Prewar life

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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...
Tidmore, Roberta Becoming a Marine Driver
Roberta Randolph "Randy" Tidmore could go to officer's training after basic training [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps,...
Godbold, Bryghte Becoming a Marine Officer
Bryghte Davis Godbold joined the Marine Corps and attended the basic school for new officers in Philadelphia. The...
Hill, James Becoming a Marine Pilot
James J. Hill took all the Marine courses with no problem [Annotator's Note: during Marine Corps boot camp in late 1941...
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...
Casey, Donald Becoming a Navigator
Donald E. Casey served as a second lieutenant and navigator during World War 2. Prior to the breakout of war, Casey...
McKinnon, Lee Becoming a Navy Man
Lee O. McKinnon was born in Valdosta, Georgia in August 1925. He was raised by his mother and grandfather and worked on...
Taddeo, Al Becoming a Navy Pilot
Alfred Taddeo is from Portland, Oregon. While there with a group of classmates at the University of Portland Oregon [...
Gilman, John Becoming a Navy Pilot
John Sanford Gilman was born in Rochester, New York in November 1918. He grew up with an older brother and twin sister...
Micheel, Vernon L. Becoming a Navy Pilot
Vernon Micheel was born and grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He went to college in Ames [Annotator's Note: Ames, Iowa] and...
Vallas, Theodore Becoming a Navy Pilot and Aiding England
Theodore Vallas joined the Navy in 1939 when students in college were being prepared to go to the anticipated war....
Schultz, Philip Becoming a Photographer
Philip Schultz and friends became interested in photography. They eventually were fortunate enough to use that interest...
Sieck, Albert Becoming a Pilot
Albert Sieck was born in Norfolk, Nebraska in October 1921. He graduated from high school in 1939 and found a job...
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...
Davis, William Becoming a Pilot
William Isham Davis was born in Topeka, Kansas in March 1921. His father worked in a large furniture store and Jack...
Colgan, William Becoming a Pilot
William Colgan was born in Quitman, Georgia. In 1930, when Colgan was only 10 years old, his father died, leaving his...
Tarkington, Frank Becoming a Radioman
Frank V. Tarkington [Annotator's Note: a radioman in the US Navy] got a message from the Naval Air Station [Annotator's...
Johnson, Jean "JD" Becoming a Radioman for a Navy Submarine
Jean D. "JD" Johnson volunteered for service with the Navy shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator...
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...
Tacket, Henry Becoming a Sailor
Henry A. Tacket was an amateur radio operator in his youth. His friends coaxed him into joining the Navy's V3 program...
Loving, Burl Becoming a Sailor
Burl Loving did his Navy basic training at Great Lakes [Annotator’s Note: Naval Station Great Lakes near Chicago,...
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...
McConnell, Trist Becoming a Sailor
Julian Trist Bringier McConnell was born in Memphis, [Annotator's Note: Memphis, Tennessee], where his father was...
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, Arles Becoming a Sailor prior to Pearl Harbor
Arles E. Cole was sent to San Diego [Annotator’s Note: San Diego, California] for naval aptitude testing and training....
Pigott, Terrell Becoming a Soldier
Terrell Lavern Pigott had his basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida [Annotator's Note: in Clay County, Florida]....
Jones, James Becoming a Soldier
James B. Jones's father died not long after the move. Jones was working for a lawyer and his family in town. The family...
Jindra, Leonard Becoming a Soldier
Leonard Jindra was listening to a radio broadcast by Walter Winchell [Annotator's Note: Walter Winchell, American...
Wilkes, R. "Bud" Becoming a Soldier
R.M. Wilkes was born in July 1923 in Georgia. His father was a pharmacist in the small town of Cobbville [Annotator's...
Moss, Roy Becoming a Soldier
Roy Joseph Moss took a long train ride to Little Rock, Arkansas [Annotator's Note: Camp Robinson] where he received his...
Johnson, Alfred Becoming a Soldier
Alfred A. Johnson, Jr. is a retired colonel of the United States Army. He was born in Jackson Barracks, New Orleans,...
Draxler, Donald Becoming a Soldier
At Fort Snelling [Annotator's Note: near Bloomington, Minnesota], Donald Draxler and his father enlisted in the Army....
Lazinger, Sol Becoming a Soldier
Sol Lazinger was born in Harlem, New York City [Annotator's Note: New York, New York]. His family moved to New Jersey...

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