Al Currier was born in what is now Eastpointe, Michigan in October 1923. He grew up there during the Depression [Annotator's Note: Great Depression; a global economic depression that lasted through the 1930s]. It was not a nice time. His father was exempt from World War 1 because of his work in an engine factory. After that he worked at various other jobs then finally retired after working with a brewery. It was hand to mouth for the family. It was hard for Currier to raise a nickel for an ice cream cone on a hot day. Currier had three sisters. He had just turned 18 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He was on his way to see his girlfriend. He did not know where Pearl Harbor was located. Currier knew the draft would be after him. In early 1943, he was sent his draft notice.

Al Currier was sent to Fort Custer [Annotator's Note: Fort Custer Training Center, Kalamazoo County and Calhoun County, Michigan] for induction. He then went by train to Camp Roberts, California [Annotator's Note: in Monterey County and San Luis Obispo County, California]. It was the second time he had been out of Michigan. He had just gotten married to a 16-year-old bride. He has no regrets about the way his life went. He was susceptible to corns on his foot due to the marching during basic training. He was in the 159th Infantry Battalion [Annotator's Note: Company B, 1st Battalion, 159th Infantry Regiment (Separate)]. He was discharged with the classification of MP or military police. That likely was due to him overseeing German prisoners at the end of the war. Currier scored as an expert marksman. He was sent to Pittsburg Replacement Depot [Annotator's Note: in Pittsburg, California] and initially issued summer uniforms but then immediately changed to woolen clothing. He knew he was headed north. The good thing was that the fighting in the Aleutian Islands [Annotator's Note: Aleutian Islands, Alaska] was over by then. He was to be a replacement for the Battle of Kiska [Annotator's Note: Operation Cottage, 15 August 1943, Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. There was no battle except for friendly fire between Canadians and Americans. The Canadians killed 330 Americans. From the Depot, the unit went to Seattle [Annotator's Note: Seattle, Washington] and then through the inland passages. They were unescorted until reaching Dutch Harbor [Annotator's Note: Dutch Harbor, Amaknak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska] where an escort ship accompanied them. At Dutch Harbor, Currier experienced an earthquake. In each of the three return trips he has made to Alaska, he has experienced an earthquake. Anchorage [Annotator's Note: Anchorage, Alaska] had massive destruction that Currier witnessed after the event. From Dutch Harbor, he had a brief stay on Adak [Annotator's Note: Adak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska] and then arrived at Attu [Annotator's Note: Attu Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. He lived in a tent all winter. They had to be buried four feet in the ground to prevent them from being blown over. That did not keep a storm from doing just that. Currier was 19 and not bothered by the situation. Coal was available uphill at the mess hall location. Weather conditions were cold but the young men with him in his tent did not fret. The terrain was not people friendly. He was told to dig a foxhole. He noticed all existing ones were filled with water. He dug his hole on the slope of a hill and provided it with drainage capability. It came in handy when the Japanese came over once with three bombers. The bombs completely missed them. Someone was in his hole, and he had to shoot to get them out. That is a joke. [Annotator's Note: Currier laughs.] The tundra is mushy. Good soil is hard to find. The ground is mostly rock where any soil exists. Currier hurt his back while stationed there. He jumped backwards off a truck in low gear and hurt himself. A VA [Annotator's Note: United States Department of Veterans Affairs; also referred to as the Veterans Administration] representative suggested Currier seek disability, but Currier declined. The weather was terrible in Alaska. It was snowing, raining, or blowing wind. Eventually, the tents were replaced by Quonset Huts [Annotator's Note: prefabricated metal building] with kerosene heat. The toilets were at a distance across hilly country. A sign was erected admonishing the troops to not eat yellow snow.

Al Currier was able to learn to operate a tank [Annotator's Note: M3 Stuart light tank] when the Army sent 20 prewar armored vehicles up there [Annotator's Note: on Attu Island, Alaska] to patrol the island perimeter. He received a 60 percent disability due to the volcanic dust he inhaled with his tank being back in the column. He had a lot of fun with the tank. His commanding officer chewed him out for getting his tank stuck on a snow pile. Two tanks were required to dislodge Currier's tank. When Currier was assistant driver, he was concerned with being in a position that could be a death trap. He was shortly changed to driver with a better position to escape the tank if it was damaged. He drove the tanks for several months. While on Kiska [Annotator's Note: Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska] after the war, he hurt his leg. Discovering that Currier was a veteran of the Aleutians, he was provided his own all-terrain vehicle to explore spots others could not go to. Currier lived at Hogsback Hill on Attu [Annotator's Note: Gagyuu Mountain, also called, Hogback Ridge, Attu Island, Alaska]. He was at Massacre Bay [Annotator's Note: at Attu Island, Alaska] which was given its name during the Russian campaign. His camp was near Navy Town [Annotator's Note: Navy Town, Alaska] which had better food and living conditions. He would dress in his work fatigues which looked like Navy gear so that he could benefit from some of the better conditions there. The tanks were prone to breakdown, so they suffered from cannibalization. They eventually were buried on the island. The days were boring on Attu. Currier found a job repairing cargo boxes which was fun. Once, the Red Cross sent a coffee and donut truck. It was manned by Black individuals. They were the only Blacks he saw on the island. There was a ration of beer allowed for the troops. Once, a truckload of beer went missing. The empty bottles could be seen but the culprits were never caught. An MP [Annotator's Note: military police] was put on each truck after that incident. Besides the Army, there were Coast Guard and Air Force elements on the island. American fighters [Annotator's Note: fighter aircraft] were on the island but did not pursue the enemy bombers that flew over the island. The island was very foggy. A military plane hit the side of the mountain as a result. Currier has flown not being able to see through his airplane's frozen windshield. He had to fly out of the side window and had a terrible time landing. The military planes flew with six inches of water on the runway making it difficult to get off the ground.

