Prewar life

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Kneflin, Charles A Family of Soldiers
Charles Kneflin was born in December 1923 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had a very nice childhood. His mother was a home...
Jackson, Earnest A Great Country
Ernest Jackson was born in Sumter, South Carolina. His family migrated [Annotator's Note: Great Migration, or Black...
Geist, Lloyd A Love for Planes
Lloyd Geist was born in New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] in July 1921. His family moved to Houma...
Jackson, Earnest A Proud Moment
Ernest Jackson received his draft notice. He did not know if he was going to qualify. He was amazed he passed that day...
Ebersole, William Advanced Flight Training
After finishing Army Air Forces basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, William Ebersole was sent to Nashville,...
Bellecci, John Advanced Training
John Bellecci completed engineering training at Clemson [Annotator’s Note: Clemson College in South Carolina]. He...
Taylor, Amelia After Pearl Harbor
Amelia Taylor discussed the developments of the war while she was in high school. It was very real to them. They...
Beck, Carl Airborne Training
Carl Beck joined the Army at 17 in November 1942. He was born in 1925. He had been working with his father during the...
Shatz, Ewalt American Boy to Navy Man
Ewalt "Walt" Shatz was born in April 1923 in Visalia, California. During the Great Depression, his father worked for...
Tadewaldt, Gordon American Traveler
Gordon Tadewaldt was born in June 1926 in Aurora, Illinois. He was one of five children. When his father lost his job...
Nakagawa, Ittsei Ancestry to Atomic Illness
Ittsei Nakagawa's father's side of the family came over to the United States [Annotator's Note: from Japan] around 1904...
Higgins, Francis "Jack Higgins" Andrew Jackson Higgins
Francis Higgins says a female off camera had his uncle in a spell. [Annotator's Note: His uncle was Andrew Jackson...
Morrow, John Angry About Pearl Harbor and Overseas Deployment
John Morrow was born in April 1924 in Marksville, Louisiana. It is a small town and he knew almost everyone in town. He...
Fitzmorris, James Applying to OCS
James Fitzmorris did not have much college education when he enlisted. He was studying business but wanted to be a...
Nordstrom, Clyde Atomic Bombs
Clyde Nordstrom cannot say that his life changed much after the declaration of war [Annotator's Note: on Japan, after...
Purvis, Frank Attack on Pearl Harbor
Frank Purvis volunteered before Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7...
Brignac, Martin Attack on Pearl Harbor and Defending Puget Sound
Everybody was scraping by during the Great Depression. Martin Brignac and his family made out with what they had. They...
Childs, Charles "Chuck" Aviation Cadet and Marriage
Charles Childs was lucky to graduate [Annotator's Note: in 1938]. He had some friends going to college and they needed...
Brewer, Chester Aviation Cadet Training
Chester Brewer joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Midland-Odessa [Annotator's Note: Midland-Odessa, Texas] and...
Allen, George B-29 Training
George Allen was in New Orleans, Louisiana on a trip with his family when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was...
Oreck, David B-29 Training and Saipan
David Oreck enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He wanted to fly in the Air...
Albright, William Basic Training to England
William Albright enlisted in the Army Air Corps because he wanted to fly, even though he had never flown before. He had...
Bahlinger, Marion Baton Rouge Boy to Prisoner of War
Marion Bahlinger was born in August 1925 in Baton Rouge [Annotator's Note: Baton Rouge, Louisiana]. He grew up with...
Zygmuntowicz, Itka Beaten by the Gestapo
Itka Zygmuntowicz was born in April 1926 in Ciechanów, Poland. It was a small town. They lived in two different places...
Rolfson, Jack Becoming a Bomber Pilot
Jack Rolfson born in September 1921 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in the city, went to school, and would ride his bike...
Kawamoto, Yukio Becoming a Japanese Language Specialist
Yukio Kawamoto was born in Berkeley, California in November 1919. He was drafted into the Army from the University of...
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...
Lepore, Louis Becoming a Marine
Louis R. Lepore joined the Marine Corps in September 1942 and retired in May 1971 after 29 years of service. Lepore...
Williamson, Leon Becoming a Marine Aviator
Leon Williamson grew up in Tecumseh, Michigan. He attended school in the town, then went to Michigan State College [...
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...
Godbold, Bryghte Becoming a Marine Officer
Bryghte Davis Godbold joined the Marine Corps and attended the basic school for new officers in Philadelphia. The...
Mayeur, Russell Becoming a Merchant Mariner
Russell Mayeur left New Orleans for St. Petersburg, Florida to train for the Merchant Marine. He had no problem with...
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...
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...
Frongello, Arthur Becoming a Sailor
Basic training was easy for Arthur Frongello because he did not smoke. He grew up running alot and playing games that...

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