Prewar life

The map only displays records that have geographic information. Switch to the grid view to see all records.

Map is loading...
Timeline is loading...

The timeline only displays records that have date information. Switch to the grid view to see all records.

Andry, Robert Becoming a Soldier
Robert C. Andry was born in March 1925 in Chastang, Alabama. He attended Catholic school through high school. Once he...
Halloran, Walter Becoming a Soldier
Walter Halloran had never thought about joining the military until the attack on Pearl Harbor. He knew no one who had...
Lombardo, Frank Becoming a Soldier and Overseas Deployment
Frank Lombardo was inducted into the service and became a private in the Army [Annotator's Note: on 5 March 1942]. His...
Cowell, Ernest Becoming a Soldier and Overseas Deployment
When Ernest Cowell was in high school, his friends started being drafted. One boy was a tanker [Annotator's Note: part...
Hurley, Wallace Becoming a Soldier, Overseas Deployment and Camaraderie
Wallace Hurley was initially trained as a scout but reassigned to regular infantry. His training was at Camp Robinson...
Grieves, Billy Becoming a Submarine Sailor
Billy Grieves was born in Liberty Center, Ohio. At a young age his parents moved the family to Detroit, Michigan for...
Morse, Ralph Becoming a War Correspondent
Ralph Morse was born in Manhattan in New York City [Annotator's Note: New York, New York] in October 1917. His father...
McCreery, Jean Becoming a WASP
Jean McCreery flew under her maiden name, Terrell. She was born in Troy, Ohio in 1924 and worked at WACO [Annotator's...
Aupied, Mildred Becoming a Welder
Mildred Bonvillian Aupied was born in Bayou Black near Houma in Terrebonne Parish [Annotator’s Note: south of New...
Kirk, James Becoming an Air Force Gunner
James Read Kirk was 17 years old and in high school when Pearl Harbor was attacked [Annotator's Note: the Japanese...
Rinas, Bruno Becoming an Airman
Bruno S. Rinas discussed joining the service with a younger brother. He joined the military in 1940 at Fort Snelling [...
Sonnier, Lorcey Becoming an Airman
Lorcey J. Sonnier was born in May 1924. During the Great Depression, he did not have shoes. The town did not have roads...
McBride, Frank Becoming an Airman
Frank Curtis McBride enlisted in the Air Force because he wanted to fly. With an abundance of applicants for flight...
Lehigh, David Becoming an Airman
David L. Lehigh was born in December 1924 in York County [Annotator's Note: York County, Pennsylvania]. He grew up in...
Anderson, Howard Becoming an Airman
Howard Anderson was born in December 1922 in North Dakota. He grew up on a farm. His father was a farmer. The family...
McMullen, Milton Becoming an Airman
Milton L. McMullen, Sr. was born in January 1921 in Clark County, Mississippi, just south of Meridian. He finished high...
Baker, Bernard Becoming an Airman
Bernard Baker was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri, in February 1924. He grew up with nine siblings. An older...
Gibian, Richard Becoming an Airman and Overseas Deployment
Richard Gibian was born in Montgomery, Alabama in October 1919. The Great Depression [Annotator's Note: Great...
Vancheri, Edith Becoming an Army Nurse
[Annotator's Note: There is a lot of background noise in this interview.] Edith Vancheri was born in February 1923 in...
Frankel, Art Becoming an Army Soldier
Art Frankel was born in January 1928, in the Bronx, New York [Annotator's Note: the Bronx is one of the five boroughs...
Little, Keith Becoming Marines
[Annotator's Note: This interview is conducted with a group of Navajo veterans present, many of whom can be heard off-...
Field, Richard Becomming a Paratrooper
Richard J. Field was born and raised in Upstate New York in the small town of Liberty. He lived on the outskirts of...
Scales, James Beginning of the War and Leaving Japan
James Shelton Scales was in the Marine Corps when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese...
Bolin, George Beginnings of Browns Shipyard
Starting about 1940, Brown Shipyard [Annotator's Note: Brown Shipbuilding Company in Houston, Texas] began as a result...
Bradley, John Being an Only Child in Manila
John Bradley was born in Manila [Annotator's Note: Manila, Philippines] in May 1936. Bradley's father enlisted in the...
Scherer, Monroe Being Drafted and Becoming an Engineer
Monroe Scherer had lost a year of studies due to illness as a child. When he turned 18, he was still in high school. He...
Nakagawa, Ittsei Being in on Hiroshima 6 August 1945
Ittsei Nakagawa was born in Fresno, California and lived in Orange Cove [Annotator's Note: Orange Cove, California] in...
Angst, Lawrence Being Part German
Lawrence Angst was born in July 1923 in Barberton, Ohio. His mother and father were young and struggled through the...
Doss, Arles Being Wounded and Returning Home
The night Arles J. Doss was wounded, the ambulance drove around without lights because the Germans could see them. Doss...
Alexander, Samson Black Servicemen
Reading, writing, and arithmetic were important to black people when Samson Alexander was growing up. They knew they...
Leskovic, Elvia Boarding School
Elvira Maria Katarina Algermissen Leskovec was so wrapped up in her schooling [Annotator's Note: in a combined high...
Shaner, Robert Boarding the USS LST-475
Robert D. Shaner came into New Guinea and his ship, the LST-475 [Annotator's Note: USS LST-475], was not there so he...
McGlaun, DeQuindre Bombardier Training
DeQuindre McGlaun passed the military physical exam and then was sent to Fort Benning [Annotator's Note: Fort Benning,...
Guidry, Edmond Boot Camp
Edmond Guidry joined the Navy in July 1942. He went to boot camp in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California...
Smith, Arthur Boot Camp and Overseas
Arthur Smith was 17 when World War 2 broke out for the United States. He volunteered so he could get in the Navy. He...
Moore, Calvin Boot Camp at Montford Point
When Calvin Moore arrived at Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North...

Pages