one of them decided to crawl under the hut. When he got to the hole, he stuck his rifle through the hole and fired it.

"They all heard a horrible scream. I guess you know why.

As they left the village, the Japanese chuckled with satisfaction.

So that’s what happened. To be shot in the back has always been considered the mark of a coward. In the old days, if a soldier turned and ran during a battle, he was shot by his own officers.

My next destination was Newton D. Baker Military