Entrance into Service

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Jackson, Earnest A Great Country
Ernest Jackson was born in Sumter, South Carolina. His family migrated [Annotator's Note: Great Migration, or Black...
Geist, Lloyd A Love for Planes
Lloyd Geist was born in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] in July 1921. His family moved to Houma...
Hebert, Peter A Medic in the Philippines
In July 1945, Peter Hebert enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and was sent to San Diego [Annotator’s Note: San Diego,...
Allen, George A Perfectly Designed Airplane
George Allen was sent to Lincoln, Nebraska to train on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers with Combat...
Jackson, Earnest A Proud Moment
Ernest Jackson received his draft notice. He did not know if he was going to qualify. He was amazed he passed that day...
Wilson, Anderson A Short Basic Training and Being the Company Clerk
Anderson Wilson enlisted in Jackson, Mississippi in September 1942. He went to Camp Shelby [Annotator's Note:...
Nesser, William Across the Atlantic Ocean
[Annotator's Note: William Nesser was in training aboard a commercial transport vessel when the Japanese attacked Pearl...
Caudle, John Active Duty and Gunnery School
John Caudle did not have a lot of notice when he was called to active duty. He came home after work one Friday and had...
Dendy, Lloyd Advanced Artillery Training
Lloyd Dendy and his brother went to Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego, California by train. When they arrived in San...
Jones, Robert Advanced Fighter Training
They [Annotator's Note: Robert Jones and his fellow aviation cadets at Maxwell Field, Alabama] did a lot of night...
Ebersole, William Advanced Flight Training
After finishing Army Air Forces basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, William Ebersole was sent to Nashville,...
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...
Bellecci, John Advanced Training
John Bellecci completed engineering training at Clemson [Annotator’s Note: Clemson College in South Carolina]. He...
Sapp, Walter Advanced Training Overseas
Walter Sapp went to Camp Walter, Texas for basic training. He did not want to be drafted and did not want to go into...
Holleman, Louis Advanced Training to the Pacific
[Annotator's Note: There is a lot of background noise throughout thi clip.] One of Malcolm Louis Holleman's cousins...
Stahl, Floyd Africa to the South Pacific
[Annotator's Note: Floyd Stahl was assigned to the minesweeper USS Sway (AM-120).] On the troopship over [Annotator's...
Taylor, Amelia After Pearl Harbor
Amelia Taylor discussed the developments of the war while she was in high school. It was very real to them. They...
Gomez, Hewitt Air Force Training
Hewitt Brian Gomez was sent to Greensburg, North Carolina for seven weeks of Air Force basic training. The first...
Knese, Benard Air Force Training
Bernard Knese was born in Meppen, Illinois near St. Louis, Missouri in May 1924. He grew up in a farming community....
Machaud, Albert Air Force Training and Deployment
[Annotator's Note: Throughout the segment, a chirp sound can be heard.] Albert "Al" Machaud believes that America...
Haines, Joseph Air Raids on Okinawa
Joseph Haines was not worried about going overseas. Everything was new to him and he got to see things he had never...
Renner, Curtis A Air Rescue Squadron
Curtis Renner was born in Danielsville, Pennsylvania in February 1921. He was drafted into service in July 1942 and...
Annas, Floyd Air Sea Rescue Training
Floyd Annas graduated from advanced pilot training in Marfa, Texas [Annotator's Note: Marfa Army Airfield] on 23...
Myers, Homer Air-Sea Rescue Training
After pilot training, Homer Myers got his commission. He went to Tampa, Florida and started his B-17 [Annotator's Note...
Beck, Carl Airborne Training
Carl Beck joined the Army at 17 in November 1942. He was born in 1925. He had been working with his father during the...
Wombacher, Delbert Airplane Close Call
Delbert Wombacher was at Camp Campbell, Kentucky [Annotator's Note: now Fort Campbell, Kentucky] doing some military...
Horne, Floyd "Bud" Airplane Mechanics and Pearl Harbor
[Annotator's Note: Floyd Horne enlisted in the Army Air Forces at Chanute Field in Champaign County, Illinois in July...
Boutwell, George Alabama Boy to Marine Training
George N. Boutwell was born in July 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up with one older brother and a younger sister...
McHardy, Arthur Aleutian Islands
After Marine Corps boot camp, Arthur McHardy was sent to Seattle, Washington to a Navy yard as an MP [Annotator's Note...
Hebert, Peter Algiers Boy
Peter Hebert was born in 1927 in Algiers, Louisiana. He attended Catholic school. His father worked and his mother...
Larson, William Always Put in Charge
William Larson always got caught doing something en route. After he was inducted at Fort Crook [Annotator's Note: now...
Shatz, Ewalt American Boy to Navy Man
Ewalt "Walt" Shatz was born in April 1923 in Visalia, California. During the Great Depression, his father worked for...
Morrow, John Angry About Pearl Harbor and Overseas Deployment
John Morrow was born in April 1924 in Marksville, Louisiana. It is a small town and he knew almost everyone in town. He...
Hirschmann, Peter Anti-Semitism in Germany and the US
Peter Hirschmann and his Jewish family were an accepted part of the German population prior to Hitler's [Annotator's...
Smith, Clifford Anzio to Rome
Clifford Smith was at home reading a comic book and listening to the radio on 7 December 1941 when the news of the...
Elliott, Calvin Applying To Be a Pilot
Calvin Elliott decided he wanted to try and be an airplane pilot. He was fascinated by the B-25s [Annotator's Note:...

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