CHAPTER 1
BECOMING SOLDIERS
It was the summer of 1943. Three teenaged boys were on their way to the recruiting office. They were all seventeen-year-olds, seniors in high school. They had heard that they could be accepted into the military services at age seventeen.
When WWII started, they were only freshmen. They were eager to join the throngs of young men and boys who were serving their country in war. Now they were old enough. This, they believed, was the right thing to do.
As they walked the streets of Baltimore, they discussed their plans.
“I’m going to enlist in the navy,” said Ralph.
“I am too,” said Gary.
“What about you, Steve?”
“I don’t know. I think I am going to join the Army Air Corps.”
“I thought we were going into the navy together,” remarked Ralph.
“Come on, Steve, join the navy with us.
I want to be a fighter pilot. I want to shoot down some of those Japs that bombed Pearl Harbor.”
“You just want the glory and, of course, the girls. Steve, the glamorous fighter pilot. Ha ha,” teased Gary.
“Oh, let him alone! If he wants the air corps, let him have the air corps. We want the navy,” added Ralph with a shrug of frustration.
“Hey, isn’t that the Army Air Corps recruiting station?” yelled Steve. “I’m going in. Why don’t you guys go in with me and wait for me? Then we’ll all go to the navy.”
“I don’t know. We want to go right to the navy now,” stated Ralph.
“Oh, come on! It won’t take long.”
“Well, OK, but I don’t like it,” said Ralph.
“Me neither,” agreed Gary.
“Come on, you guys, here it is!” yelled Steve, running ahead of them.
As Steve was ushered into the recruiting area, Ralph and Gary sat on a bench and waited. They watched as an Army Air Corps recruiting sergeant interviewed Steve.
After the interview, he took Steve to another room. The sergeant eyed the two boys sitting on the bench. He seemed to think for a minute. Then, he got up and walked over to them.
“Hi, I’m Sergeant Bowers. Your friend will be awhile. Suppose while you’re waiting, you take this little test. It’ll give you something to do.”
The two young men shrugged and looked at each other. Not wanting to be impolite, they agreed.
In a little while, seeing that they had finished the test, the sergeant came back and collected them. He took them to his desk, marked them, and came back to them with a broad smile on his face.
“You know, you two scored very high on this test. You will make good fighter pilots. Just think that our Army Air Corps will train you to be fighter pilots. You will be officers. Think of all the glory you will get. The girls go crazy over fighter pilots. You will have your own fighter plane to fly. You could be an ‘ace’ just like Eddie Rickenbacker. Think it over! You’ll be aviation cadets, the cream of the armed services.” He smiled and slowly walked away.
Just then, Steve appeared. He was very excited and proud of being accepted as an aviation cadet. He showed them pictures of airplanes in combat and other materials he had been given. Ralph and Gary were very impressed.
“I could fly my own plane!” Ralph uttered.
“I could be an officer and a pilot in the Army Air Corps!” exclaimed Gary. Suddenly, the sergeant reappeared.
“Why don’t you two guys join up with your friend? I know you will make good in the air corps. Remember, you will be officers, and you will fly your own fighter planes. Just think of it. You’ll be flying your own planes.”
The two boys looked up, seeing themselves taking off into the “wide blue yonder” as the tune of “The Army Air Corps Song” was heard in the background.
“Let’s do it!” yelled Gary.
“Yeah!” yelled Ralph.
“Great,” agreed Steve.
“Wonderful!” yelled the sergeant.
After the boys had left, the sergeant remarked to himself, “I did it again. I beat out the navy. Ha ha! I think playing ‘The Army Air Corps Song’ did the trick.”
The three boys went back to school and anxiously waited for the call to service. After their parents had gotten over the initial shock, they had reluctantly signed the enlistment papers. For some reason, maybe because he was a few months older, Ralph was called first, just a couple of months before graduation. Gary and Steve had to wait. They were told that the need for aviation cadets had diminished. They were extremely disappointed but just had to wait for their turn.
As fate would have it, Ralph had joined the Army Air Corps and not the navy as he had intended. His future in war had been directly affected by this one chance meeting that changed the direction of his life. What other decisions lay ahead? What other person or persons will have a similar effect on him? Boys going to wars throughout the ages have been subjected to the whims and ways of those around them. Ralph prayed that his decision was the right one. “How will I ever know?” he thought.
It may be interesting to note that Gary was turned down for physical reasons. His father used his influence to keep him out of the service. He became a “draft dodger.” He seemed to enjoy this civilian status and went off to the University of Maryland. Steve, on the other hand, switched to the navy. Ironic, wasn’t it?
The war news was bad. The Germans still held most of Europe. The Russians were screaming for a second front to bolster their earlier success at Stalingrad. The Japanese were in control of vast areas of the Pacific.
In the spring of 1944, the streets of downtown Baltimore were crowded with shoppers. On this typical Saturday morning, evidence of the war was everywhere. Fewer automobiles were on the streets because of gas rationing. People seemed to have a more serious look as they waited in long lines for rationed items, or they just seemed to scurry about looking for whatever might supplement their needs.
Although most of them accepted rationing and shortages as a sacrifice for the war, many found it difficult to adjust to this rather odd way for Americans to live. Of course, some were willing and able to pay very high prices to get what they wanted. Fortunately, however, most people seemed to be able to simply grin and bear it.
In the midst of this gathering and humanity, three teenaged boys got off a bus and walked down the crowded sidewalk. One of them had a suitcase.
“Come on, Gary and Steve!” yelled the leader. “I’ve got to get to the customhouse in forty-five minutes!”
“OK, Ralph!” answered Gary, “we’re going as fast as we can.”
“Gee, it’s crowded!” yelled Steve.
They stopped in front of a large food market on Lexington Street.
“You guys wait here!” said Ralph. “I want to say goodbye to my father.” Ralph went into the large food store and walked over to the produce counter where his father was waiting on customers.
“Hi, Pop!” he said, “I came to say goodbye!”
“Hi, son, it is good to see you. I’ll be with you in a minute,” answered his father and, turning to a worker, said, “Tony, take over! Did you remember to fill the orders I gave you this morning?”
“Yes, sir, all but the tomatoes. They didn’t have any at the depot,” replied Tony.
“OK, thanks,” answered Ralph’s father. He exclaimed to Ralph as they walked away, “This wouldn’t have happened if I was still in business. No tomatoes. Why, I used to have tons of tomatoes in my stock!”
“Yes, I know, Pop! Too bad, you have to work for someone else! Oh well, you could not help getting sick. Of course, your brother could have helped you instead of taking over and pushing you out when we thought you were dying in the hospital.”
“Yes, it is hard after being your own boss for so many years. Well, son, look at you, a young man going to war. I am sorry I was so busy making a living while you were growing up. You know how I had to work at night and sleep during the day. I guess I did not have much time for you. I love you though. You know that. Please be careful. You are the only son I got!”
“Oh, Pop! I know things were tough for you, especially during the Depression, but you’ve always provided the things I needed.”
As they talked, the tune of “The Jersey Bounce” could be heard from a nearby radio; and Ralph waited as his father was called by one of his bosses who happened to pass by.
His father talked, moving his hands around in the Italian manner. Ralph watched as if looking at his father for the first time or maybe, as he thought, for the last time.