Entrance into Service

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Campbell, John Joining the US Merchant Marine
John Campbell was mostly selling newspapers while in high school. He was making as much as a lot of men who were...
Langrehr, Henry Jump School to England
Henry Langrehr had heard about the paratroopers. When he went to join, he told them that is what he wanted. At that...
Dillon, Gerard Jump School to Normandy
Everybody was scared the first time, and every time they jumped out of an airplane. Gerard Dillon says that if you were...
Muller, Henry Jump School to the Pacific
Henry Muller did a great deal of physical training to become a paratrooper. He says the US Army has been jogging ever...
Honea, Chafer Last Thoughts on the War
Chafer Honea was discharged at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It was late at night and there was a soldier at Fort Bragg...
Ciotta, Angelo Learning of Pearl Harbor and Joining the Marine Corps
Angelo Ciotta wanted to be a Marine because he knew their history and he had seen the movie "Wake Island" twice. He saw...
Hughes, Lowell Learning of Pearl Harbor to Arriving in Oran
Lowell Hughes was stationed at Camp Barkeley near Abilene, Texas when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. A supply...
Campbell, John Liberty Ships and New Kids
John Campbell was on nine different Liberty ships [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship] over 13...
Hyland, Everett Life Aboard the USS Pennsyvlania (BB-38)
[Annotator's Note: Everett Hyland served in the Navy as a radio operator. He reported aboard the battleship USS...
Purvis, Frank Life and Race on the USS Snowden (DE-246)
Frank Purvis had never been to sea before. The ship [Annotator's Note: USS Snowden (DE-246)] was commissioned with a...
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...
Landry, Coleen Life During the War
Coleen Pelliloux Landry was born in February 1936 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her family owned a sugarcane plantation in...
Langrehr, Henry Loved to Jump
Henry Langrehr liked to parachute because it was a thrill. They used T5 chutes [Annotator's Note: parachute] which were...
Muller, Henry Making Career Decisions
Henry Muller was a second lieutenant training new recruits shortly after the draft began. He was wondering what his...
Beck, Carl Maxing Out His Credit in Europe
Carl Beck was in Berchtesgaden, Germany when his unit [Annotator's Note: Company H, 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute...
Hecht, Lester Meeting Charles Lindbergh
Lester Hecht and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Marine Aircraft Group 32 (MAG-32)] trained pilots in Honolulu [Annotator...
Campbell, John Merchant Marine Pay Structure
[Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks John Campbell about pay. He explains the lengthy process for getting paid.]...
Johnsen, Erik Merchant Marine Training
Erik Johnsen's training in the US Merchant Marine at Henderson Point, Mississippi was very similar to that of a raw...
Massey, Joseph Mississippi to Belgium
Joseph Massey was drafted just after leaving high school at age 18. He entered service on 15 November 1945 [Annotator's...
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...
Bellecci, John New Guinea and the Philippines
John Bellecci boarded a ship from California to Australia. The ship went alone in September 1943. It was a converted...
Campbell, John Not Recognition for the Merchant Marine
According to Winchell [Annotator's Note: Walter Winchell, syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist], Hearst [...
Nolan, Warren Off to Pearl Harbor
Warren Nolan was in the middle of his sophomore year at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana when the Japanese...
Fitzmorris, James Officer Candidate School
James Fitzmorris was accepted into Officer Candidate School and went to Camp LeRoy Johnson in New Orleans, Louisiana....
Gagel, Helen "Cosgrove" Overseas Deployment
Helen Gagel did not keep up with what was going overseas while on duty in the United States. One of her brothers was...
Carlson, Clarence Overseas Deployment and Bases in England
Clarence Carslon was sent to basic training in Tampa, Florida. From there he went to Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was...
Loring, Bud Overseas Deployment and Shot Down Over France
Bud Loring went from Santa Maria [Annotator's Note: Army Airfield, Santa Barbara County, California] to Colchester,...
Blouin, Joseph Overseas Deployment to England
Joseph Blouin went to basic training at the largest wooden hotel in the country [Annotator's Note: Belleview-Biltmore...
Hardy, George Overseas Deployment to Italy
George Hardy went on leave after graduation [Annotator's Note: from aviation cadet training at Tuskegee Army Air Field...
Scholl, Richard Panama Jungle Training and Deployment to New Guinea
Richard Scholl was in basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas. Training was not bad. It was bad doing jungle training in...
Abadie, Melvin Plantation to US Navy
Melvin Abadie was born on the Evergreen Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana in June 1925. He spent the first eight years...
Fitzmorris, James Prewar and Postwar Life
[Annotator's Note: The clip begins with Fitzmorris already talking.] James Fitzmorris finished high school and it was...
Alair, Gene Prewar Life
Gene Alair was born in February 1920 in Fargo, North Dakota. His mother was in the entertainment business, so they...
Dyer, Jimmie Prewar Life
Jimmie F. Dyer was born and raised on a farm in Castro County, Texas in April 1926. His dad was a farmer and there were...
Bellecci, John Prewar Life and Early Military Training
John Bellecci was born in September 1923 in Martinez, California. He grew up there and was the student body president...
Bosworth, Paul Prewar Life and Enlistment
Paul Bosworth was born in November 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. [Annotator's Note: Sound cuts in and out.] He was in high...

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