SILVA: When the war broke out, I was 16 at the time, on a Sunday going to work, I remember that very clear. We worked at a factory there making furniture and it was somewhere a little left eight o’clock in the morning when somebody hopped aboard the trolley and says that they just bombed Pearl Harbor. And the first thing was, ‘Where is Pearl Harbor?’ We just were kind of startled about it and just couldn’t believe it.
TASCA: That was obviously December of 1941, George. Go back to 1943. Why did you join the military? Talk about your service. Why did you join?
SILVA: I wanted to get in there and do my share for my country. My brother already had been in before the war. When I finally was able to get through the recruiting, I was underweight, too small. The first time in ‘42, they wouldn’t take me. But in ‘43, I was successful in going to the Navy and reported at Newport. I enjoyed it. It made a man out of me. I felt I kind of found a good home and three good meals that (I) never had too much in my growing up. I looked forward to doing my job.
TASCA: When you go back to those war years, George, what do you remember? What comes to mind?
SILVA: Well, being young like that, we never really, I think, put our mind to the situation that we were in. We were out there dodging submarines from the Germans. We were in the Atlantic with these cargo ships. It was after that I, in ‘44, got on board a cruiser. Then we went in the Pacific through the canal.
We were there for the occupation. We got to see where the atomic bomb over in Hiroshima was dropped. It was quite an experience. To this day, I’ve got myself a few of the photos. It was quite a disaster, what we saw. That was my experience there and I enjoyed it. I still think about the atomic bomb, though. I’m looking at it now that I’m older and I’m seeing a different side of it. At that time there, I was all for what was going on. When Truman gave the word, that got us through to get back home.
I don’t know if it’s the right thing to say, but I felt sorry how they were encamped. I think that we all look back now, all the people in charge, (and think) had they went about it a little different that maybe it would have been a little more human. But that’s war.
TASCA: Rhode Island is the only state in the country that celebrates Victory Day. What does this holiday mean to you? Is it important for us as Rhode Islanders to still celebrate the end of World War 2?
SILVA: I I think it’s very good that we celebrate it as a victory, but as a victory of the whole war itself, not any particular country. It would be nice if, you know, they could just make it all one memorial day or armistice and let it be at that and not try to just concentrate on just Japan.
TASCA: George, it’s been a pleasure to meet you today and have this conversation. Thank you so much.
SILVA: I thank you and I hope people don’t get the wrong impression of my thoughts, but that’s the way I felt. But I respect all those others that went through what they did.
Joe Tasca can be reached at jtasca@ripr.org
