TSgt Caster Salemi, U.S. Army, World War II, Luzon, New Guinea

Caster Salemi was 19 years old when Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He tried to enlist in the U.S. Navy but was rejected. After working in a facility producing Norden bombsights, he was finally drafted into the U.S. Army. While training in Paris, Texas, Salemi was assigned to the 251st Field Artillery Battalion in a communications role. He was part of a unit firing 105mm howitzers.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Salemi tells about arriving in New Guinea, which brought high temperatures, high humidity, and tropical diseases. 

Salemi then t...