Video Log
Henry J. Gambaccini
World War II
United States Army
Born: September 11, 1919
Interview Date: June 6, 2012
Interviewed By: George Huffman
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introduction, present are George Huffman interviewer and Henry Gambaccini
subject.
Mr. Gambaccini is working for the Office of Emergency Management as a court
reporter / stenographer in Washington D.C. .
Henry is approached by an army lieutenant about working for the Joint Chiefs of
Staff. He accepts and is appointed a staff sergeant.
His boss was a general, throughout his service he became privy to the top most
secrets, as an example he knew about the invasion of Normandy a month in
advance.
His primary function was to create a verbatim transcript of meetings with
generals such as Eisenhower. For the most part he would not attend the actual
meeting but would transcribe the notes of superior officers.
Mr. Gambaccini was 25 when he took a federal exam and took his first job with
the U.S. Post Office under Postmaster General Jim Farley.
Henry says it’s April of 1942 and a good time to be in Washington D.C., no one is
shooting at you and there are 10 women for every man.
working for the Combined Joint Chiefs of Staff, the energy is directed toward
victory in Europe
Henry shows a picture of his I D card.
talks about attending conferences in Yalta; Potsdam, Germany; and Tehran, Iran.
the equipment used was sophisticated for the time, mimeograph machines and
typed stencils.
While at the Yalta conference stayed on the Black Sea. While there he tried
caviar for the first time, did not care for it at all. He talked about the gist of the
conference was how we could help Russia defeat Hitler.
Henry talks about going to the Tehran conference. The American contingent
including President Eisenhower traveled aboard the U.S.S. Iowa to Casablanca
from there they flew to Cairo with their British counterparts.
while at the Tehran Conference Mr. Gambaccini talks about the beautiful
mountains, the great water.
While at Tehran the three leaders Stalin, Churchill and Eisenhower held a
meeting with the troops, Henry is 15 feet from the platform. Security by the
standard of today is simple, they are ringed by MPs.
While at the Tehran Conference Henry and the other Americans would not go
into the city.
Henry and his co-workers were never threatened with consequences. They knew
the seriousness of what they were dealing with.
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Communications between London and Washington D.C. were done by cable.
Prior to the Normandy invasion he and his fellow workers were up all night. He
did state that there was some doubt about its success.
When the invasion of France began the folks working with Henry began getting
wireless reports almost immediately.
Henry worked at the Potsdam Conference. At the time Truman was
president. He was at a mass when Truman showed up, Henry got to shake hands
with him.
Henry is assigned as a court reporter at the trial of two Japanese officers charged
with beheading two of the Doolittle Raiders who were captured in China. Both
Japanese officers are convicted and eventually executed. Please note related
materials attached.
Henry gives a description of the beheading. He provides a number of related
pictures, including the bodies of the beheaded American flyers.
Henry is in Japan for over 10 months. He is able to visit Hiroshima and views the
devastation.
Mr. Gambaccini gives his impression of the city of Hiroshima. He picks up
several artifacts to bring home. Originally was supposed to be part of the trial of
Tojo.
Henry is the envy of a lot of guys; he had what most considered a big time job and
did not have to experience combat.
Henry tells us that the dropping of atomic bomb came as a complete surprise to
everyone. This was a surprise to those who knew of the Normandy Invasion.
There was a huge debate about the plans to invade Japan, prior to the dropping of
the atomic bomb it was thought to be a foregone conclusion.
When the atomic bomb was dropped the only way folks found out about it was
through radio or newspapers. Remember there was no T.V. at the time.
Morale was very high in Washington at the time. The night clubs were full,
movie attendance was at an all-time high.
Henry tells us about being given ration money when they were not on an actual
base.
transportation in Washington D.C. was generally by above ground electric trolley
cars.
Only Henry’s close friends knew what his job was.
Henry was never threatened with consequences for talking about what he did, for
the most part it was understood that there was a job to do and a big part of his was
to keep quiet about things.
Couriers were used to transport documents from one building to another. The
classic briefcase handcuffed to the individual. Henry tells us of a story where a
courier left his briefcase in a car and went for coffee. This was discovered, the
courier was demoted and “sent away.”
Everything they did was on paper. Any memos, reports, or anything he typed up
if there were numerous errors the paper was placed in a special container and
collected by an individual at the end of the day.
A 2nd lieutenant would attend the actual meetings, Henry would transcribe his
notes; return them to the 2nd lieutenant who would then make copies.
All papers whether trash or good were collected after hours.
Henry tells us the Americans brought their own equipment to the conferences at
the time it was simply mimeograph machines, typewriters and replacement parts.
All of which was closely monitored.
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Mr. Gambaccini knew not only the importance of his work but that he was a part
of history.
At the conferences all meetings and transcriptions took place in the same
building. While at Yalta the Americans worked and stayed in the same building
referred to as the palace
In discussing the trip on the U.S.S. Iowa to Casablanca and eventually Tehran,
with the President on board, Henry says they did not feel threatened at all.
He knew he was going to the Tehran conference one week in advance. The
U.S.S. Iowa was boarded in Norfolk, West Virginia.
when asked if anything stood out in his mind Henry mentions the need for
Mulberry Docks in the Normandy Invasion i.e. that there was a shortage leading
up to D-day.
Mr. Gambaccini talks about the tension felt during the Battle of the Bulge. There
was a twinge left that what if the Germans to get the needed fuel.
Henry talks about a friend of his that he reconnected with after the war who was
taken prisoner during the Battle of The Bulge and did not become aware of this
till after the war.
although privy to many secrets during the war Henry did not learn many of the
particulars till after the war ended.