My Dad Survived Pearl Harbor and Fought in the Pacific in WWII

Known to his family as “Shad” after the Shadow radio show, my father, Alfred Ridge, was the youngest of five children born to Irish immigrants. He joined the 101st Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard in April 1937 at 15 years and 3 months of age. He had studied and practiced the drums since the age of 10 and primarily joined the 101st to be in the Regimental Band.

At some point before shipping overseas, he left English High School. Officially, he was discharged from the Massachusetts National Guard on April 9, 1940, with the designation of No Time Lost (NTL) under Article of War 107 — a mechanism often used to discharge servicemen who had joined underage and bring them back onto the rolls without penalty. Although his 3 brothers and one sister would eventually join the Army during the war, Alfred was the first in his family to enlist.

A photo of Alfred with a dedication to his mom and dad

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. Less than a month shy of his 20th birthday, my father had already been serving in the Massachusetts National Guard and the United States Army for nearly 5  years.

Stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, he initially served in the Division Band and later transferred to the 21st Infantry Regiment following the reorganization of the Hawaiian Division.

In later years, he shared stories about life in Hawaii before the attack. When he arrived in June 1941, troops were repeatedly ordered out in the middle of the night to dig foxholes and prepare for possible invasion. Eventually, the Army implemented a green-yellow-red alert system that determined how many men would be assigned to coastal defense duties.

Alfred Ridge at Pearl Harbor. Photo colorized and enhanced by MyHeritage

He also recalled that on the morning of the attack, soldiers had to shoot the locks off ammunition and weapons lockers in order to arm themselves and return fire. As Japanese aircraft strafed Schofield Barracks on their way to and from Wheeler Field, the men fought back with whatever weapons were available.

The first warning many soldiers at Schofield Barracks had that Pearl Harbor was under attack was the strafing itself. The men of the 24th Infantry Division often took pride in the fact that they were among the first Americans to return fire that day.

Preparing for war

After Pearl Harbor, life for the 24th Infantry Division centered on defending Hawaii, carrying out martial law duties, and training for combat. The threat of invasion gradually faded, but training intensified as the war progressed.

By 1943, the division was preparing for offensive operations in the Pacific. Alfred, now a corporal, shipped out with the 21st Regiment on July 27, 1943. Like many soldiers, he was not told his destination. After a long voyage, the division arrived in Australia, where months of training continued before their next deployment.

In January 1944, the 24th landed on Goodenough Island near Papua New Guinea. Later that month, Alfred was promoted to sergeant. Training increasingly focused on amphibious operations in preparation for combat.

New Guinea

In April 1944, the 24th Infantry Division took part in the Hollandia campaign in Dutch New Guinea.

On April 22, the division landed at Tanahmerah Bay under naval gunfire support. Alfred was serving as a sergeant and leader of a mortar squad. The 21st Regiment pushed inland through difficult jungle terrain toward its objectives.

U.S. troops in Tanahmerah Bay

The next day, the regiment encountered its first significant resistance. Hidden Japanese bunkers caused casualties before mortar and machine-gun fire cleared the way forward.

Alfred rarely spoke in detail about his time in New Guinea, but conditions were notoriously difficult. Soldiers carried heavy jungle packs filled with rations, equipment, ammunition, and supplies while enduring intense heat, humidity, rain, insects, and disease.

The campaign continued through the spring of 1944, but Alfred would not be present for its conclusion. On May 25, he was evacuated after contracting malaria, one of the many soldiers removed from the front lines by disease. Malaria was widespread in the Southwest Pacific, and Alfred was among the most seriously affected men who required evacuation.

He was transported first to Australia and then back to the United States.

My father arrived home on July 1, 1944. He often told people that he never forgot the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge as his ship sailed back into America.

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay as photographed in early 1944

Many thanks to Jim Ridge for sharing his father’s fascinating story with us. Explore more American Family Stories and discover how ordinary families experienced extraordinary moments in U.S. history on MyHeritage’s America 250 hub.