Prewar life

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Nordstrom, Clyde Atomic Bombs
Clyde Nordstrom cannot say that his life changed much after the declaration of war [Annotator's Note: on Japan, after...
Purvis, Frank Attack on Pearl Harbor
Frank Purvis volunteered before Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7...
Brignac, Martin Attack on Pearl Harbor and Defending Puget Sound
Everybody was scraping by during the Great Depression. Martin Brignac and his family made out with what they had. They...
Childs, Charles "Chuck" Aviation Cadet and Marriage
Charles Childs was lucky to graduate [Annotator's Note: in 1938]. He had some friends going to college and they needed...
Brewer, Chester Aviation Cadet Training
Chester Brewer joined the Army Air Corps and was sent to Midland-Odessa [Annotator's Note: Midland-Odessa, Texas] and...
Allen, George B-29 Training
George Allen was in New Orleans, Louisiana on a trip with his family when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was...
Oreck, David B-29 Training and Saipan
David Oreck enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He wanted to fly in the Air...
Arnold, Joel Bake Goods, Fortunes, and Family
[Annotator’s Note: Video begins while the interviewer is in mid-sentence There is a beeping sound throughout the...
Sapp, Walter Basic to the Bulge
Walter Sapp's father had been in World War 1 and knew what infantry was about. Sapp did not consult with his family...
McHardy, Arthur Basic Training
Arthur McHardy went by train from Detroit [Annotator's Note: Detroit, Michigan] to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San...
Albright, William Basic Training to England
William Albright enlisted in the Army Air Corps because he wanted to fly, even though he had never flown before. He had...
Forcinella, Frank Basic Training to England
At Camp Campbell [Annotator's Note: now Fort Campbell in Oak Grove, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee], Frank...
Yackel, Eugene Basic Training to France
Eugene Yackel had to register for the draft after he graduated from high school. He did not know what he wanted to do...
Rugeley, Robert Basic Training to Homing Pigeons
Robert S. Rugeley was sent to basic training in Mineral Wells, Texas. He was then sent to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey [...
McCowen, William Basic Training to Naples, Italy
William McCowen should never have gotten in the military in the first place. He had trick knees. He played a lot of...
Irby, Ray Basic Training to New Guinea
Ray Dennis Irby turned 17 in 1941. He was in the backyard of his home in Meridian [Annotator's Note: Meridian,...
Dearman, Alfred Basic Training to Overseas Deployment
Being a farm boy and being used to hard work, as well as having a disciplinarian uncle who had been in the service,...
Atwood, Walter Basic Training to War's End
Walter Atwood worked for Boeing [Annotator's Note: The Boeing Company] for a couple of years and got deferments [...
Sibley, Allen Basic Training, Guam, and War's End
Allen Ray Sibley was drafted into the Army [Annotator's Note: on 24 February 1944]. They put him on a Greyhound bus to...
Bahlinger, Marion Baton Rouge Boy to Prisoner of War
Marion Bahlinger was born in August 1925 in Baton Rouge [Annotator's Note: Baton Rouge, Louisiana]. He grew up with...
Norberg, Willard "Bill" Battle of Santa Cruz then Homeward
Bill Norberg [Annotator's Note: aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6)] was out of action for some time. In late October 1942...
Zygmuntowicz, Itka Beaten by the Gestapo
Itka Zygmuntowicz was born in April 1926 in Ciechanów, Poland. It was a small town. They lived in two different places...
Rolfson, Jack Becoming a Bomber Pilot
Jack Rolfson born in September 1921 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in the city, went to school, and would ride his bike...
Olson, Bud Becoming a Glider Infantryman
Bud Olson volunteered for overseas duty in October 1943. Sent to a replacement depot in England, Olson volunteered for...
Kawamoto, Yukio Becoming a Japanese Language Specialist
Yukio Kawamoto was born in Berkeley, California in November 1919. He was drafted into the Army from the University of...
Wheeler, James Becoming a Marine
James L. Wheeler was born in Los Angeles, California, in February 1926. His father was a dairy man, and his mother was...
Borne, Edwin Becoming a Marine
At the time of Edwin Joseph Borne, Jr. 's enlistment [Annotator's Note: in the United States Marine Corps in December...
Goss, Thomas Becoming A Marine
Thomas Goss was born in 1921 in Yonkers, New York but grew up in Long Island [Annotator’s Note: Long Island, New York...
Culp, Oscar Becoming a Marine
Oscar Culp was born in May 1925 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a young African-American, he saw some of the biases...
Lemme, Thomas Becoming a Marine
Thomas Joseph Lemme teamed up with a fellow named John Prentice Brown [Annotator's Note: Lemme was drafted into the...
Baul, Henry Becoming a Marine
Henry L Baul was born in December 1922 in Fitzgerald, Georgia. His family moved to Florida when Baul was young. His...
Lucas, Jack Becoming a Marine
Jacklyn Lucas's uncle had been a Marine. He finished his eighth grade of school in June 1942. He overwhelmed his mother...
Lepore, Louis Becoming a Marine
Louis R. Lepore joined the Marine Corps in September 1942 and retired in May 1971 after 29 years of service. Lepore...
Banyas, Martin Becoming a Marine and First Combat
[Annotator's Note: The interview starts with Martin Banyas mid-sentence talking about being drafted.] Banyas learned...
Toledo, Bill Becoming a Marine and Overseas Deployment
Bill Toledo was sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] for boot camp. He was able to keep up with...
Williamson, Leon Becoming a Marine Aviator
Leon Williamson grew up in Tecumseh, Michigan. He attended school in the town, then went to Michigan State College [...

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