Wesley Zacharias
Wesley Zacharias, 2007
- Branch of Service: United States Army
- Highest Rank: Private First Class
- Military Service: April 1945 - November 1946
Listen to the following sections by scrolling forward to the timecode.
0:00 - Service information (drafted)
1:20 - Atomic bomb dropped; part of the occupation forces in Japan
4:35 - Married before the war; son ten months old before met him; wrote many letters
542 - Experience in Japan; smelled like dead fish
8:51 - Nothing left after the bombing; burned up
10:02 - Life after the war (farming)
11:42 - He felt the war would have continued a lot longer without the use of the atomic bomb
12:52 - What people should know about WWII
14:05 - The press
16:00 - Occupying force
17:40 - K and C rations (food)
20:02 - At home; tried to forget the war; son in Vietnam War
21:28 - Hunger was horrible in Japan after the war; the worse thing he saw during the war
This story was recorded at an SDPB event in Wagner, SD.
Images Provided by Wesley Zacharias
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9496128/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1234x791+0+0/resize/880x564!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fprod%2Ffiler_public%2Fkusd-bento-live-pbs%2FLearn%2FHomefront%2FArmy%2FWesley%20Zacharias%2F720d548370_T-4.jpg)
T-4 Tracker used to pull 120-millimeter anti-aircraft gun (Wesley Zacharias pictured right).
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/806df3c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/906x1141+0+0/resize/880x1108!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fprod%2Ffiler_public%2Fkusd-bento-live-pbs%2FLearn%2FHomefront%2FArmy%2FWesley%20Zacharias%2Faab0bffc44_cave.jpg)
One of many caves located approximately 8 miles from Yokohama, Japan. The caves were used as a Japanese military stronghold during WWII. The photo was taken 15 - 20 days after the atomic bombs were dropped.
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/78b5362/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1985x1277+0+0/resize/880x566!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fprod%2Ffiler_public%2Fkusd-bento-live-pbs%2FLearn%2FHomefront%2FArmy%2FWesley%20Zacharias%2Fdb7e0a60e8_ship.jpg)
S.S. Costa Rica Victory - Arrived in San Francisco from Yokohama, Japan on September 12th, 1946. (Wesley Zacharias was aboard this ship.)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/acd7caa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x2384+0+0/resize/880x874!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fprod%2Ffiler_public%2Fkusd-bento-live-pbs%2FLearn%2FHomefront%2FArmy%2FWesley%20Zacharias%2F764130ebeb_son.jpg)
Wesley Zacharias, 1945 (This photo, "Love daddy," was sent to Wesley's son during WWII. Wesley's son was 2 months old before he heard about the birth and 10 months old before Wesley saw his son for the first time.)
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/48b92b0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1065x1017+0+0/resize/880x840!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fprod%2Ffiler_public%2Fkusd-bento-live-pbs%2FLearn%2FHomefront%2FArmy%2FWesley%20Zacharias%2Fc42ece293b_WAR%20Wagner%20Gen%20Photos%20007.jpg)
One of over 100 silk handkerchiefs Wesley Zacharias sent to his wife during WWII. The handkerchief pictured was sent home for Christmas. He could trade one cigarette for a dozen handkerchiefs.)
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