Lunch with the folks:
Dad talked about his military service:
He joined the National Guard December 1949, they held monthly meetings and trained twice
a month at Camp Curtis in Wakefield/Reading Mass. They also went to Camp Edwards for training
two weeks out of the year.
Camp Curtis was a firing range and they were trained on the
Cannon, machine guns (75 Cal). He was a
Gunner for 105 House the first summer. They
also practiced using the Napalm Bombs (gas bombs).
He spent his second summer at Camp Drum 2 weeks.
He (18 yrs old) then went into Boston with Ralph (Ralphie) Murry (who was 17 and needed his dad’s
signature) to sign up for the Air Force.
He had to wait for the discharge from the National Guard (it was late) and
Ralphie had to wait for his dad to sign the paperwork as he was a minor.
Ralphie, who was being hounded by the recruiter to get to basic
training and ended up going the day before dad went to sign. He signed up Dad never saw Ralphie in Basic Training until
the 20 hour pass when his mom (Sarah Evelyn) and Ralph’s mother (Mrs. Murray) went
down to see them. That was the only time
they saw each other while in the service.
(9/11/2024: I just posted this little paragraph to Ralphs obit. he passed in 2016).
Basic training was held in Sampson Air Force Base in upper
New York in the 1950’s they opened the old naval base for the Air Force Basic
Training. After basic training he went
to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
He Joined Oct 1 and was out of basic training the later part
of December (8-10 weeks of training)
took a train to Scott AFB Right after.
The first class was in January and finished in August then was assigned
to Shreveport Louisiana. (SAC Base (Strategic
Air Command) )
Dad ran the post office boxes plus training during this
time. He had to wait a bit as they
misfiled his records. Barksdale Base he
did Radio Repair
He worked with a fella who took care of incoming radar
stuff, he was an electrician. Dad worked
on B29’s (Radar/ Radio’s)
He put in for Cadette training and was accepted, he was sent to Waco Texas for 2 weeks for
advanced training – parachute jumping.
Then to Lackland AFB (preflight)
Assigned to Randolf for flight training prior to that he
gave a urin sample and due to it being too dark he talked his buddy (Jogerson) into
giving some of his to him so he would pass.
After second time the buddy said no and due to the next sample of urin
he was sent to the hospital.
On a side note Jogerson ended up across the hall from dad at
the hospital, Jogerson had Arthritis.
He was in Ward B an open area. He went to Chow hall every day then went back
to his room and ate again. He was caught
and told to stay in bed. And he was put in his own room soon after . Dad talked about a red headed guy with RA (rheumatoid
arthritis) very nosy and new everyone’s business. He was asking me if I wanted to know what the
guy had that was just brought in. he
said he would not make it and it ended up being what I had …
Dad was diagnosed with Frietis Kidney decease. (I have
looked this up and have not found it. I will
have to check the spelling and get back to this. )
They flushed the kidneys out and he was in the hospital for
a long time, (6 months) He was 20 at the
time. They told him this was service
connected and he had to stay in bed until release.
He was back to duty and sent to Randolph Base for cadette training after the hospital. He was discharged from the training program without prejudice. He turned 21 and assigned to a job, lived on a base referred to as West Point of the Air Force, it was built in the 1930’s, made of Stone and very nice.
B29’s (bombers) were there for flight training. His job was pre/post flight check, post flight was to check the gears ect, and pre flight was tougher, they flew over the gulf of Mexico. After one plane was lost flying over the Gulf of Mexico, the flyers started fixing it so the planes wouldn't have to fly, by breaking or damaging radar or radios. the crew figured it out and put a stop to it.
He was back to duty and sent to Randolph Base for cadette training after the hospital. He was discharged from the training program without prejudice. He turned 21 and assigned to a job, lived on a base referred to as West Point of the Air Force, it was built in the 1930’s, made of Stone and very nice.
B29’s (bombers) were there for flight training. His job was pre/post flight check, post flight was to check the gears ect, and pre flight was tougher, they flew over the gulf of Mexico. After one plane was lost flying over the Gulf of Mexico, the flyers started fixing it so the planes wouldn't have to fly, by breaking or damaging radar or radios. the crew figured it out and put a stop to it.
Dad also talked about one of the pilots having him fly with
him to get in his flight time. They put
a stop to that soon after.
End of story for today.
