Entrance into Service

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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...
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...
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...
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...
DiFulco, Jerome Becoming a Soldier
Jerome Paul DiFulco was sent to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri [Annotator's Note: Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County,...
Grieves, Billy Becoming a Submarine Sailor
Billy Grieves was born in Liberty Center, Ohio. At a young age his parents moved the family to Detroit, Michigan for...
Brewer, Chester Becoming a Tail Gunner and Deploying to Scotland
Chester Brewer was sent to Las Vegas, Nevada and fired every gun from BB guns [Annotator's Note: air gun that fires...
Anderson, William Becoming a Torpedoman
William Anderson enlisted in the Navy. It took him five days to get through because they found a spot on his lungs from...
McGee, Charles Becoming a Tuskegee Airman
Charles McGee was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1919. After third grade he moved to Illinois. He also spent some time in...
McCreery, Jean Becoming a WASP
Jean McCreery flew under her maiden name, Terrell. She was born in Troy, Ohio in 1924 and worked at WACO [Annotator's...
Kirk, James Becoming an Air Force Gunner
James Read Kirk was 17 years old and in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese...
Vancheri, Edith Becoming an Army Nurse
[Annotator's Note: There is a lot of background noise in this interview.] Edith Vancheri was born in February 1923 in...
Ratcliff, Henry Becoming an Aviation Engineer
Henry Ratcliff joined the Army Air Forces and went many places including California where it rained a lot. Eating in...
Rackerby, Archibald "Archie" Becoming an Officer
Archibald Rackerby volunteered to become a Marine Raider. He was a corporal and was in charge of classifying incoming...
Siverts, Hans Becoming an Officer and Transfer to a New Unit
Hans Siverts remembers Sunday, 7 December [Annotator's Note: 7 December 1941; the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,...
Sandoz, James Being a Cajun in the Army
Being a Cajun [Annotator's Note: a member of self-contained communities in southern Louisiana of French Canadian...
Kafka, T. Being a WAC
T. Toby Kafka enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1944 at the age of 20. Her family, particularly her brother,...
Bradley, John Being an Aide and Going to Korea
John Bradley served in the Army infantry and attended jump and Ranger school. He volunteered to join the 101st Airborne...
Adams, Lynward Being an Armed Guard
Lynward Joseph "Buddy" or "Bud" Adams joined the Navy with his two friends, and they were sent to San Diego [Annotator'...
Moskin, Alan Being Drafted and Enduring Racism
Alan Moskin was drafted out of Syracuse [Annotator's Note: in Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York]. He went into...
Livingston, Robert Being in the Army
Robert "Bob" Livingston volunteered for service with the US Army Air Force on 4 September 1942. He was sent to Camp...
Ledford, Robert Being Wounded Three Times
Robert Ledford wanted to join the Army because he wanted to be on the ground fighting the enemy. When he heard the...
Nolan, Warren Boarding the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
Warren Nolan went to Pearl Harbor aboard a Navy troop transport ship. It took about six days to get there. He was then...
Kerner, John Bodmin, England
John Kerner took a German passenger ship overseas to Europe. He shared a stateroom with five other officers, and they...
Kneflin, Charles Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Charles Kneflin had never seen anything like the B-29 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber]....
McGlaun, DeQuindre Bombardier Training
DeQuindre McGlaun passed the military physical exam and then was sent to Fort Benning [Annotator's Note: Fort Benning,...

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