Entrance into Service

The map only displays records that have geographic information. Switch to the grid view to see all records.

Map is loading...
Timeline is loading...

The timeline only displays records that have date information. Switch to the grid view to see all records.

Jackson, Arthur Becoming a Marine
Arthur Jackson had been influenced by Marine pilots and wanted to fly. At the recruiting office he took the aviation...
Bourgeois, Henry "Hank" Becoming a Marine Aviator and Deployment to Guadalcanal
Henry Bourgeois was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first flew when he was about seven years old. After...
Long, Donald Becoming a Sailor
Donald Long would have preferred to be in the Coast Guard since a station was near his home. He enlisted in the Navy...
Grieves, Billy Becoming a Submarine Sailor
Billy Grieves was born in Liberty Center, Ohio. At a young age his parents moved the family to Detroit, Michigan for...
McGee, Charles Becoming a Tuskegee Airman
Charles McGee was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1919. After third grade he moved to Illinois. He also spent some time in...
Czaban, Waldeman Draft and Military Training
Waldeman Czaban received his draft notice soon after he graduated high school in January 1943, and left home for boot...
Knudson, Robert Early Life
Robert Knudson was born in January 1925 in Mason City, Iowa. His father was a successful greenhouse owner, and even...
Peterson, Carl Early Life
Carl Peterson was born in Foraker, Oklahoma. He had three brothers and a sister and when his mother remarried he got...
Scheerer, Richard Early Life
Richard Scheerer was born in December 1915 and grew up in Kansas City [Annotator's Note: Kansas City, Missouri]. His...
Odom, James Early Life
James Odom was born in November 1925 in South Palo Pinto County, about 20 miles south of Mineral Wells, Texas. He grew...
Jenkins, Samuel Early Life and Becoming a Soldier
[Annotator's Note: The interview begins with the interviewer explaining what he will be doing during the interview....
Callander, Sherwin Early Life and Enlistment
Sherwin Callander was born in June 1920, the first of three boys, in Vancouver, Canada, but grew up in Oakland,...
Reale, Albert Early Life and Enlistment
Albert Reale was born in March 1925 in New Britain, Connecticut. He had a good childhood among his three brothers in a...
Pendleton, Arthur Early Life and Joining the Marines
[Annotator's Note: Interviewer is setting up the interview and it begins with small talk about the war.] Arthur...
Oral history interview with Ray Felts on 15 September 2016 Early Life and Joining the Navy
Ray Felts was born in Cameron, Oklahoma in September 1926, the eldest of three children. He was 15, and on a double-...
Henleben, Edwin Early Life, Enlistment and Amphibious Training
Edwin Henlebin was born in 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri, and lived there his entire life, except for when he was in the...
Caffarel, Carl Early Life, Enlistment and Education
Carl Caffarel was born in 1925 in Plaquemines, Louisiana, and grew up in the nearby town of Port Allen, Louisiana. The...
Marovelli, Robert Finding A Calling
Robert Marovelli clearly remembers being in the bathtub on 7 December 1941, when the announcement came over the radio...
Amrod, Paul From Basic Training to Okinawa
Paul Amrod joined the Army because his siblings had set the example, and his love of country obliged him to do his part...
Chaisson, Roland From Louisiana to Sicily to England
Roland Chaisson was born in 1924 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. He went to high school there and played football until he...
Pendleton, Arthur Heavy Weapons and Landing on Guadalcanal
Arthur Pendleton was friends with Johnny Rivers. Pendelton was in 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, which was machine guns....
Breaux, Lavenia "Lavenia Hickman" Joining the Army
Lavenia Breaux wanted to go in the service after Pearl Harbor. She always had a dream of traveling and realized the...
Inoshita, Masaji Joining the Army, Language Training and Overseas Deployment
[Annotator's Note: Masaji Insohita served in the Army as a Japanese translator and interrogator in the China-Burma-...
Chaisson, Roland Joining the Army, Learning of Pearl Harbor and the Sicilian Campaign
Roland Chaisson volunteered for the Army when he was 17. He didn't like the Navy and the Marine Corps sounded too tough...
Meyer, Lois Joining the Marine Corps and Being a Marine Officer
Lois Meyer was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1920. She went to the Ursuline Academy there. She was listening to the...
Goodrich, James Joining the Marines and Boot Camp
James Goodrich wanted to join the Marine Corps as soon as he saw his first Marine Corps poster. He also enjoyed the...
Stewart, Frank Joining the National Guard, the CCC and the US Marine Corps
When the Battle of the Tenaru River ended, Lieutenant Port recommended Frank Stewart for the Navy Cross but the captain...
Shannahan, Claude Joining the Raiders and Trip to New Zealand
Claude Shannahan joined the Raiders because he wasn't tall enough to be a paratrooper and because he liked the name. He...
Jackson, Arthur Life Before Joining the Service
Arthur Jackson was born in Cleveland and grew up in Canton, Ohio. His father was a watch maker and eventually ended up...
Tisdale, Olin Navy Enlistment and Training
After high school, Olin Tisdale left home for Birmingham, Alabama, and was working in a boring job when he decided to...
Severance, Dave Promotions, Ira Hayes and Knowing His Men
Dave Severance remembers the Marine Corps having 18,000 men at the time of his enlistment. He made corporal four times...
Inoshita, Masaji Reminiscing on Internment and the Internment Camp
Masaji Inoshita asked the man [Annotator's Note: the man who helped Inoshita's family when they were being interned]...
Wagner, Helen Segment 1
Wagner grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. She attended high school and college in there.Her father was a ladies tailor. He...
Chuck, Harris Segment 1
Chuck was born in Long Island, New York in 1917. He believes that things were going better during the Great Depression...
Malarkey, Donald Segment 1
Donald (Don) Malarkey tried to get into the Marine Corps right after the attack on Pearl Harbor but was turned down...
Anderson, Clarence "Bud" Segment 1
Clarence Anderson was interested in flying from a young age. Lindbergh [Annotator's note: American aviator Charles...

Pages