John Baldori in Newburg, Pennsylvania in February 1920. He grew up with four older sisters and two younger brothers. His father died in 1929 after a work accident at the Republican Construction Company when Baldori was only nine years old. His family sued the company and won. His mother organized an orchestra with Baldori and his siblings and they performed at all the mining mills. His brother, Al, died as a result of World War 2 in the Pacific. The draft for war started around the time Baldori graduated from college. He was drafted into the Army at the end of June 1942. Baldori was devastated to get a draft notice because he took care of his mother and was married to a vocalist in his band named Lucille. He was ordered to report to New Cumberland Reception Center [Annotator’s Note: New Cumberland, Pennsylvania] for a physical and to be sworn in. His first military posting was at the New Cumberland Reception Center, where he was quickly promoted to sergeant of Company D. As a seasoned musician, he toured with a 40-man Army band called “Pennsylvania on Parade,” which raised over two billion dollars for national defense. After two years, he was sent to Camp Selma, Alabama for basic training. It was in the middle of the summer and it was so hot. He also could not visit his wife on the weekends.

In October 1944, John Baldori was sent overseas and served in the Mediterranean [Annotator’s Note: under US Army General Mark Wayne Clark]. He boarded a troop carrier with 20,000 men. He was given orders to entertain the men for three hours a day. The ship zig-zagged [Annotator's Note: a naval anti-submarine maneuver] across the ocean. He lost a few friends at Anzio [Annotator’s Note: the Battle of Anzio, 22 January 1944 to 5 June 1944; Anzio, Italy]. When his ship docked in Italy, he was taken to the 14th Replacement Depot, and then sent to Naples [Annotator’s Note: Naples, Italy]. He was given orders to organize groups of musicians to perform throughout southern Italy. Baldori felt fortunate to be given this position because he escaped going on the front lines on several occasions. He was able to go into Rome [Annotator’s Note: Rome, Italy] several times. He witnessed a communist parade passing through town. He talked with some of the Italians and thought they treated him okay. Baldori entertained the enlisted men and officers and the shows were always sold out.

John Baldori served overseas in the Mediterranean [Annotator’s Note: under US Army General Mark Wayne Clark] and organized and played in bands to entertain the enlisted men and officers. He never played for civilians. His parents were Italian immigrants, so he took some time to visit their hometown and some of his mother’s relatives. On his way home, he had some jeep problems but was able to get back to base in Naples [Annotator’s Note: Naples, Italy]. Baldori was in Italy when he heard the war in Europe was over. While he was training in Alabama, he was sent to Oakridge, Tennessee to perform. He found out that the United States was creating a weapon that “would end the war” [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 6 and 9 August 1945]. Baldori had 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]. He got seasick during his voyage home because of the weather conditions. He was so happy to get back to the United States. He visited his father’s relatives sometime after the war. Baldori was discharged at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania in November 1945. He had a good friend who was killed on Okinawa [Annotator’s Note: The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg; 1 April to 22 June 1945; Okinawa, Japan].

John Baldori served overseas in the Mediterranean [Annotator’s Note: under US Army General Mark Wayne Clark] and organized and played in bands to entertain the enlisted men and officers. He trumpeted throughout southern Italy with the Army band, on the bill with entertainers such as the Andrews Sisters [Annotator’s Note: an American harmony-singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras.] After the war, he continued his music career playing with various entertainers. He was discharged in November 1945 at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. After the war, Baldori and his wife, Lucille, moved to Michigan with their young sons, Bob and Louis. They settled in Dearborn where Baldori took a job at Ford Motor Company. He also continued his band career all across Detroit’s [Annotator’s Note: Detroit, Michigan] biggest venues. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:57:54.000.]

John Baldori appreciates how people treat him because he is a war veteran. His most memorable experience was returning home and going through a storm on the small transport ship. He was also amazed to see the communist organizations in Italy. He feels that his service benefitted him in his future career. He had four attorneys in his family. He believed that America was great for 50 years, but today people do not appreciate the country. June 1942 was a landmark month for Balrodi as he graduated college, was drafted into the Army, and married Lucille in the span of two weeks. Baldori 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.