Entrance into Service

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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...
Guidry, Edmond Boot Camp
Edmond Guidry joined the Navy in July 1942. He went to boot camp in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California...
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...
Jones, Johnnie Boot Camp at Camp Claiborne
The draft board gave Johnnie A. Jones, Senior a letter of integrity to take to boot camp. [Annotator's Note: Jones...
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...
Hall, Clayton Boot Camp to a Ship Overseas
[Annotator's Note: This clip starts with Clayton Hall mid-sentence talking about growing up on a farm.] Clayton Hall...
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...
Dullnig, Roland Boyhood in San Antonio
Roland Dullnig was born in December 1921 in San Antonio [Annotator’s Note: San Antonio, Texas]. [Annotator’s Note:...
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...
Lotter, Jean Break Out of War
Jean Lotter was born in December 1923 in Seattle, Washington. She and her twin sister, Irene, grew up in Kent,...
Muller, Henry Breaking the Japanese Code
Henry Muller was in Papua New Guinea undergoing intensive training. Shortly after arriving, Muller was concerned about...
Engmann, Larry Breakout of War
Larry Engmann was born in February 1925 and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of six children. However, he lost...
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...
Alspaugh, James Camp Swift to Convoy Overseas
James Alspaugh joined the 102nd Infantry Division at Camp Swift [Annotator's Note: in Bastrop County, Texas] in 1944....
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...
Harrison, Joseph "Joe" Carlson's Raiders
Joseph L. Harrison was born in March 1923 in Live Oak County in George West, Texas. When he was about five years old,...
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...
Capron, Ed CCC Camp
Edward C. Capron Jr. was born in November 1920 in New Orleans, Louisiana. During the Great Depression [Annotator's Note...
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...

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