Prewar life

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Reavis, Carrel To Hawaii and Back
Carrel Reavis went from Virginia to basic training on a segregated train. When he went overseas, his ammunition company...
Cascio, Roy To The Pacific
Roy Cascio's parents were devastated when he was drafted in 1943. He had just turned 18. They were great people and...
Laughlin, Alexander Tommy Hitchcock
Alexander Laughlin heard his stepfather, Tommy Hitchcock [Annotator’s Note: Thomas Hitchcock Jr. was an American polo...
Roed, Harold Trade School
Harold Roed knew he would be going into the service once the war started, just not when or how. His father worked for...
Lazinger, Sol Training
Sol Lazinger was in the Bronx [Annotator's Note: the Bronx is one of the five boroughs in New York, New York], New York...
Winnier, Lawrence Training and Life on Ship
Lawrence Winnier's boot camp [Annotator's Note: in the US Navy] was being taught how to set a table and make beds. They...
Forstall, Earl Training as a Crew Chief
Earl Forstall is from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was studying mechanical engineering at Tulane University when the war...
Bruce, John Training for Combat
[Annotator’s Note: There are various noises in the background throughout this segment.] John Bruce was born in northern...
Karpay, Irwin Training for the Armed Guard
I. J. Karpay was born in Brooklyn, New York [Annotator's Note: Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs in New York, New...
Hogan, Ralph Training for War
Ralph Francis Hogan was born in February 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of ten children. His dad owned his...
Cross, William Training for War
William V. Cross was born in September 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up with one brother and a family that moved...
Dietrick, Alfred Training in Africa
In the beginning, Alfred Dietrick would go to the movies before going overseas and the Germans looked invincible. The...
Gackenbach, Russell Training in the Air Corps
Russell Gackenbach served in the Air Force as a navigator on B-29 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very...
Broussard, Willis Training in the Air Force
Willis Broussard was born in May 1927 in Lafayette, Louisiana. His family had a small farm which he helped work with...
Melancon, Addy Training in the Army
Addy Melancon was born on in July 1922 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana on a farm. His family raised cattle, hogs, and...
Breard, Reneau Training in the Army
Reneau Breard served with the 504th Parachute Infantry [Annotator’s Note: 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd...
Petrus, Andrew Training in the Army
[Annotator's Note: While he was living in Detroit, Michigan and working as a streetcar driver,] Andrew Petrus received...
Wilt, Jack Training in the Army
Jack Wilt was born in February 1927 in Kent, Ohio. He grew up with one younger sister. He played basketball and other...
Kent, Edward Training in the Army
Edward F. Kent was born in November 1917 and grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He attended a one-room school and...
Knippers, Willie Training in the Army
[Annotator’s Note: Someone is coughing in the background throughout this segment.] Willie D. Knippers was born in Pike...
Castaing, Albert Training in the Army Air Corps
[Annotator’s Note: Can hear paper ruffling in the background throughout this segment.] Albert Castaing was born in New...
Momi, Harry Training in the Infantry
Harry Robert Momi was born in October 1924 in Stockton, California with one older sister. He was raised by his parents...
Whaley, Ellis Training then the Philippines
Some of the men Ellis Whaley trained with were weeping about being away from home. The climate in Washington was cold....
Kelley, John Training to be a Paratrooper
John Kelley was born in Dalton, Georgia in June 1924. He grew up in Atlanta [Annotator's Note: Atlanta, Georgia] where...
Bartley, Irene Training to be a WAC
Irene Bartley was born in December 1923 in Seattle [Annotator’s Note: Seattle, Washington]. She and her twin sister...
Bannon, Calvin Training to be an Army Pilot
Calvin F. Bannon was born in Seattle, Washington in 1921 and had two older brothers. One of his brothers flew a B-17 [...
Nossbaum, Anneliese Transported from Bonn
Annaliese Nossbaum was moved into a former nun’s cloister in Bonn, Germany when she was 12 years old. The Jews in Bonn...
Nolan, Warren Tulane, ROTC and the V-12 Program
Warren Nolan had an older brother who was kind of the pioneer of the family. The family is Catholic, so the brother...
Bleuler, Jack Tulsa Boy to Army Air Corps
[Annotator’s Notes: There is a lot of background noise throughout this segment.] Jack H. Bleuler was born in 1923 and...
Stewart, Frank Understanding the War from the Homefront
The newspaper was a critical source of information. Frank B. Stewart, Jr.'s parents would read it to him until he could...
Aldous, Robert US Air Force versus the US Army Air Corps
[Annotator's Note: The interviewer asks Robert G. Aldous if he was religious when he went to war.] He was and then was...
Lynch, James US Naval Academy
James Paul Lynch's father worked for a man running for Congress. Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt...
Lee, James USO Shows and Japanese Neighbors
During the war years, James Lee went to USO [Annotator's Note: United Services Organization] shows and saw guys like...
Memory, Frank USS Gato (SS-212) Recollections
Frank George Memory worked mainly with the officers [Annotator’s Note: Memory was assistant navigator aboard the USS...
Harless, Paul USS Potomac Assignment
Paul Harless was born in Corryton, Tennessee in December 1921. His father worked in various jobs during the Great...
Weil, Roswell V-mail and POWs
Roswell Weil was an only child and was very close with his parents. His father had a heart attack that he did not know...

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