Grover Tyner was born in September 1923 in Davisboro, Georgia, but grew up in Augusta, Georgia. His father was a pastor of the community. His father and his church helped people during the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States]. Tyner thought his childhood was normal living and did not know any better than living in the Depression. He does recall wanting new shoes and a bicycle. Tyner graduated from high school in 1940, and then enrolled in junior college for a year before moving to Mercer College in Macon, Georgia. He attended school until the war broke out. While in Macon, he found a job at a women’s shoe store. While at school, he and his friends talked to recruiters. Many of his friends enlisted in the Army while the recruiter was there. Tyner’s friends eventually influenced him to join the Army, so he took a bus to Camp Wheeler [Annotator’s Note: in Macon, Georgia] so he could enlist. The recruiter told him he could finish college before he became active, so he signed up. One year later, Tyner was called to active duty even though he had not completed school. He reported to Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia where he was processed for active duty. After taking tests and scoring high on them, he was sent to Camp Barkeley, Texas for basic and medical training for almost a year. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewer adjusts microphone on interviewee at 0:05:52.000.] After completing training, he stayed on as a cadre to instruct new soldiers. He was then accepted into OCS [Annotator's Note: officer candidate school] at Camp Barkeley, graduating in December 1944. He then went home on furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] before reporting back to duty. Tyner was assigned to a training battalion as a platoon officer and oversaw a barrack. He was then transferred to Tampa, Florida and assigned to a medical unit as medical supply officer. He was transferred again to Battle Creek, Michigan to a new unit being formed for an A-26 plane [Annotator’s Note: Douglas A-26 Invader]. His unit was transferred to Florida to complete unit training. His unit trained for overseas and was then transferred to North Carolina where they boarded a ship to Naples, Italy. It took about two weeks to cross the Atlantic with the convoy.

Grover Tyner was sent overseas to Naples, Italy, and operated a medical dispensary with the 310th Bomb Group [Annotator’s Note: 310th Bombardment Group, 12th Air Force] in Corsica [Annotator’s Note: Corsica, France]. He worked under a doctor who treated the wounded. Tyner was to ensure that the doctor had all the supplies he needed to treat the airmen’s wounds. Tyner also handled the logistics of transporting patients to hospitals. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewer helps interviewee with microphone and asked for a break at 0:16:35.000-0:19:22.000.] As the war progressed, his unit was sent to Northern Italy near the Adriatic Sea. Tyner went ahead of his unit to set up the dispensary. The war ended in Europe while he was there [Annotator's Note: Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945]. Tyner was reassigned as a medical officer to a fighter squadron that was preparing for the invasion of Japan because he did not have enough points to go home [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home]. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:22:32.000.] Tyner and his unit were about to board a ship to head to the Pacific when their mission was cancelled. They waited two more weeks. In the meantime, Tyner went to a USO [Annotator's Note: United Service Organizations, Inc.] show and saw the Andrew Sisters perform. His unit finally boarded a ship to head to the Pacific. On the way, the unit received news that the United States had dropped atomic bombs in Japan [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945] and the war was over. Tyner’s ship was diverted to Boston Harbor [Annotator’s Note: Boston, Massachusetts]. He made his way home after receiving furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time], then reported back to base. He was assigned to go through supplies and dispose of equipment. He was later discharged from active duty, but signed up for the reserves. He returned to Mercer University [Annotator’s Note: in Macon, Georgia] and graduated in June. He then attended seminary school in the fall of 1946 on the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment].

After Grover Tyner left the Army and signed up for the Reserves, he attended seminary school in the fall of 1946 on the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment]. He was then assigned as an Army chaplain at Fort Knox [Annotator’s Note: Fort Knox, Kentucky] and served for several years while he completed seminary school and ran a church in northern Kentucky. He retired from active duty in 1955 and moved to Savannah, Georgia to run a church. He stayed in the reserves and served as a chaplain until 1972 when Tyner retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He went on service missions to the Philippines. Tyner enjoyed his military and chaplain career.

Grover Tyner was attending Mercer University [Annotator’s Note: in Macon, Georgia], but was in Forsyth, Georgia eating lunch when he first heard the news about Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He knew that this event was going to change his life. After joining the service, he was sent to medical training. He learned about military medicine and hospital policies. He enjoyed the opportunity to help people. He was assigned to set up and operate a dispensary in Corsica [Annotator’s Note: Corsica, France] under a doctor. Later he was transferred to northern Italy near the Adriatic Sea. Every day after a sick call, he would change into his swimsuit and go swimming. He also prepared the hospital rooms for patients, drew blood, and gave shots. One time after an air raid, a dead airman was brought in, and he had to prep him for the morgue. That was the only deceased person he saw. He had the opportunity to ride in a plane with his roommate. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:49:50.000.] Many of the wounds the doctor treated were in the arms and hands. Tyner often assisted the doctor in treating the wounds. Tyner was also responsible for the officers’ mess hall. He got in trouble due to his superior’s reaction to a report he wrote about drunks falling in a hole. It cost him a promotion.

Grover Tyner oversaw a medical dispensary with the 310th Bomb Group [Annotator’s Note: 310th Bombardment Group, 12th Air Force] in Corsica, France during his service in World War 2. He did not have any animosity towards the Germans. He was angry at the Japanese for bombing Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], but did not have animosity towards individual Japanese people. Tyner was unaware of the Holocaust [Annotator's Note: also called the Shoah; the genocide of European Jews during World War 2]. Tyner did not suffer from post-traumatic stress, and even though his life was on pause while in the service, he trusted in God that he was on the right path. He went on missionary trips to the Philippines after World War 2. The war allowed him to understand different groups of people and to be open to new opportunities. Tyner’s most memorable experience of World War 2 was then it was announced that war was over, and his ship was diverted to the United States. He got food poisoning when he first arrived in Corsica. Tyner is more willing to be identified as a veteran. He feels that the younger generations are losing the concept of World War 2. Tyner believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations.