Entrance into Service

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Famularo, Salvatore Becoming a Marine
Salvatore Famularo does not know why he picked the Marine Corps. He thought he was an athletic kid. He had street sense...
Lucas, Jack Becoming a Marine
Jacklyn Lucas's uncle had been a Marine. He finished his eighth grade of school in June 1942. He overwhelmed his mother...
Varone, Francis "Dick" Becoming a Marine
Francis John "Dick" Varone enlisted in the Marine Corps by himself. He waited until he received orders to report to...
Mittelsdorf, Joseph Becoming a Marine
Joseph Mittelsdorf thought the Marine Corps was intense. They taught everyone learn how to follow orders. The training...
Marolda, Theodore Becoming a Marine
Theodore Marolda enlisted for four years in the Marine Corps. He went to Parris Island [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps...
Tidmore, Roberta Becoming a Marine
No one encouraged Roberta Randolph "Randy" Tidmore to join the Marines. She chose the Marines because they did not have...
Kissam, Edward Becoming a Marine
[Annotator's Note: Edward Kissam was in the US Merchant Marine aboard the SS Thomas Nelson Page. When he returned from...
Toledo, Bill Becoming a Marine and Overseas Deployment
Bill Toledo was sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] for boot camp. He was able to keep up with...
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...
Hill, James Becoming a Marine Pilot
James J. Hill took all the Marine courses with no problem [Annotator's Note: during Marine Corps boot camp in late 1941...
Rackerby, Archibald "Archie" Becoming a Marine Raider
Archibald Rackerby was assigned to the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. Colonel Liversedge [Annotator's Note: later US...
Nacey, Ed Becoming a Navigator
[Annotator's Note: Edward Nacey joined the US Army Air Forces and was sent to California in 1943.] He was so excited....
Doolan, Robert Becoming a Navigator
From the time Robert Doolan was ten or 12 years old, he wanted to fly. He was in high school and you had to have some...
Gomez, Hewitt Becoming a Navigator
Hewitt Brian Gomez was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in January 1925. He recalled that he was playing football at a...
McKinnon, Lee Becoming a Navy Man
Lee O. McKinnon was born in Valdosta, Georgia in August 1925. He was raised by his mother and grandfather and worked on...
Gilman, John Becoming a Navy Pilot
John Sanford Gilman was born in Rochester, New York in November 1918. He grew up with an older brother and twin sister...
Welch, Darrell Becoming a P-38 Pilot
Darrell Welch trained on twin engine aircraft. He was flying bombers in flight school and assumed he was going to be a...
Smith, Jacques Becoming a Paratrooper
Jump school training was intense for Jacques Brewster Smith. He did a lot of running and swinging exercise. He was...
Myers, Homer Becoming a Pilot
Homer Myers flew the T-17 Stearman [Annotator's Note: Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet primary trainer aircraft] in...
Arceneaux, Arthur Becoming a Pilot
Arthur Joseph Arceneaux Junior could not initially enter Navy flight school because of the number of new potential...
Dana, Newton Becoming a Pilot
[Annotator's Note: Newton Dana was born in 1924 in Trenton, New Jersey.] Newton Dana grew up with a large extended...
Davis, William Becoming a Pilot
William Isham Davis was born in Topeka, Kansas in March 1921. His father worked in a large furniture store and Jack...
Romano, Joseph Becoming a Sailor
Joseph R. Romano was sent to Great Lakes at Chicago, Illinois [Annotator's Note: Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake...
Burton, Windom Becoming a Sailor
Windom Joseph Burton went into Navy boot camp in Norfolk [Annotator's Note: Norfolk, Virginia] and was then sent for...
Kellogg, Fermer Becoming a Sailor
Fermer Kellogg learned to swim, survive jumping in a burning pool, handle a rifle and march while training [Annotator's...
Kight, Otis Becoming a Sailor
Otis Kight had his basic training for the Navy at Norfolk [Annotator's Note: Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia...
Quirk, Clint Becoming a Sailor
Clint Quirk tried to get into the Navy, but he needed seaman papers. The longshoremen told him to go to the Army...
Norberg, Willard "Bill" Becoming a Sailor
Bill Norberg remembers Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] exerting his power prior to the start of...
Murphy, Paul Becoming a Sailor
Paul J. Murphy was born in Chillicothe, Missouri. He graduated from high school in 1943 and was immediately drafted...
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...
Cole, Wendell Becoming a Sailor
[Annotator's Note: Wendell Delavan Cole suffers from Parkinson's disease and needs the assistance of his son to...
Ashton, Jackson Becoming a Sailor
Jackson Augustus "Jack" Ashton, Senior volunteered for quartermaster school in the Navy. He was advised to sail on as...
Houdek, Thomas Becoming a Soldier
After receiving his draft notice [Annotator's Note: in April 1944], Thomas Houdek was sent to Camp Hood, Texas where he...
Blackwell, David Becoming a Soldier
David McKinley Blackwell entered the Army at Camp Polk [Annotator's Note: now Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, Louisiana]....
Bassemir, Robert Becoming a Soldier
Robert Bassemir was drafted in the spring of 1943. He was sent to Long Island [Annotator's Note: Long Island, New York...
Bronstein, Isador Becoming a Soldier
Isadore Bronstein received his draft notification in late 1942 or early 1943. He had thought he would not be called up...

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