Entrance into Service

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Hatala, Albert Coming to America and Wanting to Fight
Albert Hatala was born in 1923 in Czechoslovakia. When he was about six months old his father moved to the United...
Cowan, John Commissioned Twice
John L. Cowan went on active duty in February or March 1945. He was at MIT [Annotator's Note: Massachusetts Institute...
Kellegrew, Kent Country Boy to Army Man
Kent Butzer Kellegrew was born in September 1923 in Duluth, Minnesota. After four years in Duluth, his family moved to...
Skinner, Charles Country Boy to Military Training
Charles Brightman Skinner was born in May 1926 in Jacksonville, Florida. He had an older brother who served in World...
Stefaniak, Joe Court Martial then Overseas
In 1942, Joseph Stefaniak and some friends got a three-day pass [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short...
Whitman, Philip Crashing on His First Flight
Philip Whitman went overseas on a Liberty ship [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship]. He went...
Fili, William Crew Training and Deploying to Italy
William Fili went for assignment to Salt Lake City [Annotator's Note: Salt Lake City, Utah]. He had just finished B-26...
Eleser, Carey Crossing the Atlantic on the SS David B. Johnson
Carey Eleser was a Navy Armed Guard radioman aboard the SS David B. Johnson. They left Charleston, South Carolina and...
Jaber, Anton Crossing the English Channel
Anton Jaber took his basic training at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma. He went right into advanced training with his division [...
Myers, Homer Crossing the Pacific
Homer Myers flew his own airplane from California across the Pacific. The first flight was 12 to 13 hours. They left...
Gooch, James Cuban Missile Crisis
James Gooch graduated from school and was sent to Florida to replace a Warrant Officer [Annotator's Note: after...
Yip, Wallace Czechoslovakia and War's End
Wallace Yip, Sr. was in basic training at Camp Claiborne [Annotator's Note: Camp Claiborne, Rapides Parish, Louisiana...
Davis, Jackson Deciphering Code at Pearl Harbor
Jackson Davis took the USS Neosho (AO-23) from San Pedro, California and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 7 September 1941....
Brignac, Martin Defending the West Coast and Overseas to the Pacific
Martin Brignac had no idea of what the Japanese were going to do along the coast. They had to try and do anything they...
Jones, Johnnie Demanding Equal Treatment at the Draft Board
Johnnie A. Jones, Senior went to Southern University Demonstration High School [Annotator's Note: Southern University...
Moose, Warren Dental School to the Army
Warren Sanford Moose was born in November 1921 in San Francisco, California. He grew up with two brothers and one...
Cole, Harold Deployed Overseas
Harold Stanford Cole did not experience segregation while he was growing up. When he got into the service, he did not...
Penick, Ed Deployed to China
Edward Moore Penick, a pilot in the Army Air Corps, was sent overseas to Sichuan, China as part of the 21st Photo...
Dipol, Peter Deployed to New Guinea
After training in Fort Lewis, Washington, Peter Dipol was sent to the Mojave Desert [Annotator’s Note: in the foothills...
Urban, Raymond Deploying to the Pacific
[Annotator's Note: Raymond Urban was working in Santa Ana, California when Marine Fighter Squadron 212 (VMF-212) was...
Rhoads, Benjamin "Dusty" Deployment
Benjamin "Dusty" Rhoads went into the service in early 1942. He did boot camp and communications school near Saint...
Morrison, Leila Deployment to Europe
Leila Morrison joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Denver [Annotator's Note: Denver, Colorado] in 1943. She was...
Roxandich, George Deployment to France
George H. Roxandich completed basic training. While there, he got sick with 104-degree fever which was upsetting...
Gabour, James Deployment to Panama
James Anthony Gabour enlisted in the National Guard [Annotator's Note: in 1941] and then he was eventually transferred...
Fruge, Weldon Deployment to the European Theater
When he was drafted, Weldon Fruge wasn't excited about leaving his home and family, but he traveled to Fort Knox,...
Ventura, Nicholas Depression to War
Nicholas Ventura, Sr. was born in Trenton, New Jersey in June 1923 and spent some of his youth in Scranton,...
Bluestein, Bernard "Bernie" Developing Artist
[Annotator's Note: There is a loud hissing noise throughout this clip.] When Bernard B. "Bernie" Bluestein was very...
Steeg, Moise Devising a New Program
Moise S. Steeg, Jr. received his commission and went to Keesler [Annotator's Note: Keesler Field; now Keesler Air Force...
Fronk, Wesley Did What We Had to Do
Wesley Fronk never fired a shot in anger. There was one instance where he and another soldier were returning from...
Sandoz, James Difference in People
James Sandoz had a good trip overseas even though it took longer than normal. They made a lot of detours due to...
Jones, Gerry Difficult Childhood
Gerry Jones was born in September 1926 in Logansport, Indiana. His family was badly affected by the Great Depression....
Hill, William Dirt Poor to Navy Sailor
William Hill was born in August 1922 in rural eastern Kentucky. His father, a subsistence farmer, moved the family to...
Harvey, David Discharge From the Navy and Joining the Army
When David Harvey heard that the war had ended, they had 1,500 planes up off the carriers. The British and Russians had...
Haines, Joseph Discovering Segregation
Joseph Haines was drafted in April 1944. He was sent to Camp Lee, Virginia. He got off the train and there were two...
Alexander, Samson Discrimination in the Air Force
Samson Alexander got the idea to join the US Air Force but did not have a college education. The principal of his...
Ollar, Vernon Diverse Army Training
[Annotator’s Note: Interviewee speaks slowly and pauses several times throughout segment.] Vernon Ollar was inducted at...

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