Frank Bavetz

Smoke billowing over the ship’s bow mingled with silent fog hovering just above the water’s surface. Peering through the thickness, Private Frank Bavetz scoped the skies for enemy aircraft and friendly ships sharing their water space. It was a familiar routine - each night pulling anchor and slinking around under the cover of smoke. This patrol stationed off the shores of Okinawa played a vital part in supplying support to the forces on land during heavy artillery barrages. And, at the young age of nineteen, Frank Bavetz was just one of the many who put their lives on the line to serve their country.

Frank’s dream was to be in the Marine Corps and through steadfast determination he was able to live it. Now, many years later, he has realized that he didn’t just play the part of a Marine during a war; being a Marine is who he is.

Despite the passage of years, Frank’s experiences in the United States Marine Corps have remained with him. Some memories have faded with time but others are still vibrant and intense. One thing that he'll never forget is how much he wanted to be a Marine. At age seventeen it seemed the most important thing he could ever do. That was his mindset when he boarded a bus from his home in Brackenridge and rode to the old Post Office in Pittsburgh where he signed up. Unfortunately he failed the eye exam and was turned down. Frank, however, was tenacious and clever. He told a convincing story to the examiner, claiming his eyes were blurry, and was permitted to retake it another day. So he went home, memorized the eye chart, and returned the next day to pass the test.

Shortly after his 18th birthday, Frank was inducted and shipped off to San Diego for boot camp. He was then sent to camp Merimer for additional training before being transferred to another California camp as a security guard. From there he returned back to camp Merimer before being shipped out to Okinawa. He arrived there on his 19th birthday in 1945. "We were paired up with someone and always used the buddy system. My buddy and I celebrated our 19th birthdays within a few days of each other." Frank was assigned to the Second Marine Air Wing, which was a support group. During the day they dropped anchor and their ships were stationary. As soon as night fell, anchors were lifted and the ships made a smoke screen so they could move around undetected.

Based at Camp Buckner, Okinawa, Frank also did tours of guard duty in Okinawa. He and his buddy were on duty from 2am to 6am. He remembers one morning at about 5am they were at the base of a castle and it was so foggy they couldn’t see a thing. “We heard a rustling noise in the bushes and we just started firing. Marines are taught to shoot first and that’s exactly what we did.” About an hour later when the sun came up and the fog cleared, they discovered that one of the farmer’s animals had got loose and the poor thing was riddled with bullets.

Frank stated that they were very fortunate that their support group only had 15% casualties despite being under constant and heavy air attacks. "I remember when a group of guys showed up from the front line to get some chow. While they were there the sirens went off and they had to run for cover. When it was over they told me, ‘The heck with this we’re going to the front line where we know where the enemy is.’” Then, as he continued, Frank's eyes filled with tears as he softly said, "I was a pall barer for the first time at the age of 19 at my buddy's funeral."

On June 3, 1946, Frank was discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of Buck Sergeant from North Carolina. He then took a job at Allegheny Ludlum and worked there for 44 years before retiring. Several months after being discharged he also met the woman he would eventually marry. "Shortly after I returned home I went to the hospital to visit my brother-in-law where I met Lois who was a nurse there." Frank and Lois are going on 58 years of marriage and have five children and 13 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Although Frank has retired, he keeps very active as the Sr. Vice Commandant of the Marine Corps League – Allegheny Valley Detachment #827 in Natrona Heights. They provide funeral services free of charge for Marines and present the families with a flag. The Marine Corp is not something that Frank joined or that he provides a service for; it is who he is.

To watch the video go to http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/986