Entrance into Service

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Brantley, Vernon Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky and Duties in Combat
Vernon Brantley was at Camp Polk, Louisiana [Annotator's Note: now Fort Polk, Vernon Parish, Louisiana] for maneuvers...
Bucher, Francis Canadian Allies and Deaths of Friends
Francis Bucher was aboard a World War 1 vessel on his way to Adak [Annotator's Note: Adak Island, Aleutian Islands,...
Neste, Norman A. Capturing German Soldiers
Norman Neste left for Europe in October 1944 after the D-Day invasion [Annotator's Note: the Allied invasion of...
Trahan, Clifton Carrying Cargo and Mules to Italy
After being turned down by the Navy for being blind in one eye, Clifton Trahan was accepted into the US Merchant Marine...
Scherer, Monroe Chess Playing Combat Engineer
Monroe Scherer was the chess champion of not only basic, but later training. He was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia which was...
Bostick, Thomas Childhood to Military Training
Thomas J. Bostick was born in October 1923 in Laurinburg, North Carolina. His parents, both sharecroppers, traveled...
Golden, James Childhood to Pilot Training
[Annotator's Note: Throughout this clip, a woman off camera interjects with comments.] James Ramsey Golden was born in...
Poulson, Ernest Childhood, Becoming a Pilot and Overseas Deployment
Ernest L. Poulson was born in Ephraim, Utah in March 1921. He lived a very rural life growing up. He did a lot of...
Rupp, Robert Choosing the Field Artillery
Robert Rupp liked the military. He decided while he was in school that if he was going to war, he would rather be an...
Cart, William "Bill" Choosing the Marines
William Cart completed V-7 [Annotator’s Note: V-7 US Navy College Training Program, 1940 to 1945] school and chose the...
Hanning, David Civilian Life to Military Training
David Hanning was born in May 1927 in Saranac Lake, New York. His mother, a nurse from Montreal [Annotator's Note:...
George, Carroll Coast Guard and A Wife
Carroll George enlisted in the Coast Guard because it is always looking out for the welfare of others. It saves lives...
Hatala, Albert Coming to America and Wanting to Fight
Albert Hatala was born in 1923 in Czechoslovakia. When he was about six months old his father moved to the United...
Whitman, Philip Crashing on His First Flight
Philip Whitman went overseas on a Liberty ship [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship]. He went...
Fili, William Crew Training and Deploying to Italy
William Fili went for assignment to Salt Lake City [Annotator's Note: Salt Lake City, Utah]. He had just finished B-26...
Eleser, Carey Crossing the Atlantic on the SS David B. Johnson
Carey Eleser was a Navy Armed Guard radioman aboard the SS David B. Johnson. They left Charleston, South Carolina and...
Jaber, Anton Crossing the English Channel
Anton Jaber took his basic training at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. He went right into advanced training with his division [...
Davis, Jackson Deciphering Code at Pearl Harbor
Jackson Davis took the USS Neosho (AO-23) from San Pedro, California and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 7 September 1941....
Brignac, Martin Defending the West Coast and Overseas to the Pacific
Martin Brignac had no idea of what the Japanese were going to do along the coast. They had to try and do anything they...
Schlenger, Donald Deployed to Tinian
[Annotator's Note: Donald Schlenger was chosen to work on the Central Fire Control System on Boeing B-29 Superfortress...
Urban, Raymond Deploying to the Pacific
[Annotator's Note: Raymond Urban was working in Santa Ana, California when Marine Fighter Squadron 212 (VMF-212) was...
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,...
Sandoz, James Difference in People
James Sandoz had a good trip overseas even though it took longer than normal. They made a lot of detours due to...
Jones, Gerry Difficult Childhood
Gerry Jones was born in September 1926 in Logansport, Indiana. His family was badly affected by the Great Depression....
Harvey, David Discharge From the Navy and Joining the Army
When David Harvey heard that the war had ended, they had 1,500 planes up off the carriers. The British and Russians had...
Haines, Joseph Discovering Segregation
Joseph Haines was drafted in April 1944. He was sent to Camp Lee, Virginia. He got off the train and there were two...
Alexander, Samson Discrimination in the Air Force
Samson Alexander got the idea to join the US Air Force but did not have a college education. The principal of his...
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...
Constant, Nelson Draft Deferred
Nelson Constant remembers Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December...
Johnson, Norman Drafted and Overseas
Norman Johnson was born on Staten Island, New York on 16 January 1925. His father was an electrician. In the afternoons...
O'Brien, Ryan Drafted to Navigation School
Ryan O'Brien and a friend went to watch the LA Bulldogs [Annotator's Note: Los Angeles Bulldogs] playing against the...
Moret, Vernon Drafted, Training, and Overseas
Vernon Henry Moret finished his senior year of high school in Maryland and not long after, was drafted into the Army....
Grunte, Leon Duty in Denmark
In Denmark, Leon Grunte really only did some marching as his military training [Annotator's Note: as a Latvian...
Wieland, Kenneth Duty in Japan and Home
Kenneth Weiland was assigned to the 866th Aviation Engineer Battalion attached to the 8th Army. He was in A Company....
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...
Trim, Carl Early Life
Carl Trim was born in Greenville, Mississippi in September 1926. His parents divorced soon after and Trim and his...

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