24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 162
H
Campfire Member
OP Offline
Campfire Member
H
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 162
Sometime late in 1941, a few months before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, a family friend on the local draft board let my father know his draft number was very low and that he'd be one of the first drafted in to the military...."so, you might as well enlist now in the branch of service you want." Dad enlisted in the Army Air Corp. Dad was in Colorado, in training, when Japan attacked. After Colorado, he is assigned to the 312th, a newly created squadron in which he will serve till the end of WWII.

So, sometime late in the war, he's with the 312th bomber squadron/5th Air Force in the Pacific and is the top sergeant in charge of the armorer section when this story happened.

Like many of his fellow squadron members, they thought the war was never going to end. One day, he realized that his enlistment had expired the prior week. So, he walked into the captain's office/tent and told him, "I want to go home." Captain was behind his desk reading some papers and without looking up, replied, yea, so do I and everyone else, but we're in for the duration and can't go home. Dad repeated, "I want to go home, adding, that duration thing doesn't apply to me." Captain then looked up from the papers asking, "you're serious aren't you?" "Damn right I am", I wasn't drafted, I joined before the war began and my enlistment expired last week....I want to go home."

Captain replied, I understand now, but forget it....you can't go home. Just to shut you up and get you out of my office, we need some 2nd Lts in the Squadron.....I'll talk to the Colonel and have you made a 2nd Lt. Dad was not prepared for the offer of a battle field commission as an officer, told the captain, let me think about it.

Next day, he thanked his captain for the offer, but declined it....that he'd shut up about going home.

I asked my Father, "why did you turn down being a 2nd Lt.? He smiled and pointed to the sleeve of his polo shirt, saying, I was a SFC, with my stripes, I had more pull in the unit than a damn 2nd Lt......besides that, I made about the same money as one and didn't think I'd be comfortable serving as one after being with the unit from its beginning.

This answer made sense to me....having been in the army myself and being a Vietnam Vet.




Last edited by huffmanite; 02/24/17.
BP-B2

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,573
W
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
W
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,573
In Oct. of 1966 I had a friend who's father was on the draft board tell my I was due for induction in November. I went right down and joined the AF.

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,208
C
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
C
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,208
neat story, thanks for posting it


"Put none but Americans on guard tonight."
-George Washington
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,463
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,463
My grandmother told me that her brother-in-law turned down a promotion to 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps because as an officer he would have to pay for his own uniforms.

He was a bombardier...that's all I know. I have a picture of him and another airman sitting on camels in front of the Sphinx.

Dan


Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
285 members (1minute, 204guy, 257_X_50, 10gaugemag, 280shooter, 29aholic, 41 invisible), 2,170 guests, and 997 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,726
Posts18,400,627
Members73,822
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.086s Queries: 14 (0.003s) Memory: 0.8049 MB (Peak: 0.8410 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-29 05:26:10 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS