National Home Front Project - Michael Conway and the goat in the bar

The National Home Front Project is a major grassroots initiative under the leadership of historians at Washington College. Our innovative oral history program partners with individuals, communities, and organizations across the United States to record, preserve, and share audio interviews with civilians who experienced World War II. By pulling together in the spirit of wartime Americans, we can ensure that future generations hear their voices, and that our country never forgets its past.

For this short entry, we’d like to share the story of Michael Conway, specifically the goat he met on the Galápagos Islands.

Michael F. Conway was a yeoman in the Navy during WWII. He performed administrative and clerical work for a receiving station in Staten Island and was then transferred to work on a rescue tugboat called the ATR-64 in the South Pacific. He tells about his experiences working as a yeoman and talks about his experiences during recruitment, boot camp, and yeoman's school. He also talks about his experience as the ship’s mail carrier.

Here’s the transcript of his story about the goat he met on the Galápagos Islands:

No one’s in there but a bartender -- I called him the bartender, but he was probably the bartender, manager, everything. I come in, I got my mailbag -- brand new mailbag, nothing's ever been in it because we never got any mail! He says, “Whatcha you got the mailbag for?” I said to pick up some mail, he said “they don’t even know we’re here.” He says, “How ‘bout a beer?” I didn’t drink ... but he said, “I got a soda. You want a soda?” Soda was harder to get than liquor over there, so I had a soda.

So, I’m drinking my soda, and another sailor comes in. And he’s got a goat with him -- a big goat. The bartender says to him, “Hey, are you gonna keep him control today?” He [the sailor] said, “Yeah, he’ll be alright.” The bartender finally says, “Well, I’m not gonna let him drink today. I’ll tell ya that ... He wrecked the place the other day.” [The sailor responded,] “Well, yeah, but we took care of that.” “Alright, I’ll let him have one. Come on, Billy.” So, he walks up there and puts his paws up on top of the bar. I’m going, “What the hell is this?” So, the bartender poured him a beer into ... a bowl thing and he galloped that thing down ... Five minutes later, the guy said, “Care for another one, Bill?” Feet go back up on the bar, the bartender says, “No. No more.” The guy said, “Look, one more and we’re leaving.” So, he gave him another one and said “Well, I’ll see you. Nice meeting you, yeoman!” And he heads out, and the goat was, like, staggering, and out the door they go. ... I don’t tell that story to many because who’s going to believe it?”

Listen to Michael Conway himself telling the story at 38:26 here: https://washcoll.whirlihost.com/Detail/objects/6449

Goat Photo by Nataliya Melnychuk on Unsplash