Entrance into Service

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Bednarczyk, Leo Chicago Boy to Navy Man
[Annotator's Note: Video and sound freeze throughout this clip.] Leo Bednarczyk was born in Chicago, Illinois in June...
Tindal, Sullivan Childhood and Army Life
Sullivan Tindal was born in September 1925 in Hampton [Annotator's Note: Hampton, South Carolina]. He grew up on a...
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...
Auerbach, Gerald City Boy to Airman
Gerald Auerbach was born in New York City [Annotator’s Note: New York City, New York] in 1924. Because of the Great...
Smith, Jacques City Boy to Jump School
Jacques Brewster Smith was born in September 1923, in Buffalo [Annotator's Note: Buffalo, New York]. Due to the Great...
Graham, Marvin City Boy to Staff Sergeant
[Annotator's Note: There is a background noise in the video.] In March 1923, Marvin Raymond Graham was born in New York...
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:...
Crews, Lorenzo Civilian to Military Training
Lorenzo Dow Crews was born in April 1924 in Memphis [Annotator's Note: Memphis, Tennessee]. His father worked as a...
Lippman, Robert Clarifications
Basic training for Robert Lippman was in Miami Beach, Florida. He learned to salute, and dress right. He thinks he went...
Tyson, Marvin Closing Thoughts
Marvin Tyson served because he would serve his country any time and was drafted. He doubts he would have served if not...
Jordan, James Closing Thoughts
James Jordan is a contributing member to the Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans,...
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...
Smith, William J. Coastwatcher Resupply
William Smith went to the Pacific theater as a Second Lieutenant. He flew from Townsville [Annotator's Note: Townsville...
Freeman, Leslie "Vincent" College, Mountain Training and Overseas Deployment
After basic training, Leslie V. Freeman went on maneuvers near Sacramento [Annotator's Note: Sacramento, California]....
Yip, Wallace Combat Across France
[Annotator's Note: Wallace Yip, Sr. was drafted in 1943.] Congress started drafting 18 year olds who registered [...
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...
Cowan, John Commissioned Twice
John L. Cowan went on active duty in February or March 1945. He was at MIT [Annotator's Note: Massachusetts Institute...
Stefaniak, Joe Court Martial then Overseas
In 1942, Joseph Stefaniak and some friends got a three-day pass [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short...
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 [...
Myers, Homer Crossing the Pacific
Homer Myers flew his own airplane from California across the Pacific. The first flight was 12 to 13 hours. They left...
Gooch, James Cuban Missile Crisis
James Gooch graduated from school and was sent to Florida to replace a Warrant Officer [Annotator's Note: after...
Yip, Wallace Czechoslovakia and War's End
Wallace Yip, Sr. was in basic training at Camp Claiborne [Annotator's Note: Camp Claiborne, Rapides Parish, Louisiana...
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...
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...
Gabour, James Deployment to Panama
James Anthony Gabour enlisted in the National Guard [Annotator's Note: in 1941] and then he was eventually transferred...
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,...
Steeg, Moise Devising a New Program
Moise S. Steeg, Jr. received his commission and went to Keesler [Annotator's Note: Keesler Field; now Keesler Air Force...
Fronk, Wesley Did What We Had to Do
Wesley Fronk never fired a shot in anger. There was one instance where he and another soldier were returning from...

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