Oral History: Sylvan Antin [electronic resource], 2-Jul-14, 20140702.

Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Digital, 2019.

1 online resource (video file 1:11:58) : Sound, Colour

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SSgt Sylva "Buddy" Antin was born in New Orleans in 1925. He was drafted into the United States Army on 10 March 1944. Buddy had a bad right and he was designated by the Army as fit for duty but with limited ability. Buddy was very intelligent and the Army assigned him to the Counter Intelligence Corp. He trained at Fort Hallaburk in Pennsylvania. He was taught how to code and decode messages and classified information. He became an expert in the use of the ECM Mark II cypher machine better known as the Sigaba. As a result of his particular skill, Buddy was assigned to a variety of duty stations throughout the Pacific. He was first stationed in Casablanca, and then Benghazi, Cairo, Karachi, Calcutta, Burma and Kunming China before concluding his service in Shanghai China. In China Communist sharp shooters would constantly shot at their post which was heavily guarded by the army. Buddy said "I may not have seen combat, but I witnessed some of the most severe poverty you could imagine". At the conclusion of the war he returned to New Orleans, Louisiana, vowing to never leave the United States again in his life.

America in world war two. Oral histories and personal accounts.

Online / Video & Film

English

March 04, 2020

Adam Matthew Digital (Firm), digitiser.