Entrance into Service

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Vaadi, Eugene Advanced Flight Training
Eugene Vaadi enlisted in the US Army Air Forces at age 20 and was sent to Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama for...
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...
Kerner, John Bodmin, England
John Kerner took a German passenger ship overseas to Europe. He shared a stateroom with five other officers, and they...
Muller, Henry Breaking the Japanese Code
Henry Muller was in Papua New Guinea undergoing intensive training. Shortly after arriving, Muller was concerned about...
Fruge, Weldon Deployment to the European Theater
When he was drafted, Weldon Fruge wasn't excited about leaving his home and family, but he traveled to Fort Knox,...
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...
Swanson, Richard Early Coast Guard Duty
Richard Swanson had two friends who had gone to the local military recruiting stations and liked what they heard about...
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...
Ciotta, Angelo Early Life
Angelo Ciotta was born in 1925 in Leone, Italy. He came to the United States through Ellis Island, New York, at age...
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...
Dahlberg, Melvin Early Life
Melvin Dahlberg was born in August 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota, just days after his parents had moved there from Sweden...
Kerner, John Early Life and Basic Training
John Kerner was born in February 1919 in San Francisco, California. His family moved to Boston, Massachusetts for a...
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....
Debrick, Arnold Early Life and Enlisting
Arnold Debrick was born on a farm in Paolo, Kansas in March 1925. He attended a one room school in town. In second...
Vaadi, Eugene Early Life and Enlisting
Eugene Vaadi was born 1 July 1921 Watertown, New York. He spent his life there until entering the military. His father...
Pocoroba, Joseph Early Life and Enlistment
Joseph Pocoroba was born in Newark, New Jersey in August 1919. He attended Good Counsel grammar and high school [...
Johnsen, Erik Early Life and Enlistment
Erik Frithjof Johnsen was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in August 1925 and had one brother who had been born in 1922....
Angier, John Early Life and Enlistment
John Francis Angier was born in June 1923 in Burlington, Vermont. He feels fortunate he was brought up on a dairy farm...
Reese, Lloyd Early Life and Enlistment
Lloyd William (Bill) Reese was born in Milton Center, Ohio. His father was a superintendent of schools. They moved to...
Orlando, Joseph Early Life and Enlistment
Joseph Orlando was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January 1922. He was the 11th child born but four of his...
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,...
Weiner, Reuben Early Life and Enlistment
Reuben Weiner was born in Los Angeles, California on Bastille Day [Annotator's Note: national day of France] in July...
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...
Jordan, Bryce Early Life and Enlistment
Bryce Jordan was born in November 1924 in Stanley, Wisconsin. He grew up on a dairy farm outside of Stanley and he says...
Carlson, Harry Early Life and Enlistment
Harry Carlson was born in October 1924 in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He grew up there as a single child. His father...
Haines, George Early Life and Enlistment
George Haines was born in April 1925 in Rochester, New York. His father worked at the YMCA [Annotator's Note: Young Men...
Oreck, David Early Life and Flight School
David Oreck was born in 1923 in Duluth, Minnesota. Around the age of 18, he decided to go to the University of...
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-...
Patti, Frank Early Life and the Draft
Frank Patti was born in December 1924 in Hammond, Louisiana and grew up on a produce farm where his parents shared the...

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