Entrance into Service

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Paul, John Bombing Missions
John Paul and his aircrew arrived in England in January 1944. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Paul if he flew...
Mikus, John Boot Camp
When John Mikus, Jr. enlisted in the Marine Corps, war was different than it is today. The whole country went to war....
Wayne, William Boot Camp
William Wayne was drafted and went to Fort Leonard Wood in Saint Louis [Annotator's Note: Saint Louis, Missouri] for...
Beal, Marion Boot Camp
Marine Corps boot camp was hard, hard, and harder for Marion Meredith Beal. They would have unannounced D.I. [Annotator...
Smith, Arthur Boot Camp and Overseas
Arthur Smith was 17 when World War 2 broke out for the United States. He volunteered so he could get in the Navy. He...
Moore, Calvin Boot Camp at Montford Point
When Calvin Moore arrived at Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North...
Colburn, George Boot Camp at Parris Island
George Colburn had never been away from home until arriving at Parris Island [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Recruit...
Weber, Ed Boot Camp to 4th Marine Division
Marine Corps boot camp was not bad for Ed Weber. They needed bodies then, so it was not that bad. Today, boot camp is...
Klimas, Irvin Boot Camp to Atlantic Convoys
Irvin C. Klimas was in boot camp for six weeks. After boot camp, he had a ten day leave [Annotator's Note: an...
Raner, Norman Boot Camp to Belfast
Norman Raner enlisted on 18 May 1941. He went to Port Des Moines [Annotator's Note: Port of Des Moines, Iowa] and then...
Lowry, Robert Boot Camp to Europe
Robert "Bob" Lowry went to Great Lakes [Annotator's Note: Naval Station Great Lakes, North Chicago, Illinois] for boot...
Brown, Robert Boot Camp to Los Alamos
Robert Brown left for boot camp in February 1943. He went to Fort MacArthur [Annotator's Note: Fort MacArthur,...
de la Vergne, Cyril Boot Camp to Mare Island
Boot camp was entirely foreign to Cyril de la Vergne. She had never seen so many dumb women in her life. They did not...
Dyer, Jimmie Boot Camp Training
Jimmie Dyer entered the service in March 1944 after making a deal with his mother to finish high school. He was sworn...
Levine, Arthur Boy to Soldier
Arthur Levine was born in June 1922 in Saint Louis, Missouri with two younger half-brothers and one younger half-sister...
Steeg, Moise Branded a Communist
Moise S. Steeg, Jr. went to Officer Candidate School in Miami, Florida. He finished in the upper one percent of the...
Muller, Henry Breaking the Japanese Code
Henry Muller was in Papua New Guinea undergoing intensive training. Shortly after arriving, Muller was concerned about...
Birns, Sid Brooklyn Boy to Army Enlistee
Sidney "Sid" Birns was born in Manhattan[Annotator's Note: Manhattan is one of the five boroughs in New York, New York...
Smith, Lamar Brothers in the Service
Reverend Doctor Lamar Edward Smith's oldest brother, John Joseph, whose nickname was "Jody", enlisted in the Navy prior...
Duncan, Reginald Bugle Man
Reginald Duncan was born in February 1922 in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in Kearny, New Jersey with his parents and...
DeSalvo, Vincent Business Success then Drafted
Vincent DeSalvo was a barber in New Orleans and was at the hospital to visit a customer of his who had been in accident...
Poston, Charles Call to Active Duty
After Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], Charles Poston...
Brantley, Vernon Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky and Duties in Combat
Vernon Brantley was at Camp Polk, Louisiana [Annotator's Note: now Fort Polk, Vernon Parish, Louisiana] for maneuvers...
Bucher, Francis Canadian Allies and Deaths of Friends
Francis Bucher was aboard a World War 1 vessel on his way to Adak [Annotator's Note: Adak Island, Aleutian Islands,...
Neste, Norman A. Capturing German Soldiers
Norman Neste left for Europe in October 1944 after the D-Day invasion [Annotator's Note: the Allied invasion of...
Trahan, Clifton Carrying Cargo and Mules to Italy
After being turned down by the Navy for being blind in one eye, Clifton Trahan was accepted into the US Merchant Marine...
Scherer, Monroe Chess Playing Combat Engineer
Monroe Scherer was the chess champion of not only basic, but later training. He was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia which was...
Miller, Sam Chicago Boy to Navy Man
Sam L. Miller was born in September 1926 and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was an only child because his mother could...
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...
Horstman, Bette Chicago Life to Saipan
[Annotator's Note: There is a person in the background moving about the room throughout this clip.] Bette C. Horstman...
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...
Bartlett, Robert Childhood and Navy
Bob Bartlett was born in April 1925 in Binghamton, New York and grew up in Johnson City, New York. He had one older...
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...

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