Time Summary:
00:30 introduction; born in St. Louis, Missouri, February 23, 1917; recently celebrated 100 year birthday
1:50 prior to enlistment, worked in family grocery store, manufactured bullets for Remington Arms Company, and worked as an auto mechanic
2:40 enlisted in Army Air Corps in 1942 at age 26; WWII in progress; joined Air Corps to become a pilot; could not qualify due to colorblindness and airsickness
3:15 first military post was Las Vegas; sent to Indian Springs, Nevada where he received air-to-air gunnery training and worked as aircraft mechanic on B17 and B24 aircraft
4:05 assigned to military base near Cairo, Egypt; stationed in Egypt for approximately 16 months as aircraft mechanic; supplies were transported via cargo ships from air base to troops in North Africa; squadron lived in tents, ate dehydrated food; it was 120 degrees in the shade
7:16 he saw very little combat while in North Africa
7:57 remained in contact with home through letters; had a wife and two sons at home
9:06 R&R in Egypt included visiting the Pyramids & Sphinx; he walked the Nile River and saw Moses’ bulrushes; troop mostly confined to Barracks because of war in desert
10:25 was released from service and adapted well to civilian life; he lived in parents basement in Denver, CO and had a nice reception home
11:00 he remained in contact with two Air Corps friends after military service
11:35 he joined The American Legion and was commander of two posts
12:30 did not receive service medals or stripes for service and remained at rank of private for four years; none of the 20 men in his squadron were given stripes despite being told they would after six months
14:32 following release he spent four years in National Guard earning $20 per month including longevity pay
14:52 following service he obtained two aircraft engineer licenses and worked as a mechanic at Denver Sky Ranch airport and Garden City, Kansas airport
17:24 prior to enlistment in the Air Corps he and his brother both served in the National Guard; his brother later served in the Army with General Patton in North Africa, Germany, and Japan and retired as a colonel after 20 years
22:38 in Egypt he learned basic Arabic phrases to converse with civilians; occasionally he spoke a little Arabic with an Egyptian man in Ben Lomond; recalls that American soldiers were referred to by the Egyptians as “The Rich Yanks”
24:30 he was relocated to California by his employer, a gas utility company in Colorado; he worked for a water utility company; he arrived in Boulder Creek in 1959 and has resided at his current address for 50 years
26:50 one of his two sons served in the National Guard; no other children served in the military
27:58 he does not think his military service has affected his life
29:38 recalls stealing canned sea rations from cargo; canned food was far superior to the everyday rations for soldiers
31:08 photos from large personal collection shared [samples shown on camera]; photos represent members of his military squadron, airplanes painted with female pinups, photos of the Egyptian pyramids and sphinx