Jake Trujillo’s Navy Experience

This is from a transcript of an old oral history interview with Irvin Trujillo’s father Jake. It’s a nice thing to have run into today, on Veteran’s Day. When we went to go find a picture of Jake in the Navy we found this picture, which is dated (at the bottom of the picture) November 11, 1944. A lot of Veteran’s Day coincidence.
“In 1942, I was called into the army, I was inducted.  Well when I got my induction papers, I went over to Santa Fe.  At that time my oldest brother was working in Santa Fe.  He was a cook in one of the restaurants there.  And I went over and told him that I had received my papers and he says ” Why don’t you g0 and enlist in the Navy. It’s a better branch. I see the sailors here and I know that are having a lot of fun. It’s a good branch of the service.”  So I went to the Navy induction center and asked them if I could enlist in the navy and they said yes, if you pass the physical exam. So I passed the test and they told me “Report here in two weeks, you’ll be in the navy. S0 I reported there and they sent me to San Diego, California for training. After boot camp they sent me overseas. From San Diego they sent me to San Francisco, and from there to Portland, Oregon. From there they assigned us a ship in the Merchant Marines, a ship, a gun crew of 25 sailors. I didn’t do any weaving during that-period. We were going from Seattle to Alaska, back and forth delivering supplies on a Liberty Ship.  We were taking the supplies to the fighting men in Alaska.  I made about six voyages. Then I had time to come home on leave. Then I reported back to Treasure Island, and from there they gave me shore duty for about four months. I used to work in the offices as a messenger.  After four months I requested if I could be assigned to go to South America. He said sure, so he gave me an assignment to go overseas. So I went from San Francisco to the South Pacific and unloaded there.  From there they sent us to Antipavasta (?) Chili, and to the Panama Canal, and they from there we landed on the USS Virginia. ’When we got there I had a telegram for me to report to Treasure Island for a special assignment. When I reported there I thought they would send me to the fighting. But they invited me into the office and were asking me a lot of questions and they finally said”We have checked your records and found you have been an instructor in arts and crafts. we need you to teach the sailors the different crafts that you know. You will be in charge of the place here. We will authorize you to purchase whatever you need” I thought it was great. I stayed there for about two to three years 44 and 45.”