● I graduated from high school in June 1942. |
● Attended one semester at The Cooper Union Art School |
● Got Draft Notice in December and physical on January 1, 1943 |
● Inducted January 8 at Fort Dix, New Jersey |
● Army Air Force Basic Training at Miami Beach, Florida |
● Radio Operators School, Scott Field, Illinois - washed out |
● Radio Maintenance School, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin |
● Back to Scott Field for Army Airways Communication School |
● Thanksgiving furlough – Returned to Smyrna, Tennessee. |
● By train to McClellan Air Base, California, (Christmas Eve in L.A.) |
● Then Camp Anza to await my cruise to… who knew where? |
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![]() “Dragon Gate” clings to the face of mountain and is the highest temple on West Hill. Note the trail tunneling along the face of the cliff. High above this last shrine, a God is sculpted into solid rock. I marveled at the engineering skill and craftsmanship required for such a feat. Internet photo above. 1944 photo at right. |
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![]() “Dragon Gate” (Internet photos) |
![]() Nearing the top (above) The last shrine clings to the face of the mountain. Note the trail tunneling along the face of the cliff. High above the last shrine, a God is sculpted into solid rock. |
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● September 2, 1945 – VJ Day |
● By October I had enough points to return state-side. |
● I flew to Calcutta, then Karachi and had Thanksgiving dinner there. |
● We sweated out getting a ship to take us home by Christmas? |
● We sailed on Liberty Ship, General J. H. McRae, November 23rd. |
● Through the Red Sea, Suez Canal into a very stormy Mediterranean. |
● Gibraltar was calm, but a storm of the century awaited in the Atlantic. |
● At the storm’s peak, at full steam, we only made 67 miles in 24 hrs! |
● Any less headway and we would have gone down. |
● After 32 days at sea we docked on Christmas Eve in New York City. |
● We were taken to Camp Kilmer to be mustered out. |
● Anyone who could get home and back in 24 hours got a pass. |
● I was home for Christmas and discharged on December 28, 1945. |
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