Ray H. Wheeler, Lewiston, Utah: an interview by Winston P. Erickson, March 21, 2000: Saving the legacy tape no. 79

Page 24

RAY H. WHEELER arch 21 2000 WIN: What happened with your health? Did they ever figure out what was wrong? RAY: No, I had these spells all the time where I would throw up. I was nauseated. And I lo t over 40 pounds through it. Periodically, you know, I'd go along for awhile. And now as I think back, I had radiation-where you have chemotherapy, this radiation therapy where you become nauseated and lose weight. And then you'd go awhile, and then you'd stop. But my body was never free of having these spells. I'd go maybe three weeks, you know, and then I'd have a spell where I became nauseated and would lose all this-become dehydrated. And this went on for three or four years after. In fact, for the spin down I had no idea what was happening with this radiation. I went to sea in 1946, but I still had these periodic spasms for three or four years after. They gradually subsided, but I was always affected by it. In fact, all my life they'd come onto me. And I've had that condition ever since. I felt it was very detrimental to my condition; the radiation that we determined now. Anyway, to finish. When I was at Okinawa we had twenty-seven kamikaze attacks "agin" that ship; the ship I was on. WIN: That was when you were on the ammunition carrier? RAY: Yes. There were 27 attacks against it. So I finished going to sea in 1946. I sailed up the east coast, and the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. I made one trip to Cherbourg, France. The only place I haven't been is across-well, I've been around the world twice; every port on the east and west coast. I've been in seven convoys. I got nine battle stars, documented battle stars. from the navy bureau. And, as I said, I was in seven convoys, received nine battle stars and was in three invasions. I was around the world twice, in every port in the east and west 22