Women's Air force Service Pilots--by Jane Morrison
Ms. Morrison was a member of the last class trained to serve as WASP's. The primary purpose of
these persons was to ferry aircraft around the United States. Ms. Morrison describes her training
and also describes the complete separation between the females being trained as pilots and male
personnel on nearby bases. Ms. Morrison did not ferry aircraft, since the program was being
reduced at the time she completed training. She has continued to meet with members of the
WASP in recent years.
"Happenings" with the 87th Mountain Regiment and 10th Mountain Division--by William
W. Milligan, 2d Lt.
Milligan was a member of the Alpine Club of Mexico when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He
trained at Camp Carson, Colorado and at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. He was assigned
to the 87th Mountain Regiment and participated in the landing on Kiska in the Aleutian Islands on
15 August 1943. After participating in this operation, the 87th Mountain Regiment returned to
Camp Hale and became part of the 10th Mountain Division. Milligan was a private for 2 « years
and then went to OCS and was in school when the 10th Mountain Division was sent to Italy.
Pre WWII Recollections of A Regular Army Enlistee--Fitzsimmons Army Hospital--by
Leonard C. Barney, Pvt.
Barney enlisted in the Army after repairing some soldiers' sedan, and discussing opportunities in
the Army in 1939. Barney describes in some detail the nature of the living conditions in the
pre-war Army, the length of service required before promotion was likely, and specialized training
provided in the Medical Department. By late 1941, Barney was a clerk in the hospital and three
months after December 7, 1941, he was sent to O.C.S. at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Barney remained
in the Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel. [This account is available only at the U.S. Army Military History Institute ]
Field Artillery Training in the United States--Cadet in Reserve Officer Training--by Robert C.
Ringer.
Ringer was an artillery ROTC cadet at the Ohio State University. He describes summer training at
Fort Knox. He also describes his training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina after his graduation from
Ohio State. Ringer also attended the Battery Officers Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma which he
attended in the winter of 1942-1943. He describes the training schedule and the living conditions
at these posts.
Referee for 106th Division Corps Tests--375th FA Bn, 100th Division--by Gordon J. Ryder, 1st
Lt.
Lt. Ryder was assigned to serve as referee for the fire direction center and spent one day with each
field artillery battalion in the 106th Division. Ryder indicates that there was a feeling that
calculations in the fire direction center were too slow. The fire direction center was rated
satisfactory after the tests, but additional firing practice was recommended.
Parachute Infantry Training--Fort Benning Georgia, July 1942--by William T. Dunfee, Sgt.
Dunfee describes in detail the training in the "A" Stage, which emphasized physical exercise,
including rope chiming and tumbling. He also describes in detail the "B" Stage, which included
training on the "Mock Up" Tower that was a replica of a C-47. The "C" Stage involved packing
the parachutes and training on the 250 foot towers. During the "D" Stage, each person made five
jumps in five days.
Paratrooper Training--82d Airborne Division--by George R. Gist and William T. Dunfee.
Both Gist and Dunfee served in the 82d Airborne. This paper describes primarily Gist's
experience and his movement from being transported by gliders to his becoming jump qualified in
England. This report relates to Dunfee's training report at Fort Benning listed above.
Recollections of a Kid from World War II--by
Phillip E. Myers.
Myers presents his recollections as a six and one-half year old kid at the beginning of World War II. His family was very poor at the outset of World War II, but there circumstances improved as the war developed. His first brother served in the Army Air Force as a flight engineer on a B-24 and completed his tour in the ETO. Another brother served with the 8th Armored Division, survived the war physically unscathed but was very altered psychologically. Another brother served in the Navy on an auxiliary freighter. Another brother was an enlisted man in the Army and another had a heart problem. Major recollections were: sale of war stamps in school; war bond drives; victory gardens; aircraft identification; scrap drives and a number of other civilian activities ending with celebration of V-E Day on May 8, 1945.
Off To The Navy--WAVES--by Harriett M. Wigglesworth.
Ms. Wigglesworth describes her training in the Borough of the Bronx and after her boot camp, her
assignment to the galley. She moved to the Naval Communication Station in Washington, D.C.
and then to Indian Head, Maryland. She also describes her role in testing propellants and her role
in a personnel office.
Send e-mail for the World War II Round Table to
Desmond Cook at: Cook.12@osu.edu
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