Page 60 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2022 - Online Magazine
P. 60
W.E. Rainwater
Patriotism in the Face of
Discrimination
by Larry Williams
children—four girls and Airborne. We’d make two to
six boys. W.E. was the three trips a week into Holland.
eighth born and is the The British troops began to move
last living sibling. His in, but a lot of them got wiped
youngest brother served out."
during the Korean War.
W.E. said, “Dad kept “We got all our trucks and
moving west toward supplies ready for the Battle of
California but only got the Bulge in Brussels, Belgium
as far as Slaton, Texas, and fought our way into
where I grew up. I didn’t Germany. We moved everything
complete high school. My from ammunition, fuel, supplies,
father died after a car and live soldiers, and dead soldiers;
wagon collision, so I left we moved it all. We were
school at an early age to assigned to the 2nd Armored
help my mother take care Division. I recall driving between
of the eight children who tanks. They’d be firing those big
.E. Rainwater received were still at home.” When guns over us. The Germans had
his draft notice on young Rainwater was 18 years a secret weapon; they called it
WSeptember 2, 1943, old, he was drafted. “I started ‘Big Bertha.’ It was so big it was
and was inducted into the Army basic training in Leavenworth, mounted on two railroad flat
on September 27 in Denver, Kansas, and completed it at cars. They would roll it out of
Colorado. Rainwater was one Camp Lee, in Virginia, where a mountain, fire it, and roll it
of 1.2 million African Americans I learned to drive a 2 1/2-ton back in. We had special trucks
who served during WWII. Black truck. From basic, I was sent to carry fuel, and I would keep
soldiers have served with to Camp Campbell, Kentucky some five-gallon ‘Jerry cans’ on
valor in every conflict since and was assigned to the 3458th my truck. One time, I drove back
the Revolutionary War. They Quartermaster Truck Company." to where our company was to
fought for democracy overseas deliver fuel, but they were no
but were mostly treated like "We were only there for three
second-class citizens by their weeks, and they put us on a
own country. Famed black units, train to Staten Island, New
like the Harlem Hellfighters, York; I remember seeing the
the Tuskegee Airmen, the 761st Statue of Liberty. In July 1944,
Tank Battalion, the 320th Barrage we were put on the troopship
Balloon Battalion (during the S.S. Argentina. We landed in
D-Day Invasion), Women’s Army Scotland and then in England,
Auxiliary 6888th Central Postal where we picked up our trucks.
Battalion, and the Truckmaster There were about 150 of us,
Truck Company, served with mostly truck drivers. We loaded
distinction during the war. everything by hand, boarded
our boats, landed at Normandy
Mr. Rainwater was born on April beach, and headed inland. Our
25, 1925, in Dallas County, Texas, first engagement was in France,
60 years after General Robert E. not far from Normandy. Later,
Lee surrendered at Appomattox, we drove our trucks through
Virginia. His father Edward was France. Orders came down from
a sharecropper, and his mother Quartermaster HQ to carry
Estella ran the household of ten supplies to the 82nd and 101st
60 Lubbock Senior Link
