Abilene Reporter

Of War and Remembrance 11.11.05

Elvin Mathis

Age: 84

Current residence: Abilene

Entered service: Paint Rock, age 22

Branch of service: Marine Corps

Years of service in the war: 1943-45

Where served: New Guinea, Angaur, Guam, Okinawa

Medals: Ribbon for Battle of Angaur; Ribbon for end of WW II

A World War II Memory: ''In August 1944, we left Hawaii and went south of the equator near New Guinea . Then we ... went to the island of Angaur where the U.S. Army was gradually driving out the Japanese. After 10.5 months there, I was sent to the island of Guam . I was there when our Air Force dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima  ... and on Nagasaki three days later. The Japanese surrendered soon afterward.''