"My 2 Great Years in the U.S. Army"

I enlisted in 1941 on the 1st day of the draft. To my surprise, I was rejected. After 2 years, I was drafted on November 30, 1943 and was discharged on November 30, 1945.

I completed Basic Training in Camp Croft, S.C. Then I went to a camp near Boston (as we were told not to mention the location.)

A few days before I was to ship out, I called my wife Kitty and told her that I could meet her in New York, where my oldest Brother Francis could show us around the city. Kitty took the train up. We had a wonderful time.

I returned to the unknown camp Monday morning to receive my orders to get a ship to England, where I was to take 21 days of Infantry Training to enter WWII.

The ship was a former luxury liner that was converted to 6 decks of army cots. The ship took a zig-zag way across the Atlantic to steer clear of the German torpedoes. The Germans were hoping to sink the U.S. Ships & Troops before they arrived in Europe.

The 1st Sargent met me in France to fill a vacancy. It was told to me that I replaced a soldier who went insane from the very heavy sound of the cannon noise.

I was able to hear the loud noise every time I handed a shell to be placed in our cannon to shoot at the Germans.

It was a great relief when U.S. President Harry Truman won the war with Japan, plus the Battle of the Bulge when Hitler surrendered to the U.S. Army