| A native of Floral
Park, New York, Richard Mayer, one of five children including two sisters and two
brothers, joined the U.S. Navy in April 1943 and was stationed at Camp Perry Area B8,
Williamsburg, Va. Platoon 2107. In July 1943, he moved to Fort Pierce, Florida Naval
Demolition Unit CB Detachment 1011, Amphibious Training Base. Richard was known to
his comrades as "Dick Mayer".
In December 1944, Richard went by train from Jacksonville, Fla to Columbus, Georgia in
transit to California, traveling across the beautiful USA to Camp Parks, California and
arriving on December 27, 1944. In January, he moved from the 1011 to the 79th
Batallion Company B Platoon 1. On January 30th, he moved to San Francisco to prepare
to ship out. In February 1945, Richard shipped out to the Marianas Islands.
Richard's letters tell of leaving
Oakland, California on Jan.28th,1945, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge on a troop
ship - his last sight of USA until he came home from the war. Prior to departing,
they were on board ship for three days. At sea for approximately ten days, most of
the men were sea sick, excluding Richard, but he said that a person could not stay below
deck because of the smell. On February 10th, they arrived at Pearl Harbor and stayed
for two days on the ship. Richard tells of the ice cream he enjoyed when they
arrived, which was sold on the ship for 25 cents. After nine days at sea, they
arrived at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, remaining on board ship for 2 days, but were
then in the war zone and could see results of fighting on land. (at this point, he was
allowed to state that he was in the Marshall Islands, but he could not say which island.)
They reached Saipan in the Marianas on February 26, and after about one month on
the ship, he wrote that he was the first to be waiting to disembark. After about two
months, all equipment (from the various ships in the harbor was unloaded to one area, each
piece tested and marked 79th Battalion. Approximately the 15th of April, the 79th
pulled out, all but B Co., which left Saipan approximately the end of April on a large
transport. The trip took approximately 1 week to arrive on Okinawa.
One of the stories told by Richard
Meyer to his family is that that they needed a base for a bridge in a hurry... they took
two bulldozers and sunk them in the water and that was the footing for a bridge.
Another story the family remembers Richard telling about was when they were out at
sea and everyone was seasick. He himself was not sick and ate everyone else's
breakfast, all he could eat. Upon becoming sick after eating all that food, he
proceded to the ship's doctor for treatment. The doctor was not surprised to see
another seasick sailor, but Richard explained that he was not seasick, just ate too much.
Richard Mayer told about a really bad storm on one of the
islands. Although it is not certain whether he was referring to the typhoon on
Okinawa on October 9, 1945 or not, he and his buddies were struggling very hard to stay
dry inside the tent and, when the wind picked up, they held the tent poles to keep it from
blowing away... then they gave up and away it went. He was also blown off a
roof and survived. He was on guard duty on a ship guarding the anchor line when he
heard a noise and fired his gun at the anchor. In the morning, he had to account
for the shots. It wound up being a wooden box floating and hitting the anchor
line. Richard had a pet monkey and a female dog that had 13 puppies that he had to
get rid of .
On Okinawa, Richard reflected that
there were bombings almost every night. His first assignment was steveadoring - unloading
the ship for approximately one month. He then worked on construction building bridges and
roads. In August, the war had ended and Richard continued working in construction,
on housing for Admiral Nimitz, and on a mess hall for the Fleet Navy. On November
1st, he was promoted to 3rd class petty officer. At this time, the outfit was being
dispersed and slowly sent home. The unit he was in now was called C.B. Maintenance Unit
#53, which included 300 of the men from the 79th. By Thanksgiving, it had been one
year since he had seen his family. In Richard's last letter that his family possesses,
mailed Jan. 23,1946, Richard says he should be leaving Okinawa soon.
The following year after the war
ended, Richard married and resided on Long Island, where he and his wife, Marie, spent
their lives raising their family - Bill, Marie and Alice - and were blessed with four
grandchildren; one grandson and three grandaughters. As a father, Richard Mayer was
very special to his children and very involved in their lives as a Boy Scout leader,
honorary Girl Scout father, Band parent and so many other things that fathers do. Richard
worked as a carpenter, building banks, houses and whatever kept him working
throughout the years, including some work in the World Trade Center, retiring in 1989. He
and his wife, Marie, bought a motorhome and travelled across the USA together. While
camping in Florida some years ago, 79th Seabee Richard Mayer and his wife met a fellow
Seabee (from another Battalion) from New York who was seeking donations for the building
of a Seabee Memorial in North
Tonawanda, New York. Richard contributed to the building of this memorial and,
in his honor as well as in honor of other Seabees, the Memorial was built with Richard's
name appearing on the Memorial wall. Richard and Marie were married 52 years.
Richard Mayer was so proud of his
years in the U.S. Navy, a proud American who flew his American flag everyday. In the
words of his daughter, Marie, "My dad was my hero, I feared
him, loved him and respected him. No one could take the place of my father in my
eyes."
.... This memorial tribute is given to 79th Battalion Seabee Richard W. Mayer
for the service and sacrifice which he gave in World War II and throughout his life.
The Family of Richard
W. Mayer may be contacted at
WPS28@AOL.com |
