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Voices of Veterans: Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Gayle Bowen Shares His Story of Service in the U.S. Navy During World War II

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AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to introduce the next installment of the series highlighting the VLB’s Voices of Veterans Oral History Program. This week, we highlight the service of Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Gayle Bowen who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Bowen was born in Post, Texas, on a farm outside town during the lead-up to the Great Depression in 1927. His family moved into town before he was old enough to remember “farm-life,” and his father worked with cars. Bowen worked with his siblings at the gas station his father purchased. The family also experienced the Dust Bowl, but Bowen said, “I didn’t know we were poor.” He explained how his father would trade auto parts and cars for goods, including food grown by other homes. “We made it real fine,” he chuckled.

He was in the 7th grade when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and America entered World War II. Upon hearing the news, Bowen said, “I was devastated, as was the rest of the family. From that time, I was just wanting to get in there.” His older brother was drafted into the Army, and while it was hard to see his brother leave, he admitted, “It was harder on my dad than anybody.” Despite missing his brother, Bowen said he was still “biting at the bit” to join up and serve his country.
In 1944, at 17, Bowen and a friend convinced their reluctant fathers to sign them up to join the Navy. In a month, they were sent to basic training in San Diego, California. Bowen and his friend underwent training together but were separated when Bowen was sent overseas. He was assigned to the 4th gunnery division aboard his aircraft carrier. He also served as a temporary mess cook and spent quite a bit of time in the “spud locker,” where they would use machines to peel mountains of potatoes.

Bowen also discussed the day the carrier was bombed. “All night we had been up, under attack from enemy planes. We were right in the middle of our particular part of the task force, and we were about 50 miles off the coast of Japan. […] We were bombing airfields in the port of Okinawa. […] At 7:07 in the morning, a Japanese plane came in through the clouds, and it was a surprise to us. It dropped two bombs on us,” he recalled.  “We didn’t know what was going on. We were down in the mess hall. […] Doing our duty. Peeling potatoes. […] I was sitting right next to Homer D. Simms. He was a Veteran of other battles, and he had told me that he wouldn’t come back.” Bowen said that he tried to reassure his friend, who was the father of a young boy, that he would be okay, as did the cook who oversaw them. “Less than two minutes, probably, after he said that, well, that bomb hit.”

He said that the men in the spud locker began moving quickly to leave, but that he stopped to retrieve his life jacket and helmet. When he came back, ready to go, he said, “Nobody was there. Nobody. I never felt so alone in my life.” Thus began his fight to survive the bombing of the USS Franklin on March 19, 1945.

To listen to Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Gayle Bowen tell his story, click the button below:

Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Gayle Bowen’s Story

RELATED:Voices of Veterans: Machinist Mate Robert Morton Shares His Story of Service in the U.S. Navy During World War II

RELATED: Voices of Veterans: Captain John Delcambre Shares His Story of Service in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy

Veterans can email VoicesofVeterans@glo.texas.gov to tell their stories. Please note that the Veteran must be a resident of Texas at the time of their interview.

Voices of Veterans is a state agency’s first Veteran oral history program. It records the stories of Texas Veterans through their time in service and after returning home from combat.

The VLB records interviews with Veterans over the phone or in person. Their interviews are then permanently archived in the Office of Veterans Records at the GLO, where they join the historical documents of other Texas heroes such as Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Barret Travis.

Veterans’ interviews are also available to researchers, historians, genealogists, and the public. These precious records inspire future generations and remind us of our Veterans’ sacrifices.

To listen to the over 500 archived stories of Veterans documented through the GLO’s Voices of Veterans oral history program, click the button below:

Voices of Vetera

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Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., brings a lifetime of experience to the Texas General Land Office (GLO). In 2016, she became the first Republican elected to the Texas State Senate from Travis County and the first woman to represent Texas Senate District 24. She made history again in 2022, winning a statewide election to become our state’s first female Land Commissioner.
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