French discusses his service with the US Army during WWII, 1941-1944. He joined the army in 1941 and was assigned to Fort Shafter in Hawaii where he witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. Later, he manned guns at the Hawaii Iron Works in Honolulu and was on an LST at the Battle of Saipan. Describes the raid on Pearl Harbor and the army's attempt to shoot down the Japanese planes, the destruction on Battleship Row, and the aftermath.

French was born in 1921 in Boston. He grew up in Enfield, MA, graduated from Belchertown High School and joined the Army in 1941. He was discharged in 1944 and worked at the Davisville Sea Bee base in Rhode Island for 30 years, retiring in 1976.

Part of the WWII Veterans Oral History Project.