D. Clarke Evans Photographer

Collin Furr

Sergeant, Army Signal Corp
1942–1946

Sgt. Collin Furr
South Pacific, 1944

I drove the truck out into the ocean, hung a wire to provide tension on the pole to keep it up so they could have communication during the storm. A Second Lieutenant wanted to court martial me for driving the truck into the ocean. I told him McArthur would probably take a dim view of that, me keeping communications open.

I graduated from Kerrville (Tivy) High School when I was 17 years old, too young to join the armed services. I signed up for Civil Service training for six months. On my 18th birthday, I went back to Kerrville and joined the Army.

I was always interested in the Signal Corps. I had studied the courses in electronics and radio while in the Civil Service. In the Signal Corps we built communication and information support for McArthur and Nimitz. I was with the same team all the way through the war. We provided teletype and radio for all the troops. We built tall towers to set up the messaging center. I drove the truck that had the boom on it and hung huge curtains to bring in distant signals. Once there was a big storm that came in and started to wash out beneath the support service poles on the beach. I drove the truck out into the ocean, hung a wire to provide tension on the pole to keep it up so they could have communication during the storm. A Second Lieutenant wanted to court martial me for driving the truck into the ocean. I told him McArthur would probably take a dim view of that, me keeping communications open. They did have to replace the engine, though.

I got overseas in 1943. Half the time we didn’t know where we were; you couldn’t find where we were on a map. They would tell us to establish communications on an island, then we’d go to the next island, then another island, and then another one, doing the same thing.

We lived out of a barracks bag—everything we owned crammed in there. Sometimes we pitched tents, sometimes we didn’t. Sometimes we had folding cots, sometimes we didn’t. I tried to keep a pillow to help sleep. We didn’t need cover as it was 100 degrees night and day. I got yellow jaundice and malaria. Malaria killed as many men as the war did. We didn’t have a hospital, just a medic. We asked him what to do, he said just stay alive. I weighed 180 when I got it. I lost 60 pounds because I couldn’t eat. I was told to drink a lot of water; that kept me alive. Every day was so bad. They were all the worst days. When Japan signed the peace treaty, we went wild. I think we lost our minds trying to celebrate.

It took 39 days going over, because of the zig zagging every 30 seconds. I was sick the whole time. I came back in January of 1946. They wanted to keep me. I said no way, I’m through with it. I’m going home.

I had a few different jobs, then went to school and entered the Methodist preaching ministry. When I was little I thought I wanted to be a preacher. I worked at Travis Park Methodist Church as the General Manager in charge of staff and building, and worked sales at Sunset Funeral Home for a while. After that, I was old enough to retire, so I did.

I was asked the other day, would I do it again, would I go into the service? I’d so do anything for my country. {10-15-2015 • Comfort, TX}