Entrance into Service

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Brewer, Chester Prewar Life to Joining the Army Air Corps
Chester Brewer was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania in 1922. When the Great Depression struck, his parents lost their...
Blakey, Thomas Prewar Life to Jump School
Thomas J. Blakey was born in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1920. [Annotator's Note: An interviewer asks Blakey where he was...
Culpepper, George Prewar Life to Leyte, Philippines
[Annotator's Note: There is a lot of skipping in the beginning of this clip.] George Culpepper was born in Fort Valley...
Dunne, Edward Prewar Life to Liberated France
Edward Dunne was born in October 1924 in Winsted, Connecticut. He got remarried after his first wife died and he moved...
Pike, Henry Prewar Life to Marine
Henry Quinton Pike [Annotator's Note: An announcement interrupts interview from 0:00:19.000 to 0:00:36.000] was born in...
O'Hara, Richard Prewar Life to Marine
Richard O'Hara was born in Chicago, Illinois in July 1925 and lived there until he was about 15. He considers...
Moore, Calvin Prewar Life to Marine Corps
Calvin B. Moore was born in December 1923 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had eight brothers and sisters. His father was...
de la Vergne, Cyril Prewar Life to Marine Corps
[Annotator's Note: The screen starts out black.] Cyril de la Vergne was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on 12 December [...
Bailey, Kenneth Prewar Life to Meeting Russians
Kenneth H. Bailey was born in Albany, New York in February 1922. He grew up and went to school in Delmar [Annotator's...
Vandervort, Jack Prewar Life to Merchant Marine
Jack Vandervort was born in Bigheart, Oklahoma in December 1921. During the Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great...
Smith, Carl Prewar Life to Military Service
Carl Smith was born in January 1928 in Pittsburg, Georgia. It was a coal mining town. He had three sisters and four...
Sasser, Joseph Prewar Life to Military Training
[Annotator's Note: Sound and video are choppy at times during this segment.] Joseph H. Sasser Junior was born in Scott...
Schafer, Leon Prewar Life to Naval Commission
[Annotator's Note: This clip begins with the interviewer and Leon Schafer in conversation.] Leon Schafer was born in...
Weiss, Jack Prewar Life to Navy
Jack Weiss was born in Elkhart, Indiana in June 1923. He grew up there during the Depression [Annotator's Note: Great...
Masters, Robert Prewar Life to Navy
Robert Masters was born in Akron, Ohio in August 1925. When he was five years old, the family moved to Santa Monica [...
Riggs, William Prewar Life to Navy
Williams Riggs was born in Somerset, Texas in January 1925. He grew up working on a farm and vowed he would never go...
Thomason, David Prewar Life to Navy Enlistment
David Thomason was born in October 1925. He had four brothers and grew up on a farm outside of Fountain Inn [Annotator'...
Harris, Rufus Prewar Life to Navy Ensign
Rufus Harris was born in 1923 in Macon, Georgia. He lived there for four years and then they moved to New Orleans [...
Kerr, Richard Prewar Life to Navy Training
Richard H. Kerr was born in June 1946 in Edgerton, Wisconsin. He grew up with a brother and sister. His father was a...
Darling, William Prewar Life to New Caledonia
William Darling was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1925. He always wanted to be in the military. He wanted to go to...
Hill, Jennings Prewar Life to North Africa
Jennings Paul Hill, Sr. was born in [Annotator's Note: unintelligible], West Virginia in 1924. Growing up during the...
Compagno, Nicholas Prewar Life to North Africa
[Annotator's Note: This clip starts with a black screen.] Nicholas John Compagno was born in 1916 and grew up in New...
Watters, Harold Prewar Life to Occupation Duty
Harold Watters was born in Mobile [Annotator's Note: Mobile, Alabama] in July 1922. He grew up in Mobile during the...
Foster, Robert Prewar Life to Officer
Robert E. Foster was born on a farm in northeastern Iowa. He walked a mile to a one room school through the eighth...
Schwartz, Bill Prewar Life to Officer Candidate School
Bill Schwartz was born in June 1924 in North Plainfield, New Jersey. His family moved around, but he considers...
Sandoz, James Prewar Life to Omaha Beach
James Sandoz was born in New Iberia, Louisiana in January 1924. His father was a farmer. They did not have electricity...
Coleman, Harper Prewar Life to Overseas
Harper Harvey Coleman was born in April 1922 in Newburg, Pennsylvania near Gettysburg [Annotator's Note: Gettysburg,...
Stone, Leno Prewar Life to Overseas
Leno E. Stone was born on 23 September 1921 in Red Lodge, Montana. As a child he went to school in Kalama, Washington...
Inscoe, Linwood S. Prewar Life to Overseas Deployment
Linwood S. Inscoe was born in Nashville, North Carolina in January 1924. During the Great Depression [Annotator's Note...
Cockrell, James Prewar Life to Overseas Deployment
James Cockrell was born in Alabama in December 1924. He grew up where his parents had grown up. When he was young, they...
Hauberg, Harold Prewar Life to Overseas Deployment
Harold Hauberg was born and raised in Nebraska City, Nebraska in July 1918. He entered the service in 1938, when the...
Compton, Bryan Prewar Life to Overseas Deployment
Bryan Compton was born in Watonga, Oklahoma in 1919. He has lived around Watonga all his life and got to see the world...
Howland, Gilbert Prewar Life to Panama Canal Duty
[Annotator's Note: There is audio feedback noise throughout this clip.] Gilbert H. Howland was born in April 1923 in...
Combs, Monroe Prewar Life to Paratrooper Training
[Annotator's Note: Can hear muffled chatter throughout this segment.] Monroe "Tex" Combs was born in October 1921 in...
Angel, Earl Prewar Life to Paratrooper Training
Earl Angel was born in August 1923 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He had ten siblings, four sisters and six brothers. His...
Winnier, Lawrence Prewar Life to Pearl Harbor Bombing
[Annotator's Note: This clip begins with Lawrence Winnier in conversation with the interviewer.] Lawrence Winnier was...

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