Al Currier had many boring days [Annotator's Note: on Attu Island, Alaska as a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 159th Infantry Regiment (Separate)]. One catastrophe occurred when a soldier decided to clean his rifle in the Quonset hut [Annotator's Note: prefabricated metal building]. He used white gasoline and a candle for light. The man survived but the hut was burned to the ground. Currier was on Attu and went to Nome, Alaska to help with cargo transportation. He could pilfer anything he carried on his truck. The food was not so good, but mining dredges were working, and they had a fully functioning kitchen. They would shoot birds and catch fish. He had full use of the truck he drove. He could not go into town unless he had a pass [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. Nome was used as an airplane transfer location between the United States and Russia. Currier had no interaction with the Russian pilots. There were plenty of bars in Nome. He went dancing with a girl there. He saw Olivia de Havilland [Annotator's Note: Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland DBE; British-American actress] and took a photograph of her. The captain said there was a woman behind every tree. The problem was there were no trees. [Annotator's Note: Currier laughs.] Life was boring. Currier and his buddy, who was Jewish, decided that they would search for Japanese souvenirs. They went out into the country and found themselves in harsh terrain they apparently could not escape. They managed to find their way out with much innovation and difficulty. The only souvenir they found was Japanese K rations [Annotator's Note: individual daily combat food ration consisting of three boxed meals].

Al Currier returned [Annotator's Note: from Attu Island, Alaska as a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 159th Infantry Regiment (Separate)] and was given a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. The return was disastrous with his vehicle problems. He was sent to Pomona, California to guard German prisoners of war. The prisoners had food, clothing, and anything they wanted. They did not want to escape. Currier worked a scam using the labor of the prisoners. Currier got along well with the prisoners. He would let them shoot his rifle, but he carried a .32 caliber pistol for protection. The military gave him no problems with that arrangement. Currier worked at other jobs while in the service. His uniform allowed him to hitchhike easily to return to see his bride. Currier was discharged in Santa Barbara, California in December 1945. When the war in Germany ended, the gasoline attendant at a service station in Eugene, Oregon told him he could fill up his tank without regard to rationing. Currier was glad to hear about the atomic bombs [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945 and Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945] and the war's end with Japan. He and the other troops in Alaska would have ended up in the assault on the Japanese home islands. He did not like the idea of invading Japan. He was discharged as a PFC [Annotator's Note: Private First Class]. He learned a valuable lesson in the military. Gambling took all his money. He gave it up and has not gambled since. Currier used the G.I. Bill to buy a gas station. He built a garage to do repair work. It was then, he learned about automatic transmissions being the way of the future. He took courses and opened "Al's Hydromatic Service." Business got better year by year. It has been an interesting life. He would change little about it. He had no transition issues after the service. He was anxious to get back to his bride waiting for him. He wanted nothing more with the Army.

The most memorable situation for Al Currier was being trapped on a mountain with no one knowing where they were [Annotator's Note: he and a buddy on Attu Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. After five hours of struggle, they got out of there. They found a stream with cold water that tasted so good. Currier did not want to go to war. He was just married but he was drafted. Being in the military kept him out of trouble. His wife was his only girlfriend. They had a good life. Everyone can benefit from military service. It teaches respect. Young people today have little respect for authority. His tour of duty was interesting, but he would not do it again. Students today are not familiar with World War 2. Currier is against war, but it is difficult to do anything about it. Currier wanted to live in Alaska while he served there, but now at 91 years of age, he feels he could not survive in the environment. He loves Alaska and likes to return. The sun is bright late at night. Windows must be blacked out in the summer. It is just the opposite during the winter. Currier feels that World War 2 should be taught to help prevent the same mistakes being made. Currier never had to shoot at anybody, and no one ever shot at him. There were Japanese bombers that dropped their bombs close by but missed. He is thankful to have his memory today